Denim is already one of the more sustainable wardrobe pieces: consumers tend to wash it less frequently and love it for longer. That’s why we invest a lot of effort & dedication into our Denim. But still we had a job to do.

Throwback to Autumn 2018: when we introduced DetoxDenim ago, our mission was to create cleaner Jeans – in an industry often relying on harmful chemicals with a major impact on our environment and ourselves.

Cotton Cultivation:
The main component of conventional jeans is conventional cotton. Its cultivation is determined by monocultures, toxic fertilizers and harmful pesticides. → When it comes to virgin fibers, we only use certified organic cotton.

Water usage & pollution:
In the production of conventional jeans, large amounts of water are used in dyeing and washing, and the ground water is polluted by hazardous chemicals. → We have found GOTS-certified partners who use less water and only work with harmless chemicals.

Bleaching methods:
Bleaching involves the use of hazardous chemicals in conventional production - often under unacceptable working conditions. → Instead of toxic chlorine and harmful potassium permanganate, we use modern techniques such as laser or ozone treatment.

The result: DetoxDenim

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED?
Not yet. We never stop seeking even more sustainable options. Along with our goal to keep the carbon footprint of our products on the low side, we continuously evolve, and found an ally for organic cotton: recycled cotton. Recycled cotton comes with a lower impact on climate than virgin cotton. We give a new purpose to content that already exists: opposed to growing and processing virgin fibers from scratch, it takes much less energy to recycle. Additionally, recycled cotton is also less intense in other areas - water, land and waste.
We use two types of recycled cotton: post-consumer recycled cotton, i.e. recycled cotton from products that already circulated and pre-consumer recycled cotton, coming for instance from production by-products like cutting waste.

Our aim is to encourage more people to live more consciously and sustainably, thereby keeping the ecological footprint that every product inevitably entails as little as possible.

Conventional jeans use a large amount of water in their production, pollute our climate with high CO2 emissions and contaminate our ground water with dangerous chemicals. In this respect, the decision for DetoxDenim is better for the environment compared to conventionally produced jeans. .

A substantial additon regarding water: a tangible, comprehensive aspect is to save water. However, at least as important is to avoid discharging any polluted water into the environment. Regardless whether we're talking cultivation of fibers or production steps. The advantages for the environment begin already with the cultivation of the bio cotton: Because here completely without synthetic Pestizide one does. Even the dyeing process as well as the lightening and washing of our jeans does not use toxic solvents or harmful chemicals. Of course this is a bit more complex - but also much better for our most important resource: water.

Our skin is our largest organ. When we sweat, we not only excrete toxins through our skin, it can also absorb substances. Therefore, we should calmly think about which textiles we let on our skin.

Chemicals per se are not the problem. They are everywhere. However hazardous, unnecessary substances and their often irresponsible use are a problem. Did you know that the production of conventional jeans still uses various harmful chemicals? Some chemicals like certain heavy metals ensure, for example, that cheap colors remain color-fast.

Actually our skin barrier protects us. But as a pyjama test has shown, when we sweat, chemical substances can migrate through the connective tissue into the bloodstream and further into the cells of the organs. → We only use toxicologically tested GOTS chemicals in the production of our denims. For you this means: One worry less.

Renouncement of chlorine: Have you ever had a pair of jeans in your hand that smelled acrid? In this case you can rely on your nose. Because this smell is often caused by chlorine residues in the fibers. These can remain if jeans are not rinsed sufficiently after bleaching.

If you start to sweat in such jeans, these chlorine residues can lead to skin irritations and even allergies. → We bleach our denims completely chlorine-free. Believe us: Your skin will thank you for it.

GOTS:

You'll find this certification with our organic cotton denims. The Global Organic Textile Standard (in short: GOTS) is a certification of the International Working Group on Organic Textile Standards (IWG) and is one of the strictest standards for organically produced natural fibres (organic cotton, organic virgin wool and organic linen). It defines requirements that ensure a socially responsible and ecologically sustainable production of textiles. From cultivating the raw material to final processing.

In addition, at ARMEDANGELS this standard also applies to materials that do not qualify for GOTS certification because they contain recycled cotton or are not natural fibres (LENZING™ ECOVERO™, TENCEL™ Lyocell, etc.). Still, they must comply with the GOTS standard.

GRS:
While GOTS does not apply to recyceld natural fibers, the respective options with a high share of recycled cotton can be certified according to GRS.The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) is an international, voluntary standard that set requirements for third-party certification of recycled input and chain of custody. The GRS includes additional criteria for social and environmental processing requirements. Harmful chemicals are not permitted to be used. Therefore, you can be sure that the recycled content is safe and that the origin can be traced from the recycler to the final product. Besides, only products that consist of at least 50% recycled materials are allowed to use the GRS logo.

For quality and longevity reasons, a great handfeel and texture, we always seek the best combination fabric composition and treatment. To make sure we can scale our share of recycled cotton in our assortment, we therefore included fabrics with a blend of recycled and organic cotton. You'll also find jeans that are neither GOTS- nor GRS certified. While these fabrics cannot be labelled with GOTS or GRS we apply the same strict ecological standards in our supply chain. Best of both worlds, if you will

Wash as little as possible, of course...

• Always follow the instructions on the care label - here you will find the recommended wash cycle.
• Set a low spinning speed.
• Always wash your DetoxDenim inside out (with zipper and buttons on).
• It is best not to make the washing drum too full.
• Avoid fabric softeners and powder detergents - use gentle liquid detergents instead.
• Sustainable color detergents (BIO) are particularly suitable.
• Instead of using a dryer, better air-drying - this can sometimes take time but is better for your detox-denim and the environment.
• Your beloved denim needs a repair? Check out our Repair Guide