Navigating the World of Labels and Certifications: Breaking down GOTS and Oeko-Tex Standard 

Navigating the world of parenting is full of lots of new things and lots of new terminologies. With all the different labels and certifications popping up, it can feel like brands are speaking in a different language. Don’t you wish you had a cheat sheet to help break things down? Well, that’s just what we’re here to do! 
For today’s breakdown, we’re tackling two certifications you may have seen on baby clothing, gadgets, and bedding to name a few. These certifications are the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS for Short) and Oeko-tex standard.

Understanding certifications is a great way to make sure you’re getting a high quality baby product. Did you know that to simply have the word organic placed on a particular item, that article can have as little as 10% organic materials in its make up? And even if something is labeled as “100% organic”, it can still be treated with harsh chemicals. Who knew the word “organic” could be hiding such dirty little details. Don’t worry, we are here to help you cut through the organic lingo and figure out what’s best. 

Let’s start with The Global Organic Textile Standard, or GOTS for short. This is the highest standard an organic clothing item can meet. To meet this standard there is quite a long list of checkpoints the products need to meet. There are two GOTS label grades. The first, “organic,” requires a minimum of 95% organic fibers. The second, “made with organic,” requires at least 70% organic fibers. Both do not allow any fabrics to be washed in harsh chemicals during the process and prohibit the exposure of any harsh chemicals to the people working on the products as well. GOTS is special because it not only pays attention to the product quality, but the quality of the people’s work environment who are producing the product. The standard embodies equal employment rights, safe environments for the workers to work in, and overall consideration of the workers’ health during the farming and production process. So you can feel good about the quality of the product and process that made it. To read more about GOTS list of conditions in detail visit their website.

Next is the Oeko-Tex Standard. This certification is not specifically focused on organic materials, but it still addresses harsh chemicals used during the production process. Again with this certification, products need to meet a checklist of requirements to get the seal of approval. To name a few, products may not use any carcinogenic colorants (dyes that may cause cancer,) the products can only contain a certain limit of legally regulated chemicals such as formaldehyde, heavy metals, phthalates, etc., and the amount of pesticides and allergenic dyes that could be harmful is also limited. For a more comprehensive dive into Oeko-Tex standard check out this link . 

With certifications like these in your parental vernacular, we hope we can help you sort through the good and the maybe not so good. Now instead of organic labeling research, you can get back to doing more meaningful things with your time, like snuggling, playing, and maybe even napping!