I received an email from Mary Miles with the story about Anne Hills and her underwear she brought from Best and Less.  

I just had to tell you my story as Ann’e was very similar to me.  I brought a pair of black jeans from Target last winter and they had a label that said to wash before wear otherwise it may stain upholsetry fabrics so I washed them before I wore them  They fitted so well and were so comfortable that I went back a few days later to buy another pair in beige but these did not have a prewash label on them and as they were beige, I did not bother and wore them straight away.  Within 24 hours I had an itch red rash that slowly spread from my groins to include my vulval area.  This area also swelled making walking uncomfortable and it looked like I had been scalded with boiling water.   After several trips to different GP’s in the practice and being prescribed Cortisone cream once daily I was in dispair as like Ann, I thought I had thrush and treated that with no effect.   The most effective treatment was ice packs.   After four weeks the rash subsided. I suspected  it was the jeans and I did not wear them again.

In January this year I brought two pairs of shorts, this time esprit ones that were not cheap but made in China.  I did not think to wash them and again the same thing happened.  I saw two different GP’s in another practice but this time the treatment was not working and the rash spread up my tummy and buttocks and down all aspects of my thighs.   This time I was sent for an urgent consult with a dermatogist who told me to apply the Cortisone cream more frequently and again it has settled down.  This time it took 8 weeks and I am wondering when the next time will be. 

I have also recently spoke with my mother in England who has told me that leather lounge suites imported from China have  caused problems in some people with rashes up their back and back of legs.  One woman was hospitalised for weeks.  It only affected the “hotter people” in the families as other people could sit on them with no problem. 

I hope this information is useful to you and can be used to make our government more aware of what is happening.

Jean

Michael

Thank you so much for the alerts regarding cotton and Chinese chemicals. I’ve been itching like mad since buying a beach cover made out of silk and cotton from Victoria Hill. I love their products but this one has been a disaster. Every time I wear it I itch because like you, my early warning system with chemical exposure never fails. 

Thanks again. The work you do is amazing.

(Name withheld for personal reasons)
Hobart, Tasmania.

Yesterday I was introduced to your website. Very interesting!

I just read the article on formaldehyde-embalmed undies & went ‘ouch’!

I also have a gripe about cotton.

I purchased some quality towels recently for my new home and tossed them in the washing machine just to remove the dressing and cut down on lint before use, just like my mother taught me, just as I had done ten years ago when I had my last towel purchase. After the first soothing shower in my beautiful new bathroom, I grabbed the luxuriously soft towel and began to towel down. Notice that I did not say ‘dry’ myself! I couldn’t! It was like using a plastic bag!  It felt soft, like it had felt in the shop. So back into the washer went all the towels- every day! Twice, thrice, and whatever you call four times! They continued to dry like plastic bags.

Before you jump in and accuse me of using fabric softeners, I don’t. And haven’t for years since I found that the fluffy towels didn’t absorb at all well (another con?) and even worse, they junked up my top-loader

I marched in to the store and complained. The manager stepped in and assured me that this phenomenon was no rare event. She said that towels nowadays probably didn’t come to their full drying ability till they had been washed 8-10 times, and even longer for some brands! My comment was that it would have been nice to have been warned so I could have had them done well before the move.

Maybe towels should be labeled with efficiency ratings like our white-goods?

Kind regards
Joan Westaway
Moggill, Qld

On two separate occasions about 18 months apart, I have bought a bra from Target.  Unfortunately I did not check their origin.  After wearing the bra (which I washed first) for only a short time, I felt an irritation.  This irritation was caused by the rib of a rubbery strip which runs around the body on the band under the boobs and across to the clip.  The rubbery rib seems to hold the bra to the skin.  I developed a line of blisters from it.  With the first bra, I did not initially realise the bra was at fault and the doctor thought I had shingles.  When I went to the chemist to get my script, I showed the pharmacist and after a discussion, we came to the conclusion that it may be bra related.  I returned the bra to the store.  When this happened a second time, I knew immediately the source of the problem and returned the bra with a full written reason.  Of course, nothing came of my note.

Regards
Kerry

Thanks for your email about poisoned cotton.

I have had itching for a couple of years now, especially in the warmer weather.  It is not associated with a rash, but just itching all over my trunk and upper extremities.  I wear cotton singlets and underpants from Best & Less and therefore from China.  I purposely don’t wear synthetics because of the energy depletion they are thought to produce.

I was suspicious that it was the underwear which caused itching before I read a chapter about Bt cotton in Genetic Roulette by Jeffrey M. Smith.  “Agricultural labourers in 6 villages (in India) who picked or loaded Bt cotton reported reactions of the skin, eyes and upper respiratory tract.”  “Some labourers required hospitalization.”  “Employees at a cotton gin factory take antihistamines every day.” “One doctor treated about 250 cotton labourers.”

Although the above is about India, I suspect China may also grow Bt cotton, or maybe buy it from India to make garments to sell to us.  Or perhaps the Chinese add some chemical, like formaldehyde, or maybe some pesticide or weedicide. 

I am experimenting with a diet low in histidine which makes histamine, without much effect so far.

I look forward to hearing more about it from you.

Regards, Maureen.

I first heard about this on TV recently where ENERGEX or ERGON workers had a bad reaction from their overalls/uniform supplied by the Government in QLd!

I want to know how long the  formaldehyde hangs around for.

Awareness Quest.

Reply from Elaine: I have tried everything and have not been able to get rid of whatever is in the cottons from Best and Less and Rivers.

I recently bought undies from Target (made in China). I hadn’t made the connection with the external genital area itch and the undies but now you mention it it is when I’m wearing the new knickers that I notice the itch.

Thanks for the warning.

Kelle

Thank you for sharing Anne’s story, this has given me great insight into an issue that has been a problem for me for about 6 months.  I had a similar eruption to Anne, mine on my bottom.  It looked like bull ant bites at first and quickly escalated to large welts and then weeping sores with extreme, drive me crazy, itching.

I have seen 5 Doctors, a skin specialist, a homeopath and a herbalist – to no avail.  I have tried all sorts of creams to heal this, they all seem to work initially and then stop having any effect by after about 5 days.

After your first article on clothing from China it crossed my mind that formaldehyde could be involved yet because it is only in the area where my bottom touches the chair I discounted this as the issue.  However, thinking this through now it may be that the areas affected are the areas that are in constant contact with the fabric as my work has me sitting on my butt all day.

The specialists conclusion was that I had had an extreme allergic reaction, the only solution was steroid cream and Prednisone.  In desperation I tried the cream and it had no impact at all, then after three months of having to bandage my bottom due to the weeping sores I took the Prednisone prescribed.  I know this is a terrible drug however it did at least stop the weeping so I have some level of comfort and do not need daily bandaging.

During this time I have also been doing Theta Healing on the issue with some results but not lasting.

Six months on and I still have large red bulbous sores and itching that some days feels like it is sending me insane.  Of all the things that I have tried ice and swimming in the ocean provide the best relief.

I will do some healing now on formaldehyde specifically and see if I can clear it that way.

Going through my wardrobe I am shocked at how many of my clothes are made in China!!

Thank you for sharing your findings on this.

Warm regards

Helen Meader
Author
Weight Consciousness

I have been buying boxers from Best & Less for years & I have also had a rash in my groin area within that period – I have not linked the two until your email. 
Is there any way to get the chemicals out of the cotton?

I’m now buying organic boxers.

Thanks so much.

Michael

After reading the article about the chemicals in clothing, the light bulb went on! I checked, and sure enough, every pair of undies says, you’ve guessed it! “Made in China” I feel sick that this has been going on for nearly 6 months. The undies must have each been washed dozens of times but the rash persists. No prizes for guessing where the undies ended up but it’s hard to find anything now that does not come from China. Even though I have stopped wearing the offending articles, I’m still having problems and I wonder how long it will take to leave my body.

Thank you for writing the article, I hope my story will help someone else.

Anne Hills
Sunshine Healing Haven
Kalbar, QLD

After reading the letters re the clothes made from Chinese cotton it really confirms that our government just doesn’t care enough about our health – more about profits and is that ever going to change.

I too have had problems with Chinese made underwear, having to resort, as other readers have, to using cortisone cream to get relief – the only thing that will work but of course only masking the underlying problem. I have recently purchased a couple of pairs of undies from one of the companies you name on your site – just to see if there is a difference. WOW!! What a difference…….. so exciting. I will now be slowly increasing my supply and including other items of underwear, nightwear, whatever so that I can throw that Chinese rubbish in the bin.

I think we must all be writing to those politicians who sit in their ivory towers and tell them how disgusted we are that every item of clothing bought, it seems, has that awful Made in China tag!!

Thanks Elaine.

Sandra

I have re-named them worst & less since developing a nasty rash in a most delicate area after wearing some new briefs for only 3 hours

These had been washed prior to wearing but the irritant is very durable

I contacted the company and have been assured that their clothing meets govt standards ??????

They have offered to refund , however I would prefer to have the offending goods tested independently so that I can really let them know that this is not good enough

Hope you can put this out on www with other letters

Best regards Jim Blyth