Medical Scrubs

Susanna Cellucci

Susanna Cellucci

Updated Nov 5, 2026

Conventional Medical Scrubs

Avoid conventional medical scrubs made with synthetic, petroleum-derived materials such as polyester or conventional cotton.

  • ❌ Conventional Cotton: Avoid conventional cotton of any kind. Any cotton brand without the Organic Certification seal is considered conventional = toxic. Conventional cotton is one of the most polluted crops in the world.
  • ❌ Polyester: petroleum-derived, synthetic, toxic material responsible for releasing microplastics every time it gets washed.

​Greenwashing Medical Scrubs

Avoid Greenwashing medical scrubs made brands that pretend to be organic, eco-friendly, natural, or safe when they are not. They use misleading greenwashing techniques to convince you to buy their products!

‘Sustainably made’ or ‘eco-friendly’  terms are not regulated. Avoid Semi-synthetic fabrics such as Cupro, Modal, Tencel, Bamboo Viscose, Bamboo Lyocell, and Bamboo Rayon, AKA  bamboo viscose. 

​Bamboo viscose, rayon, and modal go through a chemically intensive process that harms the environment, workers, and local communities.

  • ❌ Avoid Viscose AKA Rayon: Viscose Rayon is responsible for deforestation in Indonesia. Every year, 3.2 billion trees are cut down to make paper packaging or fabrics such as rayon and viscose. Viscose fabric is made from cellulose that’s been extracted from the bark, wood, or leaves of plants. It’s most often made from bamboo, pine, or eucalyptus trees. Viscose is toxic: chemicals are then used to break down cellulose so it can be spun into viscose, some of which are toxic. One of the most ubiquitous and dangerous is carbon disulfide.
  • ❌ Avoid Bamboo viscose AKA Bamboo rayon: It is a bio-based semi-synthetic material created from cellulose fibers from bamboo. Even though bamboo is grown without pesticides, it is made into viscose, which requires toxic chemicals (chemicals carbon disulfide, solvents such as sodium hydroxide — a.k.a caustic soda) and a polluting process. Plus, it is mostly made in China! Therefore, bamboo viscose is greenwashing 
  • ❌ Avoid Modal: viscose that has been made using a closed-loop production process. This more sustainable process also tends to lead to slightly stronger, more durable fabrics.
  • ❌ Avoid Lyocell: its processing also omits certain harmful chemicals altogether.
  • ❌ AvoidLenzing: Lenzing is a fiber production company based in Austria. 
  • ❌ Avoid Tencel: Tencel is Lenzing’s trademarked version of lyocell or modal yarn
  • ❌ Avoid Greenwashing Cotton: Even if they claim “organic” or “natural” cotton, if they don’t display the GOTS-certified seal, they may have something to hide.
  • ❌ Recycled Polyester Scrubs: It is still better than new polyester, but it still releases microplastic pollution when it gets washed. Plus, you will get plastic in contact with your skin instead of natural fibers. 

Organic Medical Scrubs 

The best fibers are natural and certified organic, which means that they are third-party tested and verified. 

  • ✅ Organic Hemp Scrubs: Hemp is a natural fiber, a highly sustainable crop that requires minimal water. When it is organic, you know there are no pesticides or other chemicals involved.
  • ✅ Organic Cotton is held to a stricter standard, it is responsibly and sustainably grown without pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. This is better for you as well as for the farmers.
  • ✅ The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibers, including ecological and social criteria. It was created to set criteria for how fibers and textiles must be ginned, knitted, woven, dyed, manufactured, and labeled. 

 

GOTS seal Certified Organic logo

The Best Organic Medical Scrubs 

These Organic Medical Scrubs are crafted from 100% organic cotton, lightweight fabric, and irritation-free medical scrubs designed for anyone, including those who are dealing with chemical sensitivities or skin irritations such as eczema or dermatitis. I recommend washing these organic scrubs with organic laundry detergents, organic bleach alternatives, and using organic fabric softeners or organic dryer balls. I also recommend using plastic-free, biodegradable disposable gloves. 

The Best Organic Cotton Medical Scrub Brands

  • 🌿 Percent Apparel  The First and ONLY 100% GOTS Certified Organic Cotton Medical Scrub Set on the market! 10% off code: PRETTYORGANICGIRL
  • 🌿 Cottonique  Allergy-free, Latex-free, spandex-free medical scrubs. 10% off code: PRETTYORGANICGIRL for every orders.

 

Shop with my links to support my research!💖

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Cottonique Logo

10% off code: PRETTYORGANICGIRL

Percent Apparel logo

10% off code: PRETTYORGANICGIRL

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