It’s ironic that many healthcare professionals—people who care for and protect others—spend their workdays wearing scrubs made mostly from plastic-based fibers and often finished with undisclosed chemicals.
Polyester and other synthetic blends dominate the scrub market. Many garments are treated with antimicrobial, wrinkle-resistant, or water-repellent finishes that can introduce health and environmental concerns.
If you’ve searched for scrubs made from organic cotton or other low-toxicity materials, you’ve likely noticed how few genuine options exist.
I looked for medical scrubs made from all-natural fibers and had limited success. Still, I found a few brands worth noting and a couple more that are developing organic options.
What this guide covers:
- The Problem with Conventional Scrubs: Toxic Finishes & Plastic Fabrics
- The Best Cotton Medical Scrubs On the Market
- Percent Apparel
- Cottonique
- Second Best Options for Low-Tox Medical Uniforms
- Organic Scrubs In the Works
- 🍋 Join Thousands of Subscribers Reducing Toxic Chemicals
The Problem with Conventional Scrubs: Toxic Finishes & Plastic Fabrics
Most scrubs are made from polyester or other synthetic fibers such as nylon and elastane. These materials are essentially plastics: they breathe poorly, shed microplastics in the wash, and can act as carriers for other chemicals that may be absorbed through the skin. They also persist in the environment long after disposal, contributing to microplastic pollution in soil, water, air, and food systems.
Beyond the base fibers, many scrubs are treated with finishes marketed as antimicrobial, wrinkle-resistant, or water-repellent. Those performance claims often signal added chemicals—sometimes triclosan, formaldehyde-based resins, or PFAS-like compounds—even when brands don’t disclose the specific treatments.
Labels can be misleading. A tag might read “100% cotton,” but if that fabric receives chemical finish treatments, it can still expose the wearer to endocrine-disrupting compounds, carcinogens, or skin irritants—particularly problematic for people with chemical sensitivities.
Here’s an example from a popular scrub brand that highlights multiple performance features without disclosing the specific chemicals used.
Another example: product descriptions that list “wrinkle-resist,” “anti-fade,” and “durable water repellent” without clarifying what additives make those features possible.
These chemical finishes are particularly common in medical uniforms, airline or military apparel, and other performance-focused garments—sometimes more so than in everyday clothing. The result can be a uniform marketed as practical but that may introduce health risks and environmental harm.
The Best Cotton Medical Scrubs On the Market
I evaluated many scrub brands, from established names to newer labels that emphasize design and comfort. Finding genuinely low-tox, plastic-free scrubs is still difficult, but a few stand out as better choices than the norm.
Percent Apparel
Percent Apparel currently offers the only widely available scrubs made from 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton and without performance finishes. That makes them one of the few genuinely plastic-free scrub options.
At the time of writing, they are sold in unisex sizing and two colors (black and blue). Customer reviews are mixed: some appreciate the natural-material option, while others report fit issues. The return policy is limited—7 days for U.S. customers—so buy cautiously if sizing is a concern.
Overall, many buyers appreciate having a plastic-free, chemical-free alternative even if the brand still has room to improve fit and sizing variety.
Cottonique
Cottonique doesn’t market scrubs per se, but their garments are designed for people with chemical and skin sensitivities and can work as non-toxic alternatives to scrubs.
The women’s allergy-free oversized top and matching pants are made from 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton, free of synthetic dyes, latex, spandex, and undisclosed chemical finishes. They come in several colors and have undyed options if you prefer truly natural fabric.
There isn’t a dedicated men’s fit available now, though some men might be able to find suitable loose-fit pieces. These garments are purpose-built to avoid the common chemical treatments found in mainstream scrubs, making them a safer choice for sensitive skin.
Reader review:
- “I have a pair of Cottonique pants. They’re not as soft as advertised and they shrink a TON. I can’t put them in the dryer and they stretch out weird as you wear them.”
Second Best Options for Low-Tox Medical Uniforms
Options are limited, so here are some reasonable second-choice brands that reduce harm compared with standard synthetic-heavy scrubs.
Mediclo: Offers a “plant-based” collection made from 67% TENCEL™ (lyocell), 30% recycled polyester, and 3% spandex. TENCEL is a semi-synthetic fiber derived from wood pulp (often eucalyptus) and is one of the better semi-synthetics for sustainability and safety.
- Reader note: “I have some Mediclo scrubs and they’re pretty good but run kind of short (and I’m only 5’2”).”
Jaanuu: Sells a “Regen” collection made from regenerative organic cotton, but it is currently limited to long-sleeved underscrubs. Some Jaanuu products include a PFC-free water repellent finish, which is preferable to PFAS but not entirely plastic-free.
Welles and Scrubletic: Both brands use synthetic fabrics but hold OEKO-TEX certification for their materials, which offers some assurance that fabrics meet certain safety standards for harmful substances.
SmartScrubs: Offers a 100% cotton option, but it is treated to be wrinkle-resistant and antimicrobial. The brand described their finish as an “environmentally safe, plant-based solution,” but did not provide detail on the specific chemicals used.
Dickies, AllHeart, Scrubs & Beyond, Cherokee: These mainstream brands offer mixed-fiber scrubs (for example, blends of cotton and polyester). Many of their products include performance treatments like wrinkle resistance, so they are not truly chemical-free choices.
Organic Scrubs In the Works
A few brands are developing organic scrub lines. If you want to be notified when they launch, consider following them on social media:
- Eleos (Instagram)
- Navie (Instagram)
If you know of other truly natural or non-toxic medical scrub options, please share them in the comments so more healthcare workers can find safer alternatives.