At TOFU, we don’t just design kidswear — we’re on a mission to protect children from toxic exposure hiding in plain sight. While most parents check fabric softness and fit, very few ask the more urgent question: Is this safe for my child’s health?

The Dark Side of Kids’ Fashion: Lead and Toxic Dyes

In India and across the world, many children’s clothes — especially fast-fashion and unbranded items — are made with chemicals that should never touch a child’s skin.

Lead in Dyes and Prints
Lead isn’t just found in paint or pipes. It appears in textile dyes, screen prints, glittery designs, and plastic appliqués. It’s often used to produce bright, long-lasting colours, especially reds, yellows, and greens.

When clothing is not properly tested, lead can linger in the fabric and leach into the body through skin contact or mouthing — a serious risk for toddlers and young children.

And yes, it happens in India too.

Real Examples from India

• A 2016 Toxics Link investigation found that 65% of toys and children’s products in Indian markets contained unsafe lead levels. While the study focused on toys, the same risk applies to synthetic prints and dyes in budget kidswear.
• Testing in Delhi’s informal markets found extremely high lead levels in children’s artificial jewellery, raising concerns for other unregulated products like printed T-shirts and festive wear.
• Imported fast-fashion items flagged globally — such as Shein products (widely sold in India through third-party sellers) — have tested positive for dangerously high lead levels in kidswear, sometimes hundreds of times over the legal limit.

If it’s in their necklace, it could be in their T-shirt.

Why This Is a Big Deal for Children

Children absorb lead faster than adults and are up to 10 times more vulnerable to its effects. Even small exposures can lead to:

• Impaired brain development
• Behavioural problems such as ADHD and aggression
• Stunted growth and anaemia
• Increased long-term cancer risk (kidney, lung, and brain tumours), as recognised by WHO and IARC

The danger isn’t dramatic. It’s slow, silent, and irreversible.

What We’re Doing Differently

At TOFU, toxin-free kidswear isn’t just a marketing claim — it’s our foundation. We ensure:

• No lead-based dyes or inks
• No PVC prints or plastic coatings
• No formaldehyde-based “wrinkle-free” finishes
• Lab-tested fabrics for heavy metals, azo dyes, and phthalates
• Compliance with OEKO-TEX®, GOTS, and BIS standards
• We work with clean textile mills, ethical printers, and local artisans who share our mission: style that never compromises a child’s health.

What You Can Do as a Parent

• Ask about how your child’s clothing is dyed, printed, and finished, not just the fabric type.
• Avoid glitter prints, synthetic appliqués, and clothes with strong chemical smells.
• Wash all new clothes before use to reduce chemical residues.
• Choose certified brands that openly share chemical safety practices.
• Support transparency in fashion — if a brand won’t share its testing standards, ask why.

Why We’re Speaking Up

Fashion should never come at the cost of a child’s health or future. Whether you shop from TOFU or not, we invite you to join the movement of parents, brands, and regulators pushing for safer, cleaner, and more transparent kidswear in India.

Let’s raise awareness, demand accountability, and keep children safe — starting with the clothes they wear every day.

If you’d like a free checklist of safe clothing practices or our full chemical testing report, get in touch — we’re happy to share.