Vitamin Sea bikini in black Or 4 payments of available at checkout with All Dresses 20% OFF SITEWIDE!Promotion ends 2016-12-29 23:59:59 AEDT. Promotion ends: Hours, Minutes, Seconds. Enter the code "DRESS20" at cart page or checkout. Basket value (excluding shipping) must be equal or greater than Promotion excludes gift cards Promotion excludes sale items Discount only apply to "Dresses", "Playsuits & Jumpsuits" or "Two Piece Sets" items Enter the code DRESS20 at cart page or checkout to apply your discountSort by Position: Low to HighIt's finally starting to feel like Spring here in New York. I'm transitioning my wardrobe for warmer weather which, of course, got me thinking about swimwear. I started shopping ethically back in October, so this is the first time I've faced the already difficult challenge of finding a swimsuit plus the ethical quandary. The search for ethical swimwear brands is daunting. I think the fabric poses a special challenge to the process.
Most conventional suits are made of synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon, which are made from petrochemicals that have significant environmental impacts. In addition, nylon manufacturing creates nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas. Most of the brands I found utilize recycled or Oeko-tex certified textiles and eco-friendly dyes, offset with renewable energy, reduce waste, reduce water consumption, and/or form partnerships with non-profits. However, each brand approaches ethics in its own way. Take a look at the possibilities below and click through to learn more about the brands and styles.Women's SwimwearEthical ApproachesSome brands use conventional materials, but try to mitigate their impact with the rest of the process. For example, the brand Cala Ossidiana uses a nylon/Lycra blend fabric from an Italian mill run on sustainable power. They recycle and reduce water consumption, participate in World Land Trust, and run their business locally in NYC. Other brands, like Nikki Saya, make their suits from sustainable soy, organic cotton, bamboo, and other natural fibers.
Vitamin A swimwear uses EcoLux™ green fibers, a superfine matte jersey manufactured from recycled nylon fiber. Eco-swim, as well, uses recycled materials for some of their swimwear. LUZ swimsuits are made of certified organic cotton and must be treated with care. CurleeBikini Swimwear is made solely from remnant, vintage, and organic fabrics, as are those from Billy and Lola. Designer Natalie Golonka creates swimwear made from vintage fabrics she has collected during her travels around the globe.Still others, like RubyMoon, turn their profits into micro loans which help women entrepreneurs throughout the developing world. African brand laLesso works with SOKO, an independent eco and ethical clothing production unit that supports local talent and provides employment to Kenyans. Amitiwi swimwear is made of eco-friendly fabrics screen printed by hand on Bathurst Island by Tiwi artists using traditional methods which supports aboriginal art and the development of sustainable art centers in remote Australia.
As a company owned and run by women, the team at Zero + Maria Cornejo endeavors to develop collaborations with women artisans around the world.ShopCheck out more options at:Oso OrganicAgua Clara (fairly made in Peru)Koru Swimwear Caitlin Kelly (made in the USA)YOOX collections NWT options on Tradesy (you'll have to sign up; this is my referral link)And if none of these do it for you, you can make your own bikini from an old t-shirt or have one custom made!On another note, I was pleased to see more diversity than I did when I researched lingerie brands. One of my favorite in the bunch, Bombshell Bay, is committed to designing for all shapes and sizes and never testing products on underweight or underage models. All brands should commit to this and make more effort in regards to body size, conformity, and ableism. While the ethical options for women are fairly slim, for men, the situation is downright dire. Of the few brands carrying men's options, my favorite is Riz. Riz creates colorful board shorts from 100 percent recycled and recyclable polyester, print with water-based, earth-friendly inks, and run a recycling program called "Rizcycling".
Faherty and Tyr use recycled fabrics as well. Brands Onia and Glass are both manufactured in NYC.ShopAs you can see, there are many ways to address the ethical issues of materials, production, employment, and profit. This makes it difficult to determine the best ethical options even among what are considered ethical brands! I'm providing some direction here, but everyone has different priorities and you all have to decide for yourselves what's most important to you. This post contains affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you buy anything through the link (it doesn't change the amount you pay). I only include brands that I believe in, that I would use myself, or think might be of interest to you.Courtesy of P2 Life, a SwimSwam partner. After a swim meet, the last thing you’re probably thinking about is the composition and dynamics of certain vitamins and what they’re doing for your health. Instead, you’re either celebrating the success of a broken record, or analyzing what you did wrong if you didn’t reach your personal goals.
But there are certain vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that you should be getting after a swim meet and Vitamin B12 is one of those. Let’s focus on this member of the Vitamin B family and why it’s important for your health. The micronutrients of B vitamins, especially Vitamin B12, are used to convert protein and carbohydrates into energy. When you don’t have enough of these vitamins, your body doesn’t convert these nutrients quickly enough for your body to use them. If you’re drinking a protein shake after your swim meet, but it doesn’t have the proper vitamins, you’re doing your body a disservice because your body isn’t able to metabolize everything quickly and get you back to 100%. After an intense swim meet when you have pushed your body to the max, there are tissue tears throughout your body that need to be healed before your next meet or workout. Vitamin B12 is required for the production of red blood cells, tissue repair, and maintaining the health of your central nervous system.
The B vitamins, especially B12, stimulate the neurological tissue responses required for repairing muscles and they also help to metabolize the other nutrients that are needed to maximize this repair phase. It’s natural to feel a little out of breath after an intense meet, but extreme signs of exhaustion signal a Vitamin B deficiency and may prevent you from performing at subsequent races later that day, or even the next day. You may be tired, have shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, headaches, and even fainting spells if your vitamin B deficiency is severe. Avoid these symptoms by fueling up on Vitamin B12 rich foods like milk, yogurt, eggs, leafy greens, meat, fish, and seaweed. If you’re avoiding dairy or eggs, are a vegetarian athlete, or have digestion issues like celiac disease that prevent Vitamin B12 from being absorbed properly, your body may be at risk for developing anemia. Anemia is a condition that develops in your body when you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells.
Since Vitamin B12 helps the with the production of red blood cells, getting enough of this nutrient can help prevent anemia. Early signs of anemia are fatigue, but female athletes may also be at a higher risk because of monthly menstruation and blood loss. Getting the proper intake of Vitamin B12, as well as other nutrients after a swim meet is an important step to overall health and great performance all season long. Eating a well-balanced nutrition plan is an important part of your performance training plan as an elite swimmer. Don’t neglect key nutrients, like Vitamin B12, and focus on getting everything your body needs to repair, heal, and rejuvenate for the next day! P2Life is family owned, performance-based, nutritional supplement company that was designed for swimmers, by swimmers. P2Life takes great care in ensuring that every batch of their performance line is tested to be free of banned and illegal substances. Over the past couple years, athletes taking P2Life products have had some astounding results.