These Toxic Chemicals Might Be in Your Yoga Stuff

Have you ever been mid-practice with your forehead resting on the mat, your breath finally slowing, and suddenly thought, “What’s this thing under me made of?”

Maybe it’s the faint synthetic smell that you never noticed before. Nothing terribly alarming, but just enough “ick” to register in the body before your mind catches up. For a practice rooted in awareness, it’s an interesting blind spot.

At its core, yoga has always asked us to pay attention—not just to how we move, but to how we live. And while ahimsa, the principle of complete non-harming in one’s existence, can feel like an impossibly high bar for many of us, its quieter counterpart, anrsamsya, offers something more workable: the absence of “intentional” harm. Anrsamsya offers a reminder that planting the seeds of noticing is far more valuable than getting everything “right.”

Because once you start paying attention, it’s hard not to wonder what, exactly, are we bringing into our practice spaces?

Chemicals and Your Yoga Practice

The modern wellness industry doesn’t make that question easy to answer. “Clean,” “green,” and “non-toxic” are unregulated—and thus meaningless—descriptors on product labels that can mask a more complicated reality. Meanwhile, independent testing has found that many yoga mats marketed as “eco-friendly” still contain substances of concern, raising ongoing questions about greenwashing in the wellness space.

Broader environmental inquiries continue to uncover chemicals such as harmful PFAS in everyday textiles, including activewear like yoga pants and other items designed to support our health and movement, raising questions about what we’re absorbing through our skin while we pursue oneness.

Board-certified naturopathic endocrinologist Jolene Brighten, NMD, says the simplest starting point is your mat and any foam-based props. “These are in prolonged skin contact and can off-gas into your breathing space,” she explains. Brighten recommends avoiding polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane foams with strong odor, instead seeking out products made with natural materials including cork, natural rubber, organic cotton, wool, buckwheat, or untreated wood.

Emerging research suggests that certain materials, particularly plastics such as PVC, can release chemicals that are absorbed through both inhalation and skin contact. Unlike the occasional exposure we might encounter elsewhere, yoga invites repetition. We return to the same mat and contact points day after day. That can translate to more consistent exposure over time.

Let’s pause for a little exhalation here. None of this means your home or studio is toxic. It just means it’s worth a closer look. To help start the process, following are four common chemicals to avoid—plus a few alternatives to consider.

Common Toxic Chemicals in Your Yoga Stuff

Stewarding the planet and your practice starts with learning what your yoga mat, props, and accessories actually contain.

1. Yoga Mats: PVC and ADA

If there’s one place to start, it’s your yoga mat.

Polyvinyl chloride, better known as PVC, remains the default material for a large number of yoga mats on the market. It’s durable, inexpensive, and easy to manufacture into that familiar sticky texture. It’s also one of the more controversial plastics in circulation.

To get that softness and grip yogis love—that bendy, malleable mat feel—many manufacturers add plasticizers such as phthalates, chemicals that have been widely studied for their effects on the endocrine system. Over time, these compounds don’t necessarily stay put in products. A growing body of research suggests these chemicals are not immovably bound to PVC and can migrate out over time, entering indoor air and dust, where they can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin.  Some mats also contain azodicarbonamide (ADA), a foaming agent that’s been heavily regulated and restricted in parts of Europe due to respiratory concerns.

Then there’s the life cycle question. PVC isn’t easily recyclable, and when it’s discarded—whether in landfills or through incineration—it can release persistent pollutants into the environment.

For Natalie Valle, a sound bath facilitator, yoga teacher, and meditation coach, the shift away from conventional mats started less with research and more with sensation. “I realized how different my practice felt when my body came into contact with natural fibers,” she says. The realization eventually spurred her to replace the props she used most frequently. “It wasn’t about doing everything at once,” she adds. “It was about making changes where I could actually feel the difference.”

That distinction matters, especially in a market where greenwashing is more prevalent than ever. Some mats labeled “eco” still rely heavily on PVC, sometimes layered with natural materials to create the appearance of sustainability, but only on the surface level.

Non-Toxic Yoga Mat Options

Ready to explore non-toxic alternatives? Natural materials offer both a practical and sensory shift. Öko Living’s hand-loomed yoga rugs, dyed with plant-based pigments, have become a favorite among some practitioners, like Valle, who prefer a more breathable, grounded surface. Cork mats, like those from Yoga Matters and 42 Birds that layer cork over natural rubber, offer a familiar structure made from a renewable material that actually improves grip when moisture is present. And brands such as Suga and mother-daughter-owned Shakti Warrior not only put care into the materials but are rethinking the full lifecycle of their products, crafting mats from upcycled wetsuits or repurposing their used mats into footwear rather than sending them to the landfill.

For her part, Brighten relies on the best-selling Manduka Pro from our “best of” list of mats. “Manduka’s commitment to thoughtfully sourced materials and environmentally conscious manufacturing is one reason it remains my go-to,” she says. Manduka does use PVC, but it’s OEKO-TEX certified (heavily tested and free from more than 1,000 harmful chemicals), and the brand also offers natural rubber alternatives.

2. Bolsters, Blocks, Meditation Cushions: VOCs

Mats might get the most attention, but we tend to linger on our yoga props as well. Whether you’re using a block for that supported backbend or a bolster to sink into at the end of a long day, our most profound restoration can be significantly deepened by these clever tools.

Unfortunately, many of these props—especially those made with synthetic foam—can release volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, into the air. If you’ve ever noticed that “too new” smell when unpacking a cushion or block, you’ve likely already encountered them.

In small doses, VOCs can cause mild irritation, such as headaches, dizziness, or a slightly scratchy throat. “Even indoor air studies continue to show that foam and PVC can be meaningful VOC sources, ” says Brighten. “Choosing low-odor natural materials and ventilating the room makes a real difference.”

In a practice that centers the breath, air quality becomes an inseparable part of the experience, whether we choose to think about it or not. The good news is that alternatives don’t have to feel like compromises. In many cases, they feel better, though this quality may come at a higher price.

Non-Toxic Yoga Props

Natural fillings for bolsters—such as wool, buckwheat, and spelt—have been used for generations for good reason. In recent years, more and more yoga bolsters are prioritizing these materials. They also offer advantages over their synthetic counterparts. Wool, as featured in designs like those from Home of Wool, regulates temperature and resists moisture in a way that synthetic foam simply can’t replicate. Meanwhile, buckwheat bolsters from brands such as Ladina Yoga and Brentwood Home offer a firmer, more adaptive support, molding to the body while still allowing airflow.

And if you prefer something softer, spelt-filled options from Ekotex Yoga and circular design brand Hejhej strike a balance between structure and ease with the benefit of low-impact production.

3. Candles and Some Essential Oils: Phthalates

If your yoga practice comes with a well-chosen scent, you’re not alone. Aromas are uniquely linked to the brain’s limbic system, where emotion and memory are shaped. Certain smells can also gently shift the body toward a more relaxed, parasympathetic state.

Though intuitive and even ritualistic, our interactions with fragrances are among the more complex, under-regulated areas of the wellness world. Phthalates, commonly used to stabilize synthetic scents, are often hidden under catch-all terms like “fragrance” or “parfum,” making them difficult to identify on labels, in candles, essential oils, and room sprays alike. These same compounds that yogis bring into their sacred spaces have been linked to hormone disruption and more. Even essential oils, often positioned as a “natural” alternative, aren’t immune to this issue.

Because essential oils are so concentrated—and so easily absorbed through the skin and lungs—any additions matter more than you might think. “The toxicity people associate with essential oils doesn’t come from the plant,” says rainforest herbalist and Anima Mundi founder Adriana Ayales. “It comes from synthetic fragrance chemistry and poor processing.”

Simply put, purity is essential when we try to use scents therapeutically in our yoga spaces.

Non-Toxic Scents

For a cleaner aromatic experience, simpler is almost always better.

Anima Mundi’s ritual candles, essential oils, botanical mists lean into plant-based formulations that are designed to support the nervous system without added fillers or synthetic additives.

Beeswax candles offer a soft, naturally sweet scent without synthetic additives, while brands like Primally Pure create blends that feel seasonal without overpowering the room. The Sweet Floral Sage Candle is a spring standout with wild-harvested pink grapefruit, lavender, and white sage. Room sprays from the yogi-founded Inspire Natural Goods provide a subtle shift in atmosphere without the chemical load of conventional air fresheners.

Returning to your mat each morning is a small, intimate point of contact that can shape how your practice feels over time. Reduce what you can, where you can, with a little more awareness than before.