A recent article from Woman & Home Magazine made a series of inaccurate claims about PVC yoga mats. We reached out to the editors at Woman & Home Magazine to inform them of their mistakes but they ignored us. We have a responsibility to make sure the consumers have the facts. So we are publishing the correction we sent to Woman & Home Magazine:

 

Ms. Lauren Hughes
Senior Content Editor
Woman & Home Magazine

Dear Ms. Hughes,

It has come to our attention that your article [“How to pick the right yoga mat for you, whatever your budget and ability” published October 10, 2020]  contains several factual errors.

The story contains the following quote from Jamie Kent of Yoga Download:

“The main material to try to avoid when purchasing a yoga mat is PVC, which stands for polyvinyl chloride. Many everyday yoga mats are made from PVC, which is a toxic plastic. PVC has been classified as a human carcinogen and is harmful to the planet. This material does not break down easily and its toxins can be bioaccumulative, meaning tiny pieces build up in our bodies.” 

Ms. Kent’s claim that PVC is classified as “a carcinogen” is categorically false. PVC has never received any such classification by any other authoritative source. In the story, no source is provided for this claim. To ensure readers have the facts, we request that this statement be removed immediately. 

Additionally, she is wrong to claim that PVC is ‘a toxic plastic.’ PVC is an inert material that has never been demonstrated to pose any human health risks as a result of exposure to PVC yoga mats. Her claim is misleading to readers and should either be corrected or removed.

It’s also worth noting that many of the alternative materials referenced in the have serious health and environmental downsides that are not acknowledged in the piece. For example, cork contains large amounts of methylene chloride, a highly toxic extractable, which has been described as a probable human carcinogen by the US Environmental Protection Agency. And rubber can take 50-80 years to decompose naturally. 

These errors and oversights are made even more egregious by the fact that Woman & Home did not seek or publish a comment from anyone with an opposing view. Woman & Home purports to be “impartial, thorough and accurate,” to “speak to credible experts,” and to “verify all stories being published.” This is why we find it disappointing that neither the Vinyl Institute nor any other vinyl industry organization was offered an opportunity to offer a comment about PVC in connection with this story.

Nevertheless, we would like to offer the following comment for inclusion in the piece so that readers have both sides of the story: 

PVC is an inert material that has been rigorously studied for decades. It has been used safely in consumer and commercial products for more than 50 years. PVC yoga mats are durable, safe, easy to clean, and affordable for users. It’s no wonder PVC yoga mats are widely considered to be one of the most resilient and innovative options available on the market today.

We look forward to your reply.