What’s the Best Non-Toxic Shower Curtain Material?
The idea that in order to have a healthy bathroom, you have to swap out your plastic shower curtain for a natural fiber one, isn’t true. Natural, and especially organic, fibers are great in almost every other context, but when it comes to waterproofing, I strongly recommend safer plastics. That’s because you need to prevent mold, mildew, fungal, and bacterial buildup.
That said, every bathroom is different, and everyone’s cleaning tolerance is different. Watch the video above for the short version, and find all the material options I recommend by situation on the shower curtains page.
Why avoid PVC?
Standard shower curtain liners are made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) which has two problems. First, PVC off-gasses VOCs including chlorine-based compounds into your bathroom air, particularly when new and in warmer air, which speeds up off-gassing. Second, PVC needs to be softened with plasticizers to be flexible enough for use as a curtain, and the plasticizers used are typically phthalates— endocrine-disrupting chemicals that have been linked to hormonal disruption in human studies. The off-gassing is what produces that "new shower curtain smell." It isn't just unpleasant; it's actually harmful.
What is PEVA and is it actually safer than PVC?
PEVA (polyethylene vinyl acetate) is a chlorine-free plastic that doesn't require phthalate plasticizers to achieve flexibility. It doesn't off-gas in the way PVC does, and the human safety data on it is reassuring. It's not a natural material, but it's a meaningfully different one from PVC, and provides that essential waterproofing.
There's a 2014 paper that circulates regularly as evidence that PEVA is toxic. The study exposed worms to PEVA in a 150°F steam bath and observed adverse effects. Your bathroom will never be 150°F and you aren’t a worm. Moreover, it was one tiny study done by a high school student, not a meta-analysis done by professional researchers. All of the human safety research on PEVA tells a much less alarming story — it's considered a relatively inert material at normal use temperatures.
If PEVA is fine, why would you use organic fabric instead?
Because organic fabric is the healthiest material option when the conditions support it. If your bathroom has good airflow, you open windows, and you're willing to wash your curtain regularly, natural fabric avoids plastic entirely. Linen and hemp dry faster than cotton and are therefore more resistant to mold buildup, making them more practical in moderately humid bathrooms, but you still need to stay on top of laundry. GOTS-certified organic cotton is the gold standard if you're going fabric — it confirms both the fiber and the processing.
The practical constraint is that fabric liners in humid, poorly ventilated bathrooms will grow mold. If you have a small bathroom with no window and a long shower, you're probably not a fabric liner person, and that's fine! I use a polyester shower curtain liner right now! I have a tiny, damp, north facing bathroom in the Pacific Northwest, so it makes sense for me.
Why would you choose OEKO-TEX polyester over PEVA or fabric?
Polyester dries faster than any natural fiber, and OEKO-TEX certification on a polyester liner confirms it's been tested for harmful residues including phthalates and heavy metal dyes. Most PEVA curtains don’t have OEKO TEX certification, and while I can’t state whether PEVA or polyester is inherently safer, some people just prefer polyester for its drapability. Polyester not the most natural choice, but it's a practical one if laundry frequency is the constraint. It can go longer between washes without developing mildew, and is resistant to cleaning scrubs if you do get some buildup, unlike more delicate linen or cotton shower curtains.
So which shower curtain material is best?
There's no universal answer.
Good airflow, a window, and willingness to wash regularly: organic fabric.
Neither of those things, but want to avoid PEVA for its relative rigidity: OEKO-TEX polyester.
Humid bathroom and minimal laundry motivation: PEVA.
All three are meaningfully better than a standard PVC liner.
Recommendations for each scenario — certified organic cotton, linen, hemp, OEKO-TEX polyester, and PEVA options — are on the shower curtains page.
