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The Toxic Truth About Leggings — And The Woman Reinventing What We Wear Under Them

An Exclusive RetailBoss Interview with Skimpies Founder, Bette Bentley.

Published: Dec 11, 2025 11:05 AM

By Alyssa Jade Mann

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The Toxic Truth About Leggings — And The Woman Reinventing What We Wear Under Them

Credit: Bette Bentley, Founder of Skimpies

For years, the wellness conversation has centered on clean beauty, non-toxic skincare, and ingredient transparency — yet one of the most intimate categories in women’s lives has remained shockingly overlooked: activewear. While we celebrate the rise of clean formulations on our faces, many of us are still slipping into leggings made with PFAS, synthetics, chemical dyes, and finishes never designed to sit against highly absorbent skin.

Bette Bentley, the Los Angeles–based founder of Skimpies, created a brand born not out of trend forecasting, but urgent necessity.

What began as a mother juggling two kids, breastfeeding, homeschooling, and living in leggings 24/7 during the pandemic quickly turned into a discovery that shook her: the leggings she practically lived in were full of chemicals and she was wearing them commando. That moment sparked a movement.

In an intimate conversation with CEO and Founder of Skimpies, Bette Bentley opens up about the hidden toxins in leggings, her transformative health journey, the creation of Skimpies, and why the fem-care space is overdue for reinvention. Bring us back to the beginning. How did the idea for Skimpies first take shape?

It really began in 2020, during peak lockdown. I was living in leggings, nursing one baby while homeschooling the other, doing everything I could to keep life efficient and manageable. Then I suddenly started getting UTIs, something I had never experienced before…

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The Toxic Truth About Leggings — And The Woman Reinventing What We Wear Under Them

An Exclusive RetailBoss Interview with Skimpies Founder, Bette Bentley.

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