Prevention Is the Best Defense Against Breast Cancer
By Lisa J. Bunin, PhD, June 18, 2026 | Updated October 30, 2026
BraLisa Co-Founder & CEO
When we founded BraLisa, we knew that creating a better post-surgical bra meant thinking carefully about every material that would touch a woman’s skin during one of the most vulnerable moments of her life. That conviction came from decades of work studying how toxic chemicals move through supply chains, the environment, and ultimately into human bodies.
So, when we learned about Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP) and their dedication to removing toxic chemicals linked to breast cancer from products, supporting their work felt like a natural extension of our own mission.
What Is BCPP?
BCPP is a nonprofit organization working to eliminate harmful chemicals from everyday products that impact women’s health and the environment. Through education, advocacy, legislation, and corporate accountability, BCPP is helping to broaden the breast cancer conversation from treatment to include prevention.
BCPP has driven meaningful change through initiatives such as its Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and efforts to eliminate exposure to toxic chemicals in medical products, including IV bags and tubing. Most recently, it helped secure California’s ban on bisphenols in receipts, which will remove a source of hormone-disrupting chemicals linked to breast cancer. These efforts have increased awareness and encouraged companies to adopt safer alternatives.
In recognition of its impact, Assembly Member Catherine Stefani named BCPP her district’s 2026 California Nonprofit of the Year.
Additionally, BCPP has curated a Safer Products Affiliate Collection of products that highlight companies, including BraLisa, with a shared commitment to women’s health, empowerment, and breast cancer prevention.
Why Prevention Matters
One in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Up to 10% of cases are due to genetic factors alone. The rest are influenced by environmental and lifestyle factors, including exposure to toxic chemicals found in everyday products, some of which we wear directly against our skin. Not every breast cancer can be prevented, but reducing avoidable exposures is something we can control.
As someone who spent decades studying organic cotton production systems and the health impacts of chemical exposure on farmers and their families, I have learned how toxic pesticides harm communities and how switching to organic improved their health. That knowledge is woven into every BraLisa we make.
Why We Chose Organic Cotton
Most post-surgical bras are produced with synthetic fabrics and may contain chemical finishes introduced to the market with limited oversight and insufficient research on their long-term effects. They include hazardous formaldehyde-containing, wrinkle-resistant finishes, PFAS-based stain-repellent treatments, or antimicrobial additives such as silver. For a woman healing from breast surgery, wearing these materials continuously against fresh incisions and sensitive skin is not a trivial concern.
BraLisa uses organic cotton, grown without toxic pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, and free from chemical treatments and finishes that have become increasingly common in conventional textile production. Organic cotton is an environmentally responsible choice that supports healthier soil, waterways, air, farming communities, and consumers.
What the Affiliation Means to Us
Joining BCPP’s Safer Products Affiliate Collection connects BraLisa to companies and advocates working toward the same goal: a world where products women use every day do not contribute to the disease that affects one in eight of us.
For BraLisa, this affiliation reflects an ongoing commitment to safer materials use. We donate $5 to BCPP with each individual bra purchase to help support their breast cancer prevention programs. You can also support BCPP’s prevention work by donating directly at bcpp.org.
Prevention is our best defense against breast cancer.
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