Memory foam mattresses are basically petroleum products mixed with blowing agents to create a spongy, springy ‘cake’ of foam that conforms to your body. Most memory foam mattresses are an environmental nightmare, essentially made of gasoline and doused in chemical flame retardants to get through fire safety tests. All of these chemicals off-gas from the mattresses, causing indoor air pollution and a range of health effects.   In contrast, Essentia’s mattresses are genuinely green. Essentia uses natural, organic materials (plus Kevlar for fire safety), with 95% of the foam made from organic Hevea milk, i.e., the sap of rubber trees. Essentia adds essential oils and other plant-based ingredients such as hydrolyzed corn (and quartz, apparently) to tailor its proprietary foam mix. The mattresses are free of chemical flame retardants and other toxic chemicals.