Cotton? I am sceptical. Sooooo thin you can see through them. Thin enough to be white tights or hospital gauze. They arrived starched, badly crumpled after washing which is fine but not soft even after drying. My husband is from the old school and uses them. If you actually blew your nose at it, you would undoubtedly have mucus on your hand. Maybe he can reset, not worth going back. But even more unhygienic than the already unhygienic ordinary handkerchief.