A summer afternoon at the pool is one of the best parts of the season, and I am not about to give it up. But the pool turned out to be one of those places where a few hidden exposures quietly stack up, from the water itself to what we put on our skin to the float the kids are lounging on. I used to think a strong chlorine smell meant a clean pool. It turns out the opposite is closer to the truth. Here is what is actually going on, and the simple habits that cut down on all of it.
QUIZ OF THE WEEK
Earlier this week I shared my non-toxic pool picks. Today we are taking a closer look at the water itself.
Of the 16 sunscreen ingredients the FDA has reviewed, how many has it proposed are safe and effective?
A️. All 16
B️. Just 2
C️. 10
D️. None
🤔 Think you know the answer?
👇 Scroll to the bottom of this week's newsletter to see if you got it right!
Did you catch my recent reel on the healthiest ice cream options at Target?
| Healthiest ice cream at Target. Here’s what I’d grab! ✅ ICE CREAM FOR BEARS → Grass fed dairy sweetened with honey. Simple ingredients. Nothing to hide. ✅ ALEC'S CULTURE CUP → A2 dairy that's easier for your body to digest plus organic ingredients throughout. ❌Skip anything loaded with fillers and stabilizers. Save this before your next Target run!. |
Non-Toxic Tip of the Week
Three Small Pool Swaps
The pool is not off-limits at our house, but a few easy habits cut down on the hidden stuff over a whole summer of swimming.
That strong chlorine smell is not a clean pool. It mostly comes from chloramines, which form when chlorine reacts with sweat, oils, and sunscreen. A quick rinse in the shower before you swim helps reduce it.
Check your sunscreen. Chemical filters like oxybenzone absorb into the skin. We reach for a mineral sunscreen built on non-nano zinc oxide instead.
Air out new floats. That new-plastic smell is soft PVC off-gassing, so let a new float air out a day or two before the kids climb on.
DID YOU KNOW?
Those chloramines do not just stay in the water. At indoor pools especially, they build up in the air right above the surface, which is why an indoor pool can leave you with a cough, a headache, or stinging eyes. Good ventilation makes a real difference, so it is worth noticing whether an indoor pool feels stuffy and heavy with that chemical smell before your family spends the afternoon in it.
| On heavy pool days, one more thing we like to keep in our routine is a good binder. TrueCarbonCleanse combines activated carbon, humic and fulvic acids, and zeolite to support your body's natural detoxification pathways as it handles the everyday exposures that add up over a summer at the water. We take it as directed, at least a couple of hours away from other supplements and medications, with plenty of water. A simple way to give your body a little extra support before and after a long day at the pool. |
🔗 NON-TOXIC DAD MYSTERY LINK OF THE DAY 🔗
| Always something useful! Could be a handy non-toxic reference guide, a favorite product we are loving lately, a huge discount, a helpful health tool, or a link packed with resources you probably have not seen before. You never know what might show up.
Click to find out.
|
Recipe of the Week
Homemade Electrolyte Lemonade
After a long afternoon in the sun, most kids reach for a brightly colored sports drink loaded with dyes and added sugar. This homemade version gives them the same refreshing lift with real ingredients. Stir together 2 cups of cold water or coconut water, the juice of 1 lemon, 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey, and a small pinch of sea salt until the honey dissolves. Pour over ice and serve. The pinch of salt and the natural sugars help the body rehydrate after all that time in the heat.
The pool is one of the best parts of summer, and a few simple swaps let your family enjoy it without a long list of unnecessary exposures. Thanks for being part of the Non-Toxic Dad community and for making small, practical changes that add up over a whole season. See you next week!
Of the 16 sunscreen ingredients the FDA has reviewed, it has proposed that only two, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, are generally recognized as safe and effective. I would only use non-nano zinc. The other twelve common chemical filters are still allowed on shelves and are not deemed safe.
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