WHAT’S IN YOUR BATHROOM CABINET

HELLO, NON-TOXIC FAMILY!

Of everything we put on our bodies, personal care products might be the biggest blind spot. Soap, deodorant, lotion, and feminine care products touch skin every day, often for hours at a time, and much of what's sold in the hygiene aisle is loaded with ingredients I'd rather not absorb. This week I'm walking through the swaps I actually use, bar by bar, bottle by bottle.

BEFORE WE GET INTO IT

NTD X ZACH BUSH PODCAST

I sat down with Dr. Zach Bush for a conversation that went way beyond toxins. We get into glyphosate, epigenetics, and the intelligence built into our biology, then dig into the emotional side of toxicity, including the pressure a lot of fathers carry. Dr. Bush shares some powerful stories from his hospice work, and we close out with practical ways to reconnect through nature, community, and local food.

QUIZ OF THE WEEK

TEST YOURSELF

LET’S TEST YOUR HYGIENE-AISLE IQ THIS WEEK

A 2024 study found which of these heavy metals in popular tampon brands

A. Only trace zinc, which is harmless

B. Lead and arsenic

C. Only metals from the applicator, not the cotton itself

D. No metals were found at all

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 building a non-toxic home as a “crunchy dad”?

I walked through how we choose furniture, rugs, and bedding without questionable synthetic fibers, skip products that off-gas VOCs, and cut down on the microplastics floating around the living room.

NON-TOXIC TIP OF THE WEEK

CHECKLIST

THIS WEEK’S CHECKLIST

Cleaning Out the Bathroom Cabinet

Personal care products sit on skin for hours, sometimes days, making them one of the highest-exposure categories in the house. Here's what I look at, product by product.

☐ Soap and body wash. Most conventional bar soaps and body washes rely on synthetic fragrance (which can hide phthalates), sulfates, and triclosan, an antibacterial agent linked to hormone disruption. I look for fragrance-free or essential-oil-scented bar soaps with a short, recognizable ingredient list.

☐ Deodorant. Conventional antiperspirants use aluminum compounds to physically block sweat glands, and many also contain synthetic fragrance and parabens. I use an aluminum-free deodorant and give my pits a week or two to adjust when switching.

☐ Lotion and body moisturizer. Many lotions contain parabens, synthetic fragrance, and petroleum-based ingredients like mineral oil, which can sit on the skin barrier rather than absorbing. I look for lotions built on plant oils and butters, shea, jojoba, coconut, with minimal added fragrance.

☐ Feminine care products. Testing has found PFAS, added fragrance, and even trace metals like lead and arsenic in some popular pad and tampon brands, which is a serious concern given how absorbent that skin is. I've switched to Pixie Organic Cloth Pads, made from 100% organic cotton and bamboo, and the Pixie Period Cup, medical-grade silicone with nothing added.

☐ Toothpaste. Many conventional toothpastes contain fluoride (a known neurotoxin), triclosan, artificial dyes, and SLS, which can irritate the mouth lining. I use a nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste instead; it remineralizes enamel without fluoride.

☐ Sunscreen. Chemical sunscreens often contain oxybenzone and octinoxate, both linked to hormone disruption and coral reef damage. Mineral sunscreens with non-nano zinc oxide sit on top of the skin instead of absorbing into it.

I go deeper on all of this in my latest blog post!

Cleaning Out the Bathroom Cabinet: What to Look for in Everyday Personal Care Products

MYSTERY LINK OF THE DAY

NON-TOXIC DAD

YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT’S INSIDE

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 placked with resources you probably have not seen before.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

FALL DINNER

Stuffed Delicata Squash with Sausage and Fresh Herbs

Chemical sunscreens often contain oxybenzone and octinoxate, both linked to hormone disruption and coral reef damage. Mineral sunscreens with non-nano zinc oxide sit on top of the skin instead of absorbing into it.

Click Here For The Full Recipe!

In Closing,

The bathroom cabinet is easy to overlook because none of it feels dramatic; it's just soap, just lotion, just a pad. But small daily exposures add up, and a few thoughtful swaps go a long way without turning your routine upside down. Thanks for being part of the Non-Toxic Family; see you next week!