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The clean beauty movement didn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of decades of advocacy behind the scenes by people like our friend, Lindsay Dahl. She has been the lead strategist for the passage of over 30 laws aimed at protecting public health, advancing consumer safety and addressing the urgency of climate change. As an advocate for clean beauty and wellness, Lindsay has spent her career pushing for higher standards for the products we put on (and in) our bodies, use in our households, and more.
After spending years lobbying to eliminate harmful ingredients found in consumer products–Lindsay served as Beautycounter’s head of mission for seven years, paving the way for the company to have safe, ethically sourced and sustainable products. Today, she is Chief Impact Officer at Ritual, a traceable vitamin and supplement company.
In her new book, Cleaning House: The Fight to Rid Our Homes of Toxic Chemicals, Lindsay unpacks the science of how seemingly harmless items–everything from furniture to beauty and cleaning products–can include harmful chemicals that may lead to cancer and reproductive harm.
We first met Lindsay in 2017 through the Counteract Coalition, where clean beauty brands, including OSEA, came together to push for stronger regulations in D.C. Now, with her new book out, we caught up with her to talk about harmful household chemicals, her inspiring take on wellness, the two products she uses to the very last drop, and the four clean swaps she recommends making right now.
1. What inspired you to write your new book, Cleaning House?
I’ve been dreaming about writing Cleaning House for over a decade, but I reached a turning point when I realized a bigger nuanced story about toxic chemical pollution in our products needed to be told. I saw how social media was fueling misinformation about the importance of clean beauty and muddying complicated science. I wanted to bring readers along with this journey written through my personal career so it’s a fast-paced read to help unpack the science, politics and culture behind today’s clean living.
2. What are some surprising places where harmful ingredients tend to show up?
Toxic chemicals turn up in places we often overlook, like sofas with “no spill” treatments, flame retardants in recycled carpet padding (sounds like a good thing right?), rain jackets and lipstick with PFAS, or hair straightening treatments or furniture with formaldehyde. Many products also have toxic chemicals present as contaminants (this is when a manufacturer doesn’t intentionally add them to a product) such as phthalates or heavy metals.
3. For someone just starting to clean up their home, where’s a realistic place to begin?
Start small and skip perfectionism. Prioritize products that pose the largest source of exposure like mattresses, furniture, cookware and personal care products that stay on your skin all day. I look for credible certifications like EWG VERIFIED, MADE SAFE, OEKO-TEX, EPA Safer Choice and others mentioned in my book. I recommend checking out the very simple guide I have in CLEANING HOUSE that helps someone use science-backed tips when starting this journey.
4. When you’re shopping for your own home, are there everyday swaps you always look for or products you can’t live without?
I always look for brands that openly share their approach to ingredient screening and testing. I love companies that set public goals and report on them annually. This type of transparency is critical in a world where companies are “green-hushing” (sharing less or hiding their sustainability practices). Products I can’t live without include stainless steel and cast iron cookware, silicone treat bags for my kids, clean beauty products from Credo including OSEA, Counter and Jones Road. One of my favorite clothing brands continues to be MATE the Label and Ritual of course for all things women’s health supplements (full disclosure, I’m Ritual’s Chief Impact Officer).
5. What’s one myth about clean living you wish you could bust for good?
That clean living means living in fear. Decades of peer-reviewed science shows us that many (not all) chemicals used in consumer products have harmful health impacts. It’s ok to spend your money with brands who are making steps to make products safer, but what we really need is for people to pick up the phone and ask their elected officials to pass laws on toxic chemical pollution in the air we breathe, water we drink and products we purchase. We shouldn’t put the burden of finding safer products on consumers' shoulders.
6. With so much information (and misinformation) online, how can we tell what’s truly worth worrying about when it comes to chemicals in our homes?
Great question, this is the reason I wrote CLEANING HOUSE, since we need a comprehensive approach to sussing through what is fact vs. fiction. At the end of the day, I want people to step back and realize the absurdity that our lax federal consumer safety laws have asked us to be our own federal agency. I ask people to be wary of most of the information about toxic chemicals in consumer products and instead follow and learn from leading environmental organizations who have teams of scientists that translate the peer-reviewed science for us, rather than influencers online. Some of my favorites include Natural Resources Defense Council and Toxic Free Future.
7. OSEA and Ritual both prioritize clean, clinically tested products. What role do you think beauty and wellness brands play in driving industry-wide change?
Brands play a critical role in setting a new standard for safety and efficacy, OSEA and Ritual are great examples. At Ritual we openly share our supplier names and heavy metal test results, and as a result of this transparency we quickly became the top‑selling prenatal vitamin. OSEA has a cult-like following for a reason, your products work and you’ve never compromised on your commitment to sustainability and safety.
Lindsay’s Everyday Wellness Rituals
The first product I use when I wake up is: I have two go-to products for my morning routine, the Ritual Essential for Women multivitamin and I can’t live without the OSEA Dayglow Face Oil.
Coffee or matcha?: Coffee, always. I love starting my day with a hot cup of coffee while my kids watch cartoons.
The last book I read was: Cleaning House: The Fight to Rid our Homes of Toxic Chemicals, obviously ;) It’s easy to read, science backed, with actionable tips. I’m also reading the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.
The last product I used every single drop of was: Two products stand out, the OSEA Anti-Aging Body Balm and Counter’s Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer.
My perfect morning ritual: The most “perfect” ritual I can dream up right now is a morning with easy transitions and no fights between my young kids. What can I say, the days of gentle meditation and morning walks are a thing of the past.
What’s on my face right now: Counter Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer, Jones Road balm, and Evolve Together lip balm.
What does “wellness” mean to you?: Wellness is incorporating as many healthy habits into my routine without being too controlling with my diet, exercise, or mental health practices. Wellness for me is not just about maximizing my individual health at this moment in time, it’s also about fighting for systemic shifts that allow for larger public health outcomes. Like increasing access to a variety of healthy food options, supporting cities that build parks and paths for biking and of course passing laws that address toxic chemical pollution in our air, water and products.
Current wellness practice: Move my body daily, eat a variety of foods (yes, including allowing for sweets and processed foods), spend as much time being present with my family as possible, embrace the seasons, and always take a step back to question my thinking and assumptions. One of the things I discuss in CLEANING HOUSE is how dogmatic thinking is one of the most toxic things in our homes.
The one thing I want to try is: Cross stitching, I’m fully embracing my grandma era (not a grandma).
My best sustainability tip is: Buy about half of what you normally would. Repair and reuse what you already own, and shop secondhand when you can. This may seem like a tall order, until you think about how much you purchased 10 years ago, plus this is good for your pocketbook!
The first time I experienced the healing powers of nature I was: A young kid swimming in Minnesota lakes. I grew up jumping in cold northern lakes and I could feel how powerful this experience was and how it made me feel present and connected.
My best advice to my younger self: Don’t worry so much about who you are (or aren’t) dating. I wasted a lot of mental bandwidth during my dating years.
The one thing I am most proud of is: I’ve helped pass over thirty consumer safety laws, including the nation’s first update to cosmetic safety law since 1938 and overhauling federal toxic chemical safety laws. Those wins have real, tangible impacts on people’s health, and that’s why I do this work. I’m also very proud that Erin Brockovich read my book and loved it enough to provide words of praise for it.