Quality Makers: Lindsay Dahl of Ritual

Beauty might be in the eye of the beholder, but as far as Lindsay Dahl—Author of Cleaning House & Chief Impact Officer at Ritual—is concerned, clean beauty belongs in the hands, bathroom drawers, and lives of everyone.

We all hear the term “clean beauty” often, but Lindsay is determined to clean up the act of the industry as a whole. Not only does she ensure that Ritual’s practices, mission, and product remain at the highest standards of traceability, sustainability, circularity, and advocacy, but she has also worked on rolling out a policy roadmap to encourage Congress to push the industry towards safer and sustainable regulatory frameworks. She even served as one of the lead lobbyists to help pass the Modernization of Cosmetics Reform Act (MoCRA) late in 2022. Now that’s showing, not telling.

We were desperate to sit down with Lindsay and hear more about what we should be adding, taking away, or avoiding altogether when it comes to our daily products, and get a better understanding of what this all means for our health “at large,” as they say.

Read on to see how Lindsay plans on wiping the slate clean.

“Clean Beauty” is a buzzword that has become ubiquitous in wellness culture. But what does it actually mean to you?

Within the supplement or fashion space, “Clean beauty” is an undefined and unregulated term, yet it holds significance given the various toxic chemicals used in these different product categories. Clean beauty signals that a brand is making hard choices around ingredient safety, setting high standards for safety testing, and moving its respective industry away from toxic chemicals used in production or in the actual finished products we bring into our homes. At its core, “clean”  is about safety, and brands who use that term need to carefully spell out exactly what “clean” means to them and specifically how they back it up.

Where do toxic chemicals show up the most in our everyday lives?

The answer to this question depends on where you live and work. Toxic chemicals impact fenceline communities—those living near chemical and plastic production facilities in the U.S.—as well as workers in certain industries, such as hair and nail salon professionals, firefighters, and others. For everyday families, the primary sources of toxic chemical exposure in products include non-stick cookware; furniture (particularly couches made before 2016); fabrics treated to be “wrinkle-free” or “stain-resistant”; beauty products; and food packaging.

Given that it can be somewhat expensive to participate in a fully “clean” lifestyle, what are your top three non-negotiables when it comes to the items you use, consume, or wear?

Shopping for safer products can come at a premium—but not always. The first tip in my book CLEANING HOUSE is simply to buy less. The fewer products we bring into our homes, the lower our potential exposure to various toxic chemicals. Many nontoxic cleaners, like white vinegar or leftover lemon rinds, are very affordable.

That said, the product categories I encourage people to prioritize and invest in are:

• Cookware: Stainless steel and cast iron are among the safest options.
• Mattresses: Look for those made without flame retardants, PFAS, or vinyl.
• Cosmetics: Choose products that are EWG Verified or MADE SAFE certified, or shop from trusted retailers like Credo.

What are some of the most surprising items / products you thought were clean—only to discover they were potentially harmful?

A recent study found that heavy metal contamination in prenatal vitamins is common, with prescription prenatals being the worst offenders. While no brand is intentionally adding heavy metals to these products, they can be natural contaminants from raw materials and the manufacturing process. Brands should be rigorously testing for heavy metals, seeking certifications like the Clean Label Project, and sharing those results publicly (these are steps we take at Ritual!).

Other surprising sources of exposure come from places you might not expect—such as stain-resistant treatments on children’s car seats; recycled foam used as carpet padding, which is often laden with high levels of flame retardants; and manufacturing environments that expose workers to harmful chemicals.

What are the negative effects of using products with known harmful ingredients? How is our health being impacted?

This answer requires nuance, since we can’t—nor should we—test toxic chemicals on humans to determine their health impacts. However, what we know from decades’ worth of peer-reviewed research should inspire us to make products safer. PFAS, for example, is a class of over 12,000 chemicals that have been linked to various health effects, including liver damage, birth defects, cancer, and hormone disruption. Certain toxic flame retardants are associated with cancer and organ damage. Endocrine disruptors like phthalates—used in fragrances and pesticides—are linked to reproductive harm.

The question becomes: if we have numerous scientific consensus statements spanning over 50 years, and we know we can make products without these toxic chemicals, why wouldn’t we?

If someone was brand new to the “clean” space, what are the core chemicals you would say: “STOP RIGHT NOW!”

PFAS: Found in non-stick pots and pans, to-go containers, rug and carpet stain-resistant treatments, and longwear color cosmetics.

Flame retardants: Used in children’s play tents and tunnels, couches and armchairs (look for a tag underneath on products sold after 2016 to check if they’ve been treated), recycled carpet padding, black recycled plastic, and electronics.

Professional salon products: Many treatments—like hair straightening, skin lightening creams, and synthetic hair braids—have been found to contain various hazardous ingredients.

How can companies and brands become more involved in shifting the clean beauty industry?

A bill was recently introduced in Congress by Rep. Schakowsky (who I interviewed and featured in my book) called the Safer Beauty Bill Package. It’s a suite of four pieces of legislation designed to close loopholes in current cosmetic safety laws. The package includes bans on some of the worst chemical offenders, increased transparency in the supply chain, and protections for those most impacted—especially women of color.

Brands that claim to be “clean” should put their money where their mouth is and support this important legislation!

As the Chief Impact Officer of Ritual (which we love), what are some core principles you hold the brand to in order to ensure everything is “up to snuff?”

My role focuses on a few key areas related to safety and sustainability. Our team manages certifications like B Corporation status, Clean Label Project, and ensures all of our products come with a transparent carbon footprint for consumers.

We work closely with the product development team on testing transparency and screen all ingredients for human rights and environmental impacts before they’re approved in our formulas.

Perhaps most importantly, we lead Ritual’s advocacy efforts—pushing state and federal lawmakers to close safety and efficacy gaps in supplement regulation. One effort we’re proud of is our support for a California bill that would require prenatal supplement companies to disclose heavy metal test results to consumers. We’re hopeful it will become law this year.

Tell us about your book CLEANING HOUSE! All the dirty details, please.

My book is a behind-the-scenes look at the science, politics, and culture behind today’s clean living movement. It walks readers through 20 years of my career—introducing leading scientists, industry watchdogs going toe-to-toe with chemical companies, CEOs working to make products safer, and environmental justice advocates fighting for communities impacted by toxic pollution.

I wrote the book to be science-backed (it is!) but also easy to read. I bring readers along as I learned to lobby—what I call “West Wing Jr. Edition.” There's also a big “take action” section, offering a menu of ways to make your home safer as well as a push for systemic change.

Everyone usually has an origin story when it comes to living a cleaner lifestyle. What was yours? How did you get intof this?

I tell the full story in the opening chapters of my book—and it’s a funny one!

In the early days of my career, I was laser-focused on climate change. Like a lot of people just out of college, I was filled with passion but short on experience. I landed a job working on a consumer safety issue, which at first felt far removed from climate work.

But I quickly realized that many of the toxic chemicals I was learning about are derived from fossil fuels. That connection helped me see how consumer safety could be a powerful way to link people’s everyday lives and home environments to larger environmental issues.