$33 for 12 rolls of toilet paper: The Birkin bag of TP has arrived to solve a nonexistent personal health problem
The 'Birkin bag' of toilet paper isn't the first 'better-for-you' product in this category: There's Who Gives a Crap, Tushy & More, Reel, ecoHiny and Betterway, to name a few. And the TP market is expected to keep growing too. Research shows that disposable tissue products in homes will reach a valuation of $72.2 billion over the next 10 years, with a big emphasis placed on sustainable and biodegradable products, including those that are chlorine-free and unbleached. This raises the question: Should we be paying more attention to what we wipe with for our health's sake? According to experts, the real problem here is that there's no problem at all.
The Skinny Confidential's main selling point is that the product, beyond its beautiful packaging, is free of formaldehyde, chlorine dioxide, dyes, dioxins, PFAs, BPA and fragrances. The message to customers is this: traditional toilet papers like Angel Soft, Charmin and others contain these chemicals, and continued use has health implications. Jamie Alan, an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University, tells Yahoo Life that the ingredients used in conventional toilet paper are of very little concern (if any at all).
Chlorine dioxide, which is used to make toilet paper appear white, likely isn't coming into significant contact with the skin within the fully processed toilet paper roll, says Alan. According to the American Forest and Paper Association, the process prioritizes the protection of the environment and human health.
Dioxins refer to a group of chemical compounds that can be a by-product of the bleaching process of pulp and paper. A study of high oral exposure to dioxins illustrates damage to the immune and reproductive systems, while the assessment of potential health risks from dermal exposure through toilet paper found that there is no significant risk. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that more than 90% of human exposure to dioxins is through eating animal fats from meat and fish.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used to produce plastics and resins. It's been found in toilet paper, but Alan says that cumulative exposure through 'water stored in a BPA bottle or microwaving your food in a bowl that has BPA is more concerning' than the little exposure you might get through toilet paper alone.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs) are of growing concern after receiving the moniker 'forever chemicals' due to the fact that they 'don't break down in any reasonable amount of time,' says Alan. Research suggests that high levels of certain PFAs may lead to adverse health effects, including increased risk of some cancers, interference with the body's natural hormones and decreased fertility. However, the implication of their presence in toilet paper alone has been misinterpreted, according to Timothy Townsend, professor of environmental engineering sciences at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
Townsend led a study about PFAs in toilet paper that was widely covered by the media. But the point of the study, he tells Yahoo Life, was to identify toilet paper as a contributor to the significant amount of PFAs present in wastewater and landfills to inform better disposal methods that keep these chemicals out of public drinking water systems and soil — where they ultimately become a bigger threat to human health.
'We did not approach it at all from a health perspective,' says Townsend. 'There was nothing in our results that I would have characterized toilet paper as toxic.'
A switch to alternate materials, like the 100% bamboo of Bosstick's toilet paper and many other brands marketed as 'PFA-free' and 'nontoxic,' can help the effort to decrease the overall presence of PFAs and other environmental pollutants that pose health risks. But that isn't guaranteed.
'Why not make a new product that I know for sure doesn't have any of these chemicals in there? Well, if it takes a lot more energy and resources and emits more harmful pollutants by making the material, then that might be a reason not to,' says Townsend. 'It's not always the simplest thing to just switch over. You really have to step back and think about the entire life cycle of material.'
Whether it's really 'better for you,' better for the environment or not, Bosstick's audience is ready and willing to buy into The Skinny Confidential toilet paper, according to Mariah Wellman, a communication professor at Michigan State University who studies wellness rhetoric and influencers. 'So many of their followers are young people with disposable income who are interested in participating in the latest wellness trends as a sort of social signifier. Especially positioning the product as a subscription service with aesthetic packaging, they make it easy and attractive for those with disposable income to buy the product and be part of a new trend that feels exclusive and cutting-edge,' Wellman tells Yahoo Life. But it won't be exclusive for long.
According to market research, Bosstick's new product is a sign of what's to come in the world of toilet paper. The projected growth in the industry is partially attributed to a higher awareness of hygiene post-COVID and increased interest in more sustainable options for household products. But there's also a desire to have more premium options that offer a luxurious experience and feel while being easily accessible through online retailers for subscription-based doorstep delivery. Bosstick's pink-packaged paper checks all the boxes.
Flush away any concerns, experts say, and wipe with what you want. 'Saying you're going to protect your health by paying more for toilet paper is a little bit ludicrous to me,' says Alan. 'You should spend that money on the medications that you need or some vegetables or good shoes to take a walk in.'
Or maybe even invest in a bidet.
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Fox News
06-08-2025
- Fox News
Plastic water bottle left in a hot car? Think twice before sipping from it
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CNN
05-08-2025
- CNN
Can You Lower Your Risk for Dementia? - Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta - Podcast on CNN Podcasts
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Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:01:06 'Alright, so does having type 2 diabetes affect cognitive decline in older adults? Well, the short answer, unfortunately, is yes. Studies find that diabetes can increase the odds of developing cognitive decline up to two times. A 2021 JAMA study following about 10,000 men and women found that those who had diabetes at age 70 had a higher likelihood of developing cognitive decline. So, you know, older adults with diabetes do have higher instances of dementia overall, Alzheimer's disease, and also something known as vascular dementia. And it has also been shown that the risk of cognitive decline in dementia is higher for those who develop diabetes at a younger age. So the earlier the age when you develop diabetes, the more likely you are to have cognitive decline again after age 70. Now, we don't know exactly why this is, but the connection appears to be pretty strong. So much so that some people have started calling Alzheimer's type 3 diabetes. Now that might be a bit hyperbolic, but I think there's no question that we know diabetes raises the risk of heart disease and stroke, which hurt heart and blood vessels, damaged blood vessels in the brain, could contribute to cognitive decline. We also know that the brain is dependent on many different chemicals, which can become imbalanced when insulin is not working as it should. Some of those changes could trigger cognitive decline, high blood sugar all by itself is pro-inflammatory that could damage brain cells and cause dementia to develop. But all this to say that there's clearly a connection between lifestyle and dementia. In fact, if you look at some of the latest studies, probably around 40% of dementia cases are preventable through lifestyle changes -- healthy balanced diet, physical activity, exercising your brain, social activity, and yes, keeping your blood sugar in check. 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Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:05:11 'So just as keeping your body active is important, and we know it's really important, not just for your physical health, but your brain health as well, we also know that learning a new language or learning to play an instrument can have a really significant beneficial impact on cognitive decline. I love this question. I love the topic. It is true that just moderate brisk activity, physical activity, is probably the most evidence-based way to improve your overall brain health. But when it comes to doing other things, learning new skills, taking on new hobbies, the key word here is new. A lot of people focus on things like crossword puzzles, which can be really helpful for overall brain-health, but mostly what crossword-puzzles do is make you really good at crossword puzzles. What you want to do is something new! 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The troubling truth behind ‘toxic' chemicals found on receipts — and whether they're actually killing you: doctor
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