Latest news with #LaurynBosstick
Forbes
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Dear Media's Co-Founder Michael Bosstick Says Acquisition Of Fitness Platform Obé 'Just Made A Ton Of Sense'
Paige Port, Lauryn Bosstick and Michael Bosstick of Dear Media Dear Media—which has billed itself in the podcast market as the largest podcast network for women—is merging deeper into the wellness space with the acquisition of digital fitness platform obé Fitness, also bringing obé co-founder Mark Mullett on as Dear Media's President of Global Entertainment and Business Development. While many of Dear Media's nearly 100 shows focus on wellness content specifically—like Arielle Lorre's aptly titled 'Well' and Dr. Will Cole's 'The Art of Being Well,' for example—the obé acquisition is a deeper dive into the space. Founded in 2018 by former CAA talent agents Mullett and Ashley Mills, obé differentiated itself through its entertainment content, partnering with Hollywood studios to translate movies and television shows into fitness. (It, for example, offered a Sex and the City-themed workout class among its many offerings, which E! News, using a word known to fans of the hit HBO show, reported was 'absof—kinglutely not your ordinary workout.') It will now live as a standalone platform within Dear Media, the company said in a release. Like obé, Dear Media was also founded in 2018, it by Michael Bosstick and Lauryn Evarts Bosstick, who are not only co-founders but also married and also co-hosts of 'The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast,' one of Dear Media's most popular shows. The show's title stems off of The Skinny Confidential, now a self-care product brand operating within Dear Media that originally began as a blog started by Lauryn back in 2011. The couple's 'Him & Her' show began in 2016—two years before Dear Media's launch. Michael Bosstick 'You have to imagine, at that period of time, there was very little female representation,' Michael tells me on Zoom, explaining that the space was filled with 'the Gary Vaynerchuks, the Joe Rogans, the Rich Rolls, the Tim Ferrisses, 'Serial,' NPR, 'How I Built This.''' 'It was a lot of the OG podcasts that we respect and admire, but there was very little female representation,' he says. 'We had met a bunch of other female hosts and realized that they were really struggling to find their footing in the market. They were struggling to monetize, they were struggling to rank on the charts. And for Lauryn and I, at the time looking at it, it didn't make a lot of sense.' Their mission, he says, was to even out the charts: 'Let's give these women their fair shot at earning the same kind of incomes that some of the men were earning,' Michael says of Dear Media's impetus. 'Let's give the female advertisers an audience and the ability to be represented in the space. I think over time we've really done a good job as a company to even out those charts now where this conversation is maybe becoming not as much of an issue as it was then. And I feel really proud of Dear Media for doing that.' Now based in Austin, Texas, Dear Media's revenue falls between $51 million and $100 million, 'moving closer towards the latter than the former,' Michael tells me. 'We're doing well.' The obé acquisition—announced June 23, though the specific financial terms of the deal were not disclosed—seems evidence of that. Mullett tells me that he will continue to oversee obé's 'continued evolution' but will also take on a larger role within Dear Media to 'amplify and expand how we show up as a leading media and entertainment company of the future.' Mark Mullett 'The goal of the acquisition is to build upon how Dear Media can best serve our growing audience in and beyond our show expectations,' he says. 'We'll continue to expand our owned and operated channels to drive deeper engagement, while growing our slate of talent and IP through the creation and acquisition of new programming.' As has long been Dear Media's approach, Mullett says that he is looking to 'create more brand extensions across commerce, longform content, events and publishing, always with an eye toward our 360 approach of engaging a host's audience across every platform while their content can be consumed.' The acquisition, he adds, 'also provides Dear Media with obé's tech infrastructure and world-class tech team to create even more opportunities for the shows and audiences to engage with.' The aforementioned 360 approach refers to Dear Media's goal of helping its hosts monetize through various channels beyond just advertising dollars; take, for example, Lauryn, who not only hosts a show as part of the Dear Media network but also still runs her The Skinny Confidential blog and has now expanded into products ranging from ice rollers to mouth tape to, intriguingly, toilet paper. E-commerce, publishing, events and longform content are also encouraged by Dear Media as avenues of growth for its creators, with their respective podcasts as their springboards and launchpads. The Dear Media 360 model ranges from show conception to audio and video production, distribution, marketing, social, monetization and more, seeking to not just host podcasts, but incubate brands. Lauryn Evarts Bosstick speaks onstage during the SIMPLY Los Angeles Fashion + Beauty Conference ... More Powered By NYLON at The Grove on July 15, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo byfor Simply) Shows can either begin with a host and become a brand, or can begin with a brand that becomes a host; shows can also be built from the ground up or acquired and scaled. 'The blog and podcast created the foundation to launch The Skinny Confidential clean beauty and wellness brand,' Lauryn tells me. 'I focused on growing a community and building an engaged audience, constantly interacting over DM and email to crowdsource their opinion on everything from colors to texture to packaging. The audience felt like co-creators—by the time the products were launched, they were deeply invested in every step of the process.' 'The Skinny Confidential became the model for Dear Media's 360 approach,' she continues. 'Once you have the show, it's about figuring out ways to expand the creator's brand—whether through product lines, events, publishing or any other extension. The first step is to give the audience consistent value through content. The next step is to double down on what they're asking for, then the last step is to launch the brand extension to engage them further.' Amanda Hirsch, host of "Not Skinny But Not Fat" Shows under the Dear Media umbrella include genres like fashion, beauty, health and wellness, pop culture, entrepreneurship, lifestyle and parenting. According to the company, after being acquired by Dear Media, a show sees between 25 to 50 percent growth, both in audience and revenue, and shows include the beauty podcast 'Breaking Beauty'; the beauty and wellness podcast 'Life with Marianna' (hosted by Summer Fridays co-founder Marianna Hewitt); the parenting podcast 'Raising Good Humans,' hosted by Dr. Aliza Pressman; the pop culture podcast 'Not Skinny But Not Fat,' hosted by Amanda Hirsch; and other shows ranging from 'Dear Gabby' (hosted by author and spiritual teacher Gabrielle Bernstein) to Kristin Cavallari's 'Let's Be Honest,' sisters Erin Foster and Sara Foster's 'The World's First Podcast,' Whitney Port's 'With Whit' and Khloé Kardashian's 'Khloé in Wonderland.' Dear Media's leadership—its co-founders Michael and Lauryn and its president Paige Port—actually host podcasts themselves, which helps them relate better to the talent. (In addition to the Bossticks' 'Him & Her,' Port hosts 'DITL,' short for 'Day in the Life.') As Michael tells me, Dear Media 'was built by talent for talent.' Khloé Kardashian interviewing Kris Jenner for "Khloé in Wonderland" Port has been with the Bossticks building Dear Media from the ground up. 'Sitting in both seats and really understanding the need on both sides of 'How do we build a media company, but how do we also support talent?' was something that resonated with me early on,' she tells me over Zoom. 'And I think that because of that sort of superpower, we've been able to be a first mover. Because we are so connected to every single part and process of the business, I feel like we're able to sort of innovate on a daily basis to push our business forward—I don't think most media executives are in that same sort of situation.' Port says the company's focused vision and disciplined deals have been key factors why their 'bets have paid off': 'Because of that, there is this trust here, but there's also that if you are going to build a show within Dear Media and a brand, that we can really service it and add value and grow it,' she says, adding, 'We do know how to grow an audience here.' 'I think that what we have built over the last almost a decade is a brand built around trust and integrity and knowing that Dear Media will do right by talent and by a show,' Port continues. 'I think that we see partnerships in a really creative way. I think that we have an entire team here that lives and breathes this content and understands our hosts and our talents and the partnerships and how they make sense.' Paige Port To this, Michael adds, 'We actually step in with the right resources and the right capabilities and help them actually grow a brand with longevity. And I think that's something that we're very proud of.' The recent obé acquisition 'just made a ton of sense,' he adds, noting that obé began with a similar mission as Dear Media, primarily speaking to women—obé doing so specifically through fitness. 'The alignment made a ton of sense, and it gives us now the credibility to service this audience and our creators in a different way, and maybe stand up our own premium channels that haven't existed,' Michael says. Even as Dear Media grows through the acquisition of obé, the company hasn't deviated from its original ethos of amplifying female voices, he says. 'We still have a huge focus on female voices,' Michael tells me. 'We always will. That's just the lane we've chosen, but the business is mature enough now where I feel like we've almost accomplished a lot of what we initially set out to do, and now it's just the norm [with both] men and women in this space.' Lauryn Bosstick, Paige Port, and Michael Bosstick 'I think a lot of companies, they say they're going to do something but they don't actually do it,' Michael adds of what sets Dear Media apart. 'We've actually put our money where our mouth is, and we've produced a wide genre of content across so many different categories and topics. I really think when I see what the company has put forward and the people we've represented—I feel really good about it.'
Forbes
18-07-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Apothékary Launches In Ulta As Wellness Booms—With $15 Million In VC And Exclusive Kyoto Retreat
Plant-based health and wellness brand Apothékary finds its footing amid the wellness craze. Apothekary Beauty routines no longer center at skincare. Today's experts tout that the best beauty routines actually start from within. In recent years, influencers and wellness professionals like Lauryn Bosstick, Dr. Mark Hyman, and Agatha Achindu have flocked to TikTok, showcasing their supplement routines and the foods they eat to achieve glowing skin, boost metabolism, and even reduce alcohol consumption. With more than 5 million posts on 'WellnessTok,' the market and demand are there for brands to engage and educate consumers. This, coupled with the fact that the wellness industry is projected to reach $9 trillion by 2028, indicates an ongoing demand for the products and services offered. Ulta, the largest beauty retailer in the U.S. known for its mass and specialty offerings, has taken note of this growing demand for beauty from within. Earlier this year, the retailer introduced its first-ever 'Wellness Week," where it discounted products ranging from tools to bath essentials by 30 percent off. In recent months, Ulta has been quietly building a wellness empire by hiring wellness-focused sales associates and expanding its assortment of sexual wellness and nutrition products. One wellness brand that is shaking up the Ulta shelves is the Japanese-inspired Apothékary, which quickly sold out on following its soft debut in November 2024. Now, the little bottles of herbal drops are entering 350 Ulta stores nationwide this Sunday. With this Ulta launch, Apothékary is being celebrated as one of the retailer's wellness hero products through a new Whole-Body Wellness Endcap (the displays at the end of each aisle, designed to celebrate a launch with extra eye-catching marketing) launching in stores this month, which will also feature Rosen, Blume, and BeautyStat. Ulta Beauty customers can now shop four of Apothékary's best-selling tinctures in-store: Wine Down, Take the Edge Off, Rosé-Tinted Glasses, and Blue Burn. Apothékary 'Ulta is having its own moment where they want to be the go-to wellness resource, and it's exciting to be one of their anchor brands,' says Shizu Okusa, who founded Apothékary in 2020. 'Ulta never had a non-alcohol and natural tinctures offering; they only had gummies, pills, powders.' The serial entrepreneur previously launched Jrink, a cold-pressed juice wellness chain inspired by her own experience with burnout after working on Wall Street at Goldman Sachs. She often refers to Jrink as her first step from 'Wall Street to Well Street.' When her cofounder left the company, she sold Jrink to Puree Juice Bar in 2019 (Okusa declined to comment on the deal size), primarily for its real estate assets, allowing her to retain the facility and team for their next venture. Okusa secured $500,000 in pre-seed funding from friends and family to launch her second business, Apothékary. Apothékary founder Shizu Okusa is a former Wall Streeter turned wellness entrepreneur. Apothékary With Apothékary, Okusa set out to reimagine wellness through the lens of ancient Eastern healing. Walking through the aisles of CVS and Walgreens, she found herself struck by how heavily the shelves leaned on pills for every health issue. It wasn't how she was raised. Growing up with clay pots, herbs, and mushrooms (her father was a farmer) Shizu returned to the traditional remedies of her upbringing. Her question became clear: 'How do we bridge the time-tested Eastern herbal medicine with the needs of modern consumers, making it both accessible and aspirational?' Known for Japanese-inspired plant medicine that appeals to the sober-curious consumer, Apothékary is ushering in a new era of beauty-from-within wellness. The brand has become a go-to for Gen Z and Millennials embracing less alcohol, more balance, and beauty from the inside out. One of its hero tinctures, Wine Down, a red wine alternative with adaptogenic herbs, first garnered attention on social media through the sober-curious movement. For Shizu, the Ulta partnership is deeply personal. 'I built this brand based on centuries-old Japanese traditions, tools my ancestors used to heal and de-stress holistically,' she said. 'Ulta Beauty's support signals that these ancient rituals can be just as relevant today, especially as younger generations reject extreme measures in favor of balance.' And balance is precisely what shoppers are looking for. Apothékary's Wine Down tincture, for example, recently completed its first clinical trial, with 86% of participants reducing their alcohol consumption, and over 60% reporting improved sleep. That same product is now sold alongside jade rollers and collagen powders. Apothékary is part of Ulta's Whole-Body Wellness Endcap. Apothékary "We're so excited to bring Apothékary to Ulta Beauty, offering our guests a fresh way to embrace wellness as part of their everyday beauty rituals," said Lisa Tamburello, Vice President of Merchandising at Ulta Beauty, said in an email statement to Forbes . "Apothékary's plant-based tinctures are a unique addition to The Wellness Shop, especially as more of us are looking for natural ways to support balance and beauty from within." Behind the scenes, Apothékary has been building the foundation for long-term growth. The brand closed a funding round in November 2024, raising over $15 million. Investors included Shiseido's VC fund, LIFT (Long Term Investments for the Future), alongside notable names such as Anne Mahlum, founder of Solidcore, and Stella Capital. It is currently closing a $10 million seed round. The round marks a key moment as Apothékary expands beyond its direct-to-consumer roots into retail. Besides Ulta, Apothékary's $39 tinctures are also launching in 500 Sprouts grocery stores nationwide. Okusa notes she is investing further in Amazon sales, 'which doubles year-over-year,' she says. Capitalizing on the sober-curious Gen-Z crowd: Take the Edge Off Stress Relief Tincture by Apothékary is a non-alcoholic white wine alternative formulated with powerful nervine herbs which target the nervous system to help calm high stress Apothékary 'We're one of the very few brands that can be in natural grocery, healthcare, and beauty at the same time,' says Okusa. 'We're in a unique position to scale this business and through various distribution channels.' In addition to Apothékary's retail footprint, she plans to expand headcount, which is currently at 60 employees. Although the brand boasts its modern clinical trials, Okusa aims to stay rooted in its Eastern roots. She is launching "Journey East" Experiential Retreats, a series of experiential nervous system resets in Kyoto, Japan, designed to help participants disconnect and reconnect with themselves. The first sold-out trip is scheduled for November 2024, with plans to pilot affiliated networks globally. These week-long retreats, priced at $10,000 per person excluding flights, aim to provide a unique healing experience immersed in nature. 'Consumers are redefining what beauty means to them,' said Okusa. 'It's not about perfection or quick fixes, it's about rituals, ingredients, and self-awareness.' As wellness continues to converge with beauty across retail, Apothékary is carving out a niche where functional wellness and ancient tradition meet mass-market appeal—and high-touch luxury events.
Entrepreneur
09-06-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Lauryn Bosstick's Multi-Million-Dollar Playbook: Build an Audience First, Then Create Products Just for Them
Lauryn Bosstick, founder of The Skinny Confidential, says more founders should reverse the typical business playbook. Most entrepreneurs build a product, then find an audience. But what if you could do it in reverse — build an audience first, and then create a product to serve them? That's what Lauryn Bosstick advocates to new founders. She's run this playbook to great success: She first built a fanbase of millions through blogging (The Skinny Confidential) and podcasting (The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Show), then spun out a top-tier podcast network (Dear Media) and a thriving beauty brand (also called The Skinny Confidential). "My audience is invested in the development of the product," Bosstick tells me on the Entrepreneur podcast Problem Solvers. "So by the time that it's launched, they feel like they've been a part of every step of the way." People often misunderstand this strategy, she says: It's not about just being an "influencer" who spins off products. It's about mitigating your risk. When you launch a product without an audience, you have no idea who (if anyone) truly wants what you have. But when you develop your audience first, you can learn exactly what they want — and then serve them. " I really focused on the audience and the community for, gosh, like eight years," she says. "And then I launched products." Want to try it? Listen to our conversation, or read her step-by-step playbook below. 1. Find Your Point of View Founders are often afraid to say what they think. They want their products do the talking. Bosstick understands that — to a point. "A point of view can get you in big trouble," she says. "But I think the pendulum is swinging. If you don't have a point of view, you're going to get eaten alive." Why? Two reasons. First, the world is full of noise, and only strong points of view break through. Also, consumers today are looking for brands they identify with, not just brands that make good products. Everyone has a point of view, Bosstick says, but not everyone knows how to articulate it in a consumer-focused way. If you're struggling, go back to basics — and find the root of what you're passionate about. "Ask your parents, and think about what you really liked when you were little," she says. "What are the things you were gravitating towards, whether or not they made you money? Ask your childhood friends: What do they remember about you?" She also recommends reading Donald Miller's book Building a StoryBrand, which explains how to take complex ideas and make them simple and resonant. 2. Pick your medium Once you know what you want to say, you need to figure out how to say it. Bosstick emphasizes being "incredibly self-aware of what medium works for you." For her, the medium was clear: "I was born to talk on a mic. I came out with a mic in my hand," she jokes. That led naturally to podcasting. (Her show has been downloaded more than 500 million times.) But maybe you're better behind the scenes. Bosstick points to successful creators on Substack who are "creating huge community" through writing. "If I'm that girl on Substack, I already have a book planned two years down the road," she says. "From the book, I already have a podcast planned. From the podcast, I already have a brand planned." The key is matching your natural strengths to the right platform, then thinking several moves ahead. Don't get overwhelmed, she says: You don't need to be on every platform. " If you can delete something off your plate that you really don't need, delete it," she says. "I mean, I can't keep up with my inbox on LinkedIn. That's not realistic. Choose the one that's going to be the most impactful. For me, that's Instagram." 3. Gather insights that convert Once you have an audience, start listening closely to them. "I crowdsourced my audience — not for money, but for their opinion," she explains. For nine years, she watched her analytics, answered hundreds of DMs daily, and responded to tweets. She was "in the field" with her community, understanding their pain points and desires in real time. This helped her understand, for example, the kind of beauty challenges her audience was frustrated with — and the specific pain points they have with existing products. That's why she ultimately launched a beauty brand, and then focused on specific products inside the category. The Skinny Confidential ice roller is a good example, she says. Her audience spent years complaining about existing ice rollers on the market. All she needed to do was listen. "I found a problem, I disrupted it. I made it better. I made it more beautiful," she says. "When they got it in the mail, it exceeded their expectations." 4. Provide value before you sell Bosstick follows what she calls the "give, give, ask" model: Give your audience tons of value through content. Give more value by focusing on each community member. Ask them to buy your product. For that to work, however, you need to spend a long time engaging with and being valuable to your audience. Get to know them personally and become their champion — not just a salesperson. It's human nature: People want to feel seen, heard, and valued. When you give them that through consistent, valuable content, they'll reward you with their attention, their trust, and eventually, their money. "It's slow, it's meticulous, it's really watering the community," she says. "From there, you can have the sale and the product later down the road."
Miami Herald
19-04-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Are you ready for $3 a roll toilet paper?
Remember spring 2020, when all anyone could talk about was the Great Toilet Paper Shortage? We had a collective crash course in supply chain basics, learned about panic buying, and heard plenty of stories about people who were hoarding this essential resource. People lost their minds. You can still search eBay and find examples of people who sold toilet paper for more than double its normal price; some sellers reportedly even had their accounts shut down because of profiteering. None of it was pretty. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Even when things began to return to "normal" as the year wore on, one item remained stubbornly missing from store shelves throughout the summer and fall: TP. So, while scientific papers have literally been written about the panic buying/hoarding of toilet paper, that's not what this article is about. Instead, we're here to learn about the rise in something called luxury toilet paper. You read that right. Believe it or not, so-called luxury toilet paper has been around for more than a decade. As far back as 2005, a Portuguese company called Renova launched black toilet paper that was popular in high-end nightclubs and restaurants in Europe. And in 2015, The Washington Post and Time both wrote about the luxury TP market, defining the product as cushy, quilted, and/or scented. Some luxury TP also featured decorative patterns but it was all just small squares of paper made from wood pulp, bleached and wrapped in plastic. Related: Trader Joe's cracks down on customer problem Right around that time, a few companies started selling toilet paper made from bamboo. There are now a handful of bamboo TP brands, and they all claim to be free of bleach and formaldehyde. Advocates of the bamboo product say it's more sustainable, since bamboo is one of the planet's fastest-growing plants (it can grow up to three feet in 24 hours), requires little water, and regenerates on its own. Bamboo toilet paper is more sustainable, hypoallergenic and biodegradable, but at around $1.75 a roll, it costs considerably more than regular wood-pulp toilet paper. Now one entrepreneur/influencer, Lauryn Bosstick, wants to make toilet paper "sexy." While she posted the announcement about her new product on April 1, it's not a joke. "Most toilet paper on the market is filled with formaldehyde, chlorine, AND dyes. MY GOD - think about THAT for a second. Toilet paper is an everyday necessity used for our most intimate areas, multiple times a day," Bosstick wrote. Related: Clean beauty pioneer liquidating, no bankruptcy planned Bosstick, founder of the wellness and beauty brand The Skinny Confidential and cohost of The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast, just launched what she says is a luxurious, nontoxic toilet paper. The Skinny Confidential toilet paper is made of bamboo and, according to the company website, is free of synthetic chemicals, BPA, plastic, chlorine, and formaldehyde. Each roll is individually wrapped in the brand's signature pink paper and comes packaged in a pink box. The TP retails for $33 for 12 rolls - $2.75 a roll - and is available online as a monthly subscription or one-time purchase. Bosstick hopes to distribute through Amazon and other retailers in the future, but for now, it's only available on her website. Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
$33 for 12 rolls of toilet paper: The Birkin bag of TP has arrived to solve a nonexistent personal health problem
On April Fools' Day, Lauryn Bosstick, the wellness influencer behind the blog and podcast The Skinny Confidential, launched luxury toilet paper. Made of bamboo, the TP is embossed with the lifestyle company's logo, individually wrapped in pink paper and comes in a pack of 12 for $33. It's marketed as 'nontoxic,' health-conscious and a better choice for families. It's no joke — and right on brand for Bosstick, whose product line, which includes mouth tape and caffeinated sunscreen, is made to help people 'micromanage' their routines for the sake of self-care and ultimate wellness. 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.
