Some of you might know about it but apart from writing this newsletter and running Epic, I also work with Tera.

As we gear up for Tera’s official launch in June, we’ve been doing a lot of research on non-toxic products.

And that’s when I learnt that we are surrounded by chemicals.

They are in the water we drink, the shampoo we rub in our hair, the lotion we apply on our skin and even the dust that accumulates in our house.

More than 40000 chemicals are used in consumer products and less than 1% of them have been rigorously tested for human safety.

Unfortunately, it’s practically impossible to avoid toxic chemicals.

But we can definitely reduce their presence in our everyday products.

Let’s see how these 3 startups(and others like them) can help us with that⬇️

Here’s what you’ve been cooking on…If you’ve ever bought a non-stick pan, you would’ve heard of Teflon. To make an anti-stick surface, Fluoropolymer coatings are commonly applied to cookware. Teflon is the most famous one. It has a chemical called PTFE. When PTFE is heated to higher temperatures, it breaks down and releases fumes that are hazardous for humans (and their pets)- some of them are even carcinogenic.

A few years ago…Jordan Nathan accidentally overheated a PTFE coated pan and started getting nauseated from the toxic fumes. After realizing that he has been exposed to Teflon poisoning, he started researching more and realized that more than 95% of US cookware has Teflon. He noticed a gap in the market and started Caraway- a safer alternative to non-stick cookware.

• The ceramic cookware is made of a heavy-duty aluminum gauge and has a ceramic coating.

• Made with a mineral-based coating, it is free of PFOA( which has been used for decades to make non-stick), cadmium, lead, and other toxic materials.

• Ceramic resists heat better than Teflon. Even if it’s accidentally overheated, it won’t release toxic chemicals into the air or food. 

They are thoughtful and ethical…Caraway’s cookware range requires less oil or butter for cooking and less scrubbing for a spotless clean. Their manufacturing process releases up to 60% less CO2 as compared to traditional non-stick coatings. In an effort to be eco-friendly, the products are shipped in recycled cardboard with zero plastic bags, low-impact print dyes, and 100% biodegradable cork trivets.

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Let’s do some primary research…Look around for a cleaning, personal care or a cosmetic product. Check the ingredients and there’s a high probability that you will find this- Fragrance. Fragrance formulations are considered a ‘trade secret’ and none of the ingredients under that have to be disclosed. So brands sneakily put all the toxic chemicals (including carcinogens & endocrine disruptors) under it.

I’ve got to do something about it…Around 2 decades ago, after the birth of her children, actress Michelle Pfeiffer started taking interest in the ingredients of household products and soon learnt about the fragrance loophole. So she decided to make the fragrance that is safest for most people and launched a collection of scents called Henry Rose- named after the middle names of her 2 children.

• The scents do not contain any suspected carcinogens or endocrine disruptors.

• They have excluded other potentially harmful ingredients, like ethylene glycol and acetone, found in most perfumes and colognes.

• Every ingredient has been certified as safe and environmentally sound by the nonprofit watchdogs Cradle to Cradle and the Environmental Working Group.

The impact doesn’t end there…The scent bottles are made of 90% recycled glass with soy-based caps and are shipped in biobased, biodegradable packaging. The boxes are made from recycled corrugated paper and are recyclable. The brand has also partnered with Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP) to give back a portion of all proceeds to research and advocacy around toxic chemicals in personal care.

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Try pronouncing these…Methylisothiazolinone. Benzisothiazolinone. Could you? These are common ingredients found in our laundry detergents. A typical laundry detergent washes down the drain and carries harmful chemicals with it- some of which are carcinogenic. So they affect humans and the planet. We convert these chemicals into laundry pods by wrapping them in plastic and then use even a bigger plastic jar to store and transport these pods.😮‍💨

Tear it and throw it in your laundry…Canada-based Tru Earth is disrupting the industry with its eco-friendly, zero waste laundry detergent strips. These strips are simple, sensitive and are made without any abrasive materials.

• They are free of the usual suspects like parabens, phosphates, dyes & chlorine.

• They do not contain ingredients derived from animals.

• The strips are hypoallergenic and biodegradable.

They have a huge impact on the planet…Around 700 million laundry jugs are discarded just in the US every year. Tru Earth’s biodegradable strips do not leave any plastic behind. Compared to liquid and powder detergent, these thin, lightweight strips have a dramatically smaller eco-footprint, reducing transportation pollution by 94%. Last year, in the 11th episode of Epic, I had spoken to Co-Founder Ryan Mckenzie👇🏽

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🔍Want to know more about the world of toxicity?

Try solving the crossword below. Not that it’s difficult, but I still decided to solve one clue.

Click here to fill up the remaining boxes.

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📢 Shoutout to Paridhi who helped me write this edition.

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