The Woman Driving Change in the Products We Use: Why We’re Loving Lindsey Dahl
As the year winds down and we all look ahead to what we want more of — more clarity, more truth, more intention — it feels fitting to shine a light on someone whose work has quietly reshaped the way we evaluate the products in our homes. Not because she looks for credit. But because her long-standing work has reshaped what safer products can—and should—look like.
Lindsey Dahl is one of those people.
Most of us will never meet the individuals who help shape the laws that decide what chemicals can be used in our cosmetics, our cleaning products, our baby bottles, or even our vitamins. But once you understand how real reform happens — not from trends or consumer pressure alone, but through policy that forces entire industries to evolve — you start to see your everyday products differently.
And now, with the release of her new book, Lindsey is expanding that impact even further — making her years of environmental health advocacy accessible to anyone who wants to enter the new year feeling more informed, empowered, and intentional.
Why We’re Loving Lindsey Dahl Right Now
Before we go any further, a quick personal note. I originally came across Lindsey’s work through my own time as an advocate with Beautycounter — a role that completely reshaped how I think about environmental health, policy, and the power of citizen involvement. Working alongside a company so deeply committed to legislative change showed me something I couldn’t unsee: yes, consumers influence the market, but government action is what actually rewrites the rules.
It was the first time I witnessed firsthand how someone like Lindsey — someone who understands both the science and the political process — can shift an entire industry by changing a single law. And once you see that up close, you understand just how rare and vital her work is.
There are people whose work changes the products we bring home — the lotion we put on our bodies, the multivitamins we take daily, the shampoo our kids use — long before those products ever sit on a shelf. And then there are people whose work changes the system that decides what even belongs on that shelf in the first place.
Lindsey Dahl has spent her entire career living squarely in the second category.
If you’ve ever wondered why ingredient transparency is now a non-negotiable for many brands… why clean beauty isn’t merely a trend but a legitimate consumer expectation… why the term endocrine disruptor has entered mainstream vocabulary… you can thank advocates like Lindsey who were doing this work long before wellness culture caught up.
This is our love letter to her.
The Early Days: When "Clean" Wasn’t a Category Yet
Before Lindsey ever held an executive role in the private sector, she was one of the people walking the halls of state legislatures with thick binders, briefing lawmakers on chemicals that most consumers couldn’t yet pronounce.
She started her career in environmental health advocacy, working with organizations like Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families — a coalition of public health groups, parents, nurses, scientists, and environmental advocates pushing for stronger national chemical safety laws.
At the time, the U.S. had been operating under the outdated Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976, which offered little protection and virtually no oversight for tens of thousands of chemicals in commerce. Lindsey was part of the team pushing for a modernized law — one that would finally require safety testing, give the EPA authority to act, and protect vulnerable groups.
Her advocacy contributed to what would eventually become a rare bipartisan win: the 2016 Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act — a landmark update that finally began closing the regulatory gaps consumers had been unknowingly living with for decades. It didn’t pass overnight; it moved slowly, the way meaningful policy always does. But Lindsey’s gift has always been patience paired with persistence — the capacity to translate complex science, build coalitions, and stay the course until change becomes inevitable.
A Force Behind State Chemical Regulations
One of the biggest lessons I learned during my time advocating with Beautycounter was this: consumers can spark momentum, but policy creates permanence. And Lindsey has always understood this.
When a state passes a chemical restriction — especially a large, influential state like California — brands can’t simply create one "clean" formula for that region and another for the rest of the country. It’s too expensive, too complex, and too risky.
So what happens? They reformulate nationwide.
A single state law becomes a national shift.
Lindsey spent years helping states pass laws that forced exactly this kind of market-wide reform. States like Maine, Minnesota, California, Washington, and Vermont moved ahead with regulating chemicals like:
BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups
Flame retardants in furniture and mattresses
Phthalates in toys
Certain PFAS in food packaging and firefighting foam
These weren’t niche laws. They were catalysts — the kind that quietly reshape supply chains, manufacturing decisions, and national safety standards without most consumers ever realizing what happened behind the scenes. And Lindsey was often in the room where the catalyst began.
The Move to Clean Beauty: A New Type of Leadership
Lindsey eventually moved from policy advocacy into the world of clean beauty and wellness — not as a figurehead, but as someone who could translate regulatory complexity into brand integrity.
One of her most influential chapters was her leadership role at Beautycounter.
While there, Lindsey:
Led the team that reviewed more than 1,800 ingredients for safety and sustainability.
Built the brand’s advocacy program that brought thousands of consultants to Washington, D.C., to lobby for stronger cosmetics regulations.
Helped push the movement that led to the 2022 Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act — the first major update to cosmetics safety laws in over 80 years.
Her work helped cement Beautycounter not just as a brand, but as an advocacy force.
Lindsey’s Work in the Wellness Space — and Her New Book
In more recent years, Lindsey brought her environmental health and regulatory rigor into the wellness world, including a period working with Ritual. That early mention matters — it shows how her values translate seamlessly into the consumer space — but the story doesn’t end there.
Because now she’s doing something equally, if not more, impactful:
A book that distills years of policy work, scientific literacy, and behind-the-scenes advocacy into something consumers can finally hold, read, and use.
What we love most about this new chapter is how it widens the circle. Her work has always reached policymakers, brands, and insiders — but now it reaches anyone who wants to understand the truth about environmental health, ingredient safety, and the systems that shape the products we bring home.
Her book is the kind of resource you wish existed years ago — clear, empowering, practical, and rooted in real science rather than trend cycles.
And it’s exactly the kind of tool that helps people feel less overwhelmed and more in control of their wellness choices.
What We Love Most: She Has Always Worked Behind the Scenes
Lindsey is not a performative advocate.
She is one of those rare people whose work shows up in the everyday decisions we make — what sunscreen we choose, what bottle we give our toddler, what multivitamin we trust — without needing to put herself at the center.
She is equally comfortable talking to scientists, members of Congress, founders, manufacturing partners, and parents worried about what’s in their tap water.
Her superpower is translation:
Science into policy.
Policy into consumer protection.
Consumer concern into actionable regulation.
Complex issues into clear standards brands can adopt.
Why Her Work Matters Right Now
We are in a moment where consumers have never cared more deeply about what goes on and into their bodies — but also a moment where greenwashing is at an all-time high.
Lindsey represents a different path forward: one that is rigorous, transparent, and rooted in actual science rather than marketing.
Her work pushes brands and lawmakers to operate with integrity — not for trendiness, not for aesthetics, not for the algorithm — but because people deserve products that support their health.
What We’re Loving Right Now
In keeping with this series, here’s what stands out most about Lindsey’s impact:
1. Her influence is everywhere.
Even if you’ve never heard her name, you’ve felt the ripple effects of her work.
2. She bridges science and storytelling.
She makes complex issues feel accessible without dumbing them down.
3. Her standards are uncompromising.
Whether she’s helping shape policy or guiding a brand, the bar is always high — and always rising.
4. She’s built coalitions, not just campaigns.
Her work proves that environmental health is not a niche concern — it’s universal.
Where to Go From Here
As we close out the year and step into a new one, there’s a quiet optimism in knowing that people like Lindsey are doing the work most of us never see — the work that protects our families, elevates standards, and brings more transparency into the products we use every day. Her book is the perfect companion for anyone looking to start the year grounded in clarity rather than confusion, and empowered rather than overwhelmed.
If you care about environmental health, ingredient transparency, clean beauty, or simply want to understand how products are regulated in the U.S., her book is worth reading — and worth owning. It’s the kind of resource that sets the tone for a more intentional year ahead.
FAQ
What makes Lindsey’s work different from other voices in the clean living space?
She isn’t reacting to trends or creating fear-based narratives — she’s shaping the actual laws and standards that determine what goes into products nationwide. Her work is upstream, structural, and unusually effective.
Why does policy matter more than personal shopping choices?
Because when states like California ban a chemical, brands reformulate nationally. One law can protect millions of people. Lindsey has spent her career working at that level of impact.
Affiliate Disclaimer: As always, What We’re Loving Right Now only recommends products we genuinely use, adore, and would gift to our own best friends. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which