DOES YOUR BATHROOM NEED A COSHH ASSESSMENT?
Posted on 15th June 2020 at 12:33
I know we are all connected to our phones but if you have a teenage daughter, as I have, do you often wonder exactly what it is they’re watching that consumes so much of their day? How many Bloggers and Influencers can anyone really listen to???
My daughter came into my bedroom the other morning and said “Mum, do you know how many chemicals you use every day, just having a shower and washing your hair?”

I’d considered myself to be someone who was quite aware of such things and moving towards more ethical shopping. However, she informed me it was in excess of 70!!! Then she added what about all the plastic and packaging!! I was quite impressed to be honest.
So, we decided we’d each do a COSHH assessment on our bathrooms. That was a real eye opener!! For those who don't know, a COSHH assessment is an assessment that identifies the chemicals in a substance and the impact they will have on the end user.
We’re all becoming very mindful of the foods we put into our body and the amount of exercise we need to do to maintain our health but do we give enough thought to the everyday products we are putting on our body and hair?
Are you bombarding your hair and skin with toxins and chemicals?
Have you ever read the ingredient list of your shower and bath products?
Did you know that over 75% of bathroom products contain toxins and parabens and we are exposing ourselves to a cocktail of synthetic chemicals every day? Just your normal shower or bath averages 70 chemicals, that’s before your make up or hair products! X that by a family of four and that’s quite frightening.
I’m going to try and give you a broad outline of some of these chemicals in the hope that you can recognise them on your product ingredient list when shopping and also have some awareness as to why they are included in your products.

Parabens
Parabens are the most widely used chemical preservatives throughout the world and can be found in body lotions, shaving gels shampoo, conditioner, make up, body wash……… and the list goes on! While the most common parabens have ‘paraben’ in their name, (look out for – Propylparaben, methylparaben, butylparaben, ethylparaben,) they can also be listed as Alkylparahydroxy benzoates. Parabens are used to improve the shelf life of the product, they keep hairsprays sticky and prevent bacteria and fungus building up in products like perfume and nail polish.
There is increasing evidence and many controversial topics emerging that the use of parabens come at a high price to our health. Some Parabens are said to be oestrogen mimics and there have been many investigations as to the links with breast cancer and problems with the male reproductive system.
As a 53 year old Menopausal female, just the word ‘oestrogen’ brings on a hot flush, so I certainly needed to investigate!
Phthalates
These are found in hairsprays, perfume and nail polishes –(look out for dibutyl phthalate di(2-ethylhexy) phthalate or butyl phthalate). These are also used to soften plastic, moisturise skin and enhance skin penetration of cosmetics! OK, so are they saying we should be putting one chemical on our face first to ensure maximum absorption of the second chemical?
These substances are also believed to act as hormone disruptors but, they’ve also been banned for the use of softening children’s toys following health concerns!
Formaldehyde
Although banned in a lot of countries, there are still products on the market that contain Formaldehyde, it is often listed as formalin, formal and methyl aldehyde. Think washing powder, washing up liquid, hand wash, disinfectant, pet products, hair straightening products. In the UK it is now classed as a Category 1B Carcinogen and so restrictions will apply but be careful when buying products on line and always check the label. They’re real nasties.
We could go on and on but I think we’re all aware of these substances although we’re not always aware of the alternative names for them or that they’ve just been ‘popped’ into some of our everyday products. Hopefully, something to look out for on your next shop.
We decided to look at Clean Label products. I was sceptical at first, I must admit. Being a bit of a product junkie. I love luxury shower products and body lotions. (Unfortunately so does my daughter). Anyway, after lots of research we found a fabulous Company that provides all our bathroom products. I was a bit worried that the ‘luxury’ element may be missing but we were both quite astounded!! They really are premier products and a tiny bit goes such a long way, with delicious smells, beautiful packaging and best of all toxin free. In addition, No Animal Testing, Recyclable Packaging, Organic, and Grey Water Approved (why would you bathe in something that wasn’t worthy of throwing over your plants in the garden)! What we didn’t realise as we ripped the box open, is that the packaging is made from gluten free potato and can be fed to chickens!! Win Win, unfortunately we don’t have chickens.
I’ve now moved on to their laundry products too (don’t get me started on washing powders!) and the great thing is all of these products are delivered to my house, once a month, making my supermarket shop quicker and lighter!
So next time you’re berating your teenager for screen time, check out what they’re watching!!
We’d love you to review some of these products for us, feedback is always good. Please message me ‘Review’ and I’ll send you a £10 gift voucher to go shopping.
And don’t forget to do your Bathroom COSHH Assessment! Share your findings with us!
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