Dana Grinnell has been committed to clean, toxic-free living for over a decade. She’d gone through the dramatic overhaul, switching all the products in her household, and was doing pretty well on the journey toward clean living for herself and her family — or so she thought.
“A couple of months ago, we were coming back from Costco — routine Costco trip, family of five — and our laundry detergent had exploded in the back of the car. … I couldn’t believe it — it was labeled free and clear, it was labeled no. 1 dermatologist recommended, and it had turned radioactive purple in the back of the car,” she said.
After recognizing an alarming chemical reaction in a product that claimed to be free of toxic chemicals, Grinnell had enough.
“It’s impossible for a busy mom to read every single label,” she said.
And not just that, but ensuring clean products in her home was having a negative environmental impact — it meant more online shopping, “and that means a lot of shipping and packaging,” said Grinnell.
Being the entrepreneur that she is, Grinnell decided to act.
“There’s got to be an easier way to get truly clean products and there’s got to be a more eco-friendly, sustainable way to deliver them. So that’s what we do,” she said.
Free Living Co. was born, a resource for shoppers interested in purchasing toxin-free products but, like Grinnell, have been frustrated with greenwashing and tedious label-reading.
“We read the labels so our customers don’t have to. We use the Environmental Working Group’s standards and their ingredient lists that are forbidden or restricted, and we make sure that everything fits that criteria, and then we deliver locally to people’s doorsteps in reusable totes,” Grinnell said.
Since 1993, the Environmental Working Group has created a platform which “identifies outdated legislation, harmful agricultural practices and industry loopholes” that allow toxic chemicals, pesticides and pollutants into products that directly affect health, according to their website.
This organization has given rise to debate, however, in the scientific community, where some experts deem the group’s early claims as poorly backed by research and leading to harmful misinformation — for example, criticism of sunscreen leading to people not wearing sun protection, and claims that vaccines can lead to autism (claims that have long since proven false) affecting vaccination rates.
EWG’s funding from the organic food industry also raises concerns of the group’s legitimacy as they encourage shoppers toward organic choices.
At a 2009 conference with the Society of Toxicology, 79 percent of toxicologists expressed belief that EWG overstates risks from exposures to chemicals.
Regardless, while scientists might say, exposure to a small amount of chemicals is harmless, there are those, like Grinnell, who think, why risk it?
“For me, questionable is not OK. I have young kids and I just think that when there are options out there that are truly clean, why not use those,” said Grinnell.
Part of her motivation also comes from a career in healthcare.
“I worked in healthcare for 17 years, was in and out of hospitals every day … and just saw so many sick people,” she said, some of whom seemed perfectly healthy.
What could have landed otherwise healthy individuals in critical health situations, and is that preventable? Grinnell decided — better safe than sorry.
“The Environmental Working Group is an incredible resource, they’re sort of the gold standard when it comes to evaluating ingredients and evaluating the safety of products. We will only take products in the green category of their criteria,” she said.
With a 10-point rating scale from best (green at one and two) to worst (red at seven to 10), EWG’s consumer guides form an online database, rating products on health concerns and effectiveness.
These high standards can be difficult to maintain, but for Grinnell, they’re essential.
“You can be as fit and as active, and outside in nature as anyone, but yet if you’re living in a house full of toxic products then you’re not truly living healthy,” she said.
Free Living Co. is dedicated to easing the burden for those who choose clean living in all areas, from home cleaning products to skin care to jewelry.
“We offer a wide breadth of products. We’re really trying to cover the full spectrum of wellness. … So that our customers can primarily use us as a one-stop-shop,” said Grinnell.
Part of curating their products also includes product testing, which is a family affair.
“(We have a) very active and busy family of five with a dog. So I figure, if these products can stand up in our house, they should be able to stand up in pretty much any household here in Park City and beyond,” said Grinnell.
“My son is 14 and he’s very active in sports, so he’s testing out deodorants. He’s a teenage boy so he’s also concerned with how he smells and looks so he’s trying hair products and skincare. Same with my daughter, she’s been trying some of our skincare products.”
Right now, Free Living Co. offers doorstep delivery in Park City, Heber and Salt Lake, and they are also planning pop up events to offer education on toxic-free living and offer touch-and-feel opportunities.
“My biggest mission is to get the awareness out there. And even if people choose to shop elsewhere, as long as they’re reading labels and making sure what they’re bringing into their homes is safe, then that’s the number one goal here,” said Grinnell. “Toxins in products — it’s a very quiet health concern. You can’t necessarily directly correlate it to issues that come up in your family, but it’s certainly part of it. So education has to be there for behaviors to change.”
Check out the Free Living Co. website’s events calendar for details about educational events: www.freelivingco.co/pages/pop-ups-events.
Memberships are available for $149/year, which include discounts on certain products, exclusive product lines, free delivery and first access to pop up events.
For Grinnell, Park City is the perfect starting point for Free Living Co.
“If this is gonna work, it’ll work in Park City. … People are so committed to healthy living (here), a healthy lifestyle, and we just wanted to help them make that truly holistic healthy lifestyle.”