provisions journal | bathroom edit
for the home + wellness | bathroom edition
A few years ago I learned about endocrine disruptors hiding in everyday products — the synthetic chemicals found in plastics, fragrances, and personal care items that can quietly affect your hormones and overall health. I’ve always had sensitive skin so I was already somewhat cautious about what I put on it, but this sent me down a rabbit hole that made me start questioning the products we used every single day. The bathroom shelf I’d looked at a hundred times suddenly looked very different.
Before we get into it though — I want to take a moment because I know the wellness world can feel overwhelming. It seems like every day there’s something new to avoid. And here I am adding to the pile. So let me be clear: you cannot be 100% toxic-free in the world we live in today. And that’s okay. The goal has never been perfection — just do the best you can, make the choices that work for your life and your budget, and don’t let your wellness journey become another source of stress. Awareness is where every good change starts.
This week we’re focusing on the bathroom — one of the easiest places to start making intentional changes, both in the products you use and the space itself.
The non-toxic bathroom | products and design
When designing for clients I find most of them want their bathroom to have a spa-like feel. And honestly, who wouldn’t? Whether it’s first thing in the morning with low lighting to ease into the day or at the end of a long one wanting to soak in the tub, a calm setting helps your body stay in a relaxed state. The products and design details below keep that same mindset — a non-toxic, intentionally designed space that actually supports the way you feel in it.
And if neutrals aren’t your vibe, think about what your vibe is — colorful, coastal, warm and earthy — the products stay the same and you simply adjust the design details to suit your style, while keeping biophilic design as a priority throughout.
A FEW SWAPS WE’VE MADE IN OUR HOME
Water filter for your shower
Hard water and chlorine are known culprits for skin dryness. When we moved to South Carolina I noticed the difference immediately. The Jolie shower filter system is the one I've had my eye on — beautiful and well designed, but at $150 it's still on my wishlist. In the meantime we found a filtered shower head on Amazon that removes chlorine and harsh chemicals and have really liked it. One thing I discovered in a recent curiosity turned Google search: copper shower heads have natural antimicrobial properties, resist corrosion, and develop a patina over time — you know how I feel about patina. Something I'll be looking into further.
—
Face wash
I’ve switched to bar soap for my face wash — one with minimal ingredients and it doesn’t leave my skin feeling stripped or dry. I alternate between the Desesh bar soap and the Primally Pure baby bar soap, both of which are plastic free. For anyone who prefers a more traditional cleanser, a good rule of thumb I follow is the same philosophy we apply to food — simple ingredients I can visualize and pronounce. When a cleanser starts listing ingredients with long scientific-looking names I tend to move on. A great resource is EWG verified products — they test and score products based on whether they contain endocrine disruptors or other harmful ingredients, and it takes the guesswork out of vetting.
—
Moisturizer
I love combining an oil first and then moisturizing — it leaves my skin feeling genuinely plump. I’ve been using the Primally Pure Everything Balm for a while, and it’s still one of my favorites — one I keep coming back to after trying others. Jojoba oil is a wonderful oil to use with moisturizer and I use the Cliganic Organic Jojoba Oil. A brand I recently came across is Surfing Cow — their moisturizer has just four ingredients, including grass-fed beef tallow. When looking at beef tallow products, grass-fed matters. A cow not on the natural diet it’s meant to eat is not a healthy cow, and that affects what you’re putting on your skin.
—
Soap, shampoo and conditioner
For soap we love the Desesh Hand, Body and Face Soap Bar — the Lavender Tea Tree and Turmeric bar is a staple (mentioned in Vol. 1). We just ordered the Lavender Rose and Clay and can’t wait to try it. For shampoo and conditioner we’ve been using Attitude, a brand I started using because their products are EWG verified. One thing worth noting: some of their products list fragrance as an ingredient, something I'm personally working to move away from.
THE DESIGN DETAILS
The bathroom is worth thinking about beyond just products — and I’m not suggesting anyone gut and remodel tomorrow. But here are things to keep in mind when you do decide to refresh a space, whether that’s a simple towel swap or a full renovation.
For towels, stick to natural materials only — 100% cotton, linen, or bamboo. We’ve had 100% cotton towels from Target for years and they’re great. If you want to invest more, The Citizenry’s Aegean Cotton Bath Sheets are a beautiful cotton-linen blend loomed in Turkey. For bath mats follow the same philosophy — cotton, bamboo, or teak.
For the space itself, a teak stool or mat is one of the most beautiful and functional additions to a bathroom. Naturally water resistant, no chemical treatment needed, and it only gets more beautiful as it ages. Westminster Teak is the brand I found — sustainable sourcing and built to last.
For tile and hard surfaces, consider natural stone — slate, travertine, marble. They have a beauty no manmade product can match and have been used for centuries. If you love zellige, make sure the brand explicitly states lead-free — it’s the glaze that can be the concern in some traditional processes. Tiles of Ezra and Lunada Bay’s Mistral collection are both worth exploring. For grout, consider a certified non-toxic option like Litokol Starlike EVO Epoxy Grout, and for sealers AFM SafeCoat is a low-odor, zero-VOC option. I haven’t used these on projects yet but they are on my radar and worth knowing about. For reclaimed or historic tile, Historic Decorative Materials is a brand I recently came across on Instagram — they specialize in restored historic flooring and tile. Similar to buying antique furniture, you are giving those materials a second life, and they are natural materials to begin with.
A bundle of eucalyptus hanging from your shower head is one of the simplest biophilic touches you can add — it releases natural essential oils with the steam and the scent is incredible. If you enjoy a bath with candles, consider swapping to a clean brand. Fontana Candle Co makes non-toxic candles scented with essential oils only — no formaldehyde releasing into the air while your body is trying to relax. Primally Pure also makes beautiful candles with simple, clean ingredients.
A note on cabinetry: most bathroom vanities are built with MDF or particleboard containing formaldehyde, which can off-gas in a steam-heavy bathroom. When the time comes to update, look for solid wood construction and a low-VOC finish.
xx
Victoria
The Provisions Shortlist
Everything from this week’s journal, organized by category.
Beauty + Skincare
Sparkpod — Luxury Filtered Shower Head · lower price point alternative to Jolie
Primally Pure — Baby Bar Soap · clean minimal ingredients, plastic free
Primally Pure — Everything Balm · a favorite I keep coming back to
Surfing Cow — Whipped Tallow Moisturizer · just four simple ingredients
Cliganic — Organic Jojoba Oil · 100% organic, great paired with moisturizer
Desesh — Zero Waste Hand, Body & Face Bar · Lavender Tea Tree and Turmeric or Lavender Rose and Clay
Attitude — Shampoo + Conditioner · currently using, EWG verified · note: some products list fragrance as an ingredient, something I'm working to move away from
Bathroom
The Citizenry — Aegean Cotton Bath Sheet · cotton-linen blend, loomed in Turkey
Parachute — Organic Mosaic Tub Mat · 100% organic cotton
Roan Iris — Ziggy Bath Mat · 100% cotton
Fontana Candle Co — Cypress Sage & Patchouli · essential oils scented only
Primally Pure — Bergamot + Eucalyptus Candle · essential oils scented only
Westminster Teak — Pacifica Teak Stool · 100% Grade A teak, sustainable sourcing
Tile + Hard Surfaces
Tiles of Ezra — Lead-Free Tiles · authentically handmade in Morocco, lead-free, fair trade · when shopping zellige always look for a brand that explicitly states lead-free
Lunada Bay Tile — Mistral Lead-Free Zellige Tile · handmade by artisans in Fez, Morocco · lead-free Italian glazes
Clay Imports — Lead-Free Zellige Tile · lead-free, sustainably made · handmade by artisans in Saltillo, Mexico
Historic Decorative Materials — Reclaimed tile · restored historic flooring and tile, giving natural materials a second life
Litokol Starlike EVO — Epoxy Grout · certified non-toxic · on my radar, not yet used on projects
AFM SafeCoat — Zero-VOC Sealer · low odor, zero VOC · on my radar, not yet used on projects
Wishlist ✦
Jolie — Shower Filter Water System · the one I've had my eye on, would be worth the investment
If you found something here worth sharing, send it to a friend and invite them to join the collective — more provisions coming soon.
A note: some links in this post are affiliate links. This never influences what I recommend — I only share products we genuinely use or brands we trust.