The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Show

Episode Title: The Truth About Baby Products: What Most Parents Don’t Know

Featuring: Lauryn Bosstick, Michael Bosstick, & Jess Jacobs (Coterie CEO)

Date: September 12, 2025

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Lauryn and Michael Bosstick sit down with Jess Jacobs, CEO of Coterie, to discuss the hidden truths behind baby products—especially diapers and wipes. Together, they break down the alarming lack of regulation in the baby industry, share personal stories and discoveries about hidden chemicals in everyday items, and explore what it means to be a parent navigating a world of overwhelming choices. Jess shares Coterie’s mission to raise the standard for safety and transparency, plus insights into building a parent-centric brand with integrity. Tangible takeaways include actionable advice for parents, business philosophy, and a sneak peek at Coterie’s new skincare line.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Testimonies: Why Parents Switch Brands

• The Bossticks discuss their journey to cleaner products after discovering harmful chemicals in mainstream wipes.
  • Michael shares, "[My] doctor was like, what are you using that has this much triclosan? Turns out one of the most popular wipe brands has a derivative of triclosan in it that they don't disclose on the label." (01:07)
• Jess reveals this is "very common in wipes and diapers." (01:43)

2. The Unregulated Baby Product Industry

• Jess describes how Coterie was founded:

  "Coterie started because we believed that the status quo in the diapering industry wasn't good enough... The diaper industry is not closely regulated, which is really scary and really surprising.... Parents shouldn't need to compromise between potentially harmful ingredients and a high performing diaper." (02:18)

• Coterie is free from 1,000+ chemicals (fragrances, phthalates, parabens, triclosan, dioxins, BPA, etc). All products are hypoallergenic and dermatologist tested.

3. Myths About Diaper Products and Usage

• Most diapers are the same; day vs. night vs. travel diapers are largely marketing tactics.
  • Jess: "At the end of the day, the cynic in me looks at it and says this feels like SKU proliferation to take up the shelf space... We just have one [diaper]. We wanted to keep it simple. Morning and night." (04:23)
  • Lauren: "You're not wearing, like, different underwear in the day...why is there a nighttime diaper?" (05:12)
  • Jess: "If it's an incredible diaper, it should serve all purposes except swim." (45:47)

4. The Importance of Ingredient Transparency

• Jess shares that Coterie was the first brand to publish third-party safety test reports, pushing for industry-wide change.

  • "We wanted to show every single ingredient, every single component, test what it is, why we tested it, show the results, put it all out there." (07:30)

• The Bossticks and Jess discuss generational exposure to chemicals and rising health issues in children.

  • Lauryn: "Kids are getting sicker than ever, cancer's rising, obesity's out of control... You don't have to be a genius to say, okay, something we're doing... is causing some kind of issue." (11:35)

5. Living Clean as a Parent

• Both hosts and guest reflect that concerns about ingredients become much more pronounced after having children.
  • Lauren: "I don't think you start caring about it nearly as much until you have children of your own." (11:23)
  • Jess: "That was it for me too. That changed everything." (11:32)
• Jess describes her shock at not scrutinizing diapers, despite being otherwise attentive to everything her first daughter used:
  • "I went into overload for sure. But I never thought about the importance of a diaper. I look back and I'm like, how bizarre." (12:19)

6. Coterie’s Approach: Parent-Centric, Honest Branding

• The brand aims to eschew the "goo gaga marketing":
  • Jess: “We wanted a brand that was parent centric in the way that it touched on the realities too. Not everything is perfect. Let's talk about mom guilt. Let's talk about all of the things that parents and moms really deal with day to day and do it on an honest level.” (15:01)
• Business model: Niche, high-frequency usage, and subscription-based.
  • Michael: "It's so genius that it's a niche brand, but it's daily habits that you do all day long, and it's on subscription.” (16:13)

7. Leadership, Team Culture, and Productivity

• Jess’s leadership roots in brand-building at top companies (Apple, Nike, Lola) and personal evolution as a mom.
• Coterie’s team is remote, parent-inclusive, and highly efficient—parents on staff are even more productive due to time constraints.
  • “I've become so much more productive as a parent...maybe it's because I only have such a short amount of time...I'm so focused.” (24:34)
• EQ (emotional intelligence) is the #1 quality Jess looks for in new hires.
  • “You can teach everything else on the technical side…But if someone doesn’t have that emotional intelligence… you’re not gonna get very far, truly.” (26:29)

8. Tips for a Clean, Safe Nursery & New Skin Products

• Jess advises parents to look for hypoallergenic, fragrance/paraben/phthalate/chlorine-free products (30:31).
• Teaser for Coterie’s new skincare line:
  • “We only create things that are going to be demonstrably better than what is already out there.” (31:14)
  • First up: a “bun balm” multi-use ointment for diaper rash prevention (plant-based, petroleum-free).
• Michael ponders: “What is in petroleum that would gross us out?”
  Jess explains: “It's an oil and it needs to be refined. And when you're refining something, you're introducing chemicals...Petroleum-based is marked by the EWG as fair risk. That wasn't good enough for us.” (33:53)
• New cleansing wash and soft cream are also launching; all microbiome-friendly.

9. Navigating Overwhelm & Brand Integrity for Parents

• Jess and the hosts agree: the real issue is a lack of brand integrity and clear, regulated standards.
  • Michael: "What's overwhelming is that there's no brand integrity for newborns and babies...Once you find the brand that you know that has the integrity, it's actually really simple." (38:05)
  • Jess: “...The more that we can rally behind them and support them and make it so they become the giants, then we see change. Truly.” (38:35)

10. Empowerment & Opportunity for Modern Parents

• Jess urges, “If you're sitting there looking around saying, it's really hard for me to find a better, cleaner version of this, maybe it doesn't exist and maybe you should go make it.” (41:56)
• Michael and Lauryn riff on how discovering one cleaner swap leads to a re-examination of every household product.

11. Product Deep Dives: Wipes, Flushables, and Toilet Paper

• Jess details what makes their wipes stand out (plant-based, plastic-free, 30% larger, sturdy, safe for babies and adults).
• Flushable wipes: “Dissolves entirely in 30 minutes...sewer and septic safe...perfect for potty training." (44:23)
• Michael notes, “I don't want to wipe my own butthole with endocrine disruptors and hormone disruptors, and I also don't want it on my kids.” (45:12)

12. Audience Q&A: Parenting and Brand Vision

• Jess’s parenting mantra:

  "Let go or be dragged. Your choice." (47:32)

• Vision for Coterie:

  "In 10 years…I want in 10 years to see the whole industry getting cleaner, getting better, pushing to the same standards. And I want to see coterie decades and decades…just being that amazing legacy brand that endures and continues to connect with parents." (48:26)

• What she loves most about motherhood:

  "The cuddles. The snuggles. It's just the most delicious thing, and I crave it all the time. That is like my battery's recharging." (49:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On industry standards: "The diaper industry is not closely regulated, which is really scary and surprising." – Jess (02:18)
• On product transparency: "We wanted to show every single ingredient, every single component, test what it is...show the results, put it all out there." – Jess (07:30)
• On parenthood and products: "You frame everything with your kids. So that's exactly what happened to me." – Jess (12:19)
• On mission: "We don’t want to keep kids in diapers. We want them to gain their independence." (05:59)
• On cleaner living: “...The more of the mental load we can take off of our customers, the better so that they can focus on other things.” – Jess (10:33)
• On leadership: "That emotional intelligence...if someone doesn't have that...you're not gonna get very far, truly." – Jess (26:29)
• On industry disruption: “If you’re sitting there...it’s really hard for me to find a better, cleaner version of this, maybe it doesn’t exist and maybe you should go make it.” – Jess (41:56)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:33 – Opening banter, real-life product use stories
• 01:07 – Michael’s discovery of undisclosed triclosan in popular wipes
• 02:18 – Jess explains Coterie’s origins and philosophy
• 04:23 – Industry myths about day vs. night diapers
• 07:30 – Coterie’s commitment to transparency and testing
• 12:19 – Jess’s personal shift as a parent; the diaper awakening
• 15:01 – Branding and parent-centric messaging
• 24:34 – Parenting and productivity: How parenthood changes workflow
• 26:29 – Qualities Jess values in team building (emotional intelligence)
• 30:31 – How to make a nursery safer and cleaner
• 31:41 – Launching new skincare: prevention over treatment
• 33:53 – On the risks of petroleum in skincare
• 38:05 – The challenge of brand integrity in the baby industry
• 41:56 – The entrepreneurial moment: Building cleaner product categories
• 44:23 – Wipes: Flushable innovation and why it matters
• 47:32 – Jess’s favorite parenting mantra
• 48:26 – Coterie’s vision for the future
• 49:30 – Jess’s favorite thing about being a mom

Final Thoughts

This episode is a must-listen for parents, parents-to-be, entrepreneurs, or anyone looking to make more conscious choices about what touches their family’s skin every day. Through candid conversation, practical tips, and honest reflection, Jess and the Bossticks highlight the urgent need for more transparency and higher standards in an industry that touches every family. They also remind us that every clean swap matters—and that empowered parents (and brands) can create meaningful change.

For more: Coterie.com – Use code SKINNY20 for 20% off Follow @coterie on Instagram