"Gentle" kids' bath products have cancer-causing chemicals

Most of the conversation around toxics has been around BPA in baby bottles and lead in toys, however a new study conducted by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and Minnesota-based Healthy Legacy shows that leading brands of personal care products contain 1,4 dioxane and formaldehyde.

Never heard of 1,4 dioxane? This contaminant is a byproduct of a chemical process that makes petroleum based personal care products gentler on people’s skin. But according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission “the presence of 1,4 dioxane, even as a trace contaminant, is cause for concern.” Perhaps that is why it is banned from cosmetics in the European Union and Canada. Formaldehyde is considered a possible carcinogen by leading government agencies like the U.S. EPA. Japan and Sweden have banned all uses of formaldehyde in cosmetics and toiletries.

For the analysis of the products, an independent laboratory tested 48 products for 1,4-dioxane; 28 of those products were also tested for formaldehyde. The findings include:

• 17 out of 28 products tested – 61 percent – contained both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, including: Johnson’s Baby Shampoo, Sesame Street Bubble Bath, Grins & Giggles Milk & Honey Baby Wash and Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wash.

•  23 out of 28 products – 82 percent – contained formaldehyde at levels ranging from 79 parts per million (ppm) to 610 ppm. Baby Magic Baby Lotion had the highest levels.

•  32 out of 48 products – 67 percent – contained 1,4-dioxane at levels ranging from 0.27 ppm to 35 ppm. American Girl shower products had the highest levels.

To view the full report visit www.safecosmetics.org/toxictub
 
Formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane are not listed as ingredients in any of the baby products tested by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.  But we do know that the following common ingredients are likely to be contaminated with 1,4 dioxane: Peg-100 stearate, Sodium laureth sulfate, Polyethylene, Cetareth-20

And common ingredients likely to be contaminated with formaldehyde include:
Quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, Imidazolidinyl urea, Diazolidinyl urea, Sodium Hydrox

Can't remember these chemical names? No one can. That is why it is imperative that we take meaningful steps to pass smart laws in this country that will make sure chemicals are safe before they go into products!

A lack of federal and state oversight has allowed chemicals and contaminants to creep into our children’s bath products and there is something we can do about it!

1.    Contact your governor, federal and state legislators and candidates running for public office and ask them to support more effective regulations of chemicals, including those in personal care products.

2.    Contact your U.S. Representative and Senators and urge them to support federal legislation that would give FDA the authority and resources it needs to strengthen federal oversight and regulation of the cosmetics industry to protect people, especially babies and children, from unnecessary toxic chemical exposures.

3.    Search the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep cosmetic database for safer products and learn about harmful ingredients in personal care products.

4.    Write a letter to the editor of your local paper or post a blog about this report and the lack of FDA oversight of the personal care products industry. Visit www.SafeCosmetics.org for more information (check out the FAQs about the Campaign, and our Get Involved section).

5.    Spread the word! Ask your friends, family and colleagues to help demand safer personal care products. Use the e-card available from http://www.SafeCosmetics.org/toxictub.

6.    Contact Healthy Legacy to get involved! www.healthylegacy.org or info@healthylegacy.org