Last month, I reported about an effort by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) to require the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate the safety of children’s bath products. The article discussed a study commissioned by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to test for the presence of 1.4-dioxane and formaldehyde in these products. These two toxins are known carcinogens and were found in more than half of the products tested.
Late last week, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics sent a letter to baby products giant Johnson & Johnson asking the company to stop using these chemicals in their products.
“There’s really no excuse for a baby shampoo marketed as the No. 1 choice of hospitals to contain chemicals suspected of causing cancer,” Lisa Archer, the campaign’s national coordinator, told The Associated Press in an interview. [Source: The Associated Press]
If you have one of the many baby bath products made by Johnson & Johnson, you may notice that these two ingredients are not included on the label. The AP article explains that the reason they are omitted is because they are contaminants and not ingredients. This is a sad reality as I know of many parents, including myself, that spent hours learning how to appropriately read the labels on the products and food items we bring into our house.
As of now, Johnson & Johnson has cited that the “trace levels” of the toxins in the products are considered safe both on a national and international level and the company has no plans to change their manufacturing process to ensure that these toxins aren’t included in their baby bath products.
Photo by tempophage
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We have a 2 month old daughter, we were using J&J purple bathing stuff, regular yellow and also, the pink bottle lotion….we will no longer be using either one! Dove soap for my baby, until I can find some organics elsewhere!!!! Since she has been born, there have been serious skin issues….she is mixed has beautiful cocoa complexion, and already has small white discoloration blotches on her skin on her neck and very faint bigger ones on her cheeks!!! If this is from the J&J, we will be extremely upset! please respond asap,
concerned parents
Hi Debra and Mario,
Thank you for your comment. Unfortunately, I’m not able to answer the question regarding the skin discoloration. I’d recommend contacting her pediatrician if you are concerned.
Warmly,
Melissa