Two years ago, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics reported that J&J’s baby shampoo contained quarternium-15, which releases formaldhyde, as well as the chemical product 1,4-dioxane. Both formaldehye and dioxane are known carcinogens – which is why so many citizens rose up to pressure the company to produce a healthier, safer shampoo. This was a product for babies, after all!

In a coordinated effort, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, the American Nurses Association, Physicians for Social Responsibility, the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, and 40 other groups, sent a letter to J&J outlining their concerns. Groups like our own Green Moms Carnival also raised awareness through blogs that reached hundreds of thousands of people.

Earlier this month, Johnson & Johnson announced that they are no longer introducing baby products that contain formaldehyde. They also announced that they have reformulated “approximately 70%” of their products with new formulas that keep trace levels of 1,4-dioxane below detectable levels.

“Clearly there is no need for Johnson & Johnson to expose babies to a known carcinogen when the company is already making safer alternatives. All babies deserve safer products,” said Lisa Archer, director of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics at the Breast Cancer Fund.

Archer commented, “We’re glad to see that the Johnson & Johnson is taking this seriously. This commitment is a big step in the right direction. We look forward to the day when we can tell consumers the company’s entire product line is free of carcinogens and other chemicals of concern.”

RELATED POSTS

Should Soap Bubble Make Your Baby Sick? Tell J&J No!

Putting on Lipstick Shouldn’t be so Risky…

SHOP FOR SAFER BABY PRODUCTS AND COSMETICS IN OUR AMAZON STORE

The post Your Big Green Muscle is Getting J&J to Make Its Baby Shampoo Safer appeared first on Big Green Purse.

But a new report by Environmental Working Group and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has made me wonder whether that simple bath actually poses a serious risk.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics commissioned an independent laboratory to test 48 products for 1,4-dioxane; 28 of those products were also tested for formaldehyde. The lab found:

* 1,4-dioxane in 67 percent of the products.

* Formaldehyde in 82 percent of those tested.

* Seventeen products contaminated with both 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde.

The full list of products tested is in the Campaign’s report, “No More Toxic Tub.” They include: Johnson & Johnson’s baby shampoo, Baby Magic “Soft Baby Scent” Baby Lotion, and American Girl “Hopes & Dreams” Glistening Shower and Beth Wash.

Why does this matter?

Formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane are known carcinogens; formaldehyde can also trigger skin rashes in some children. Unlike many other countries, the U.S. government does not limit formaldehyde, 1,4-dioxane, or most other hazardous substances in personal care products.

The toxins are not listed on the ingredients label because, the way the law is written, they’re not required to. And manufacturers of products that contain toxins like these often discount their impact, saying they pose no threat because they’re present in such minute amounts.

The National Academy of Sciences disagrees. NAS says several factors contribute to children’s special vulnerability to the harmful effects of chemicals:

•    A child’s chemical exposures are greater pound-for-pound than those of an adult.
•    Children are less able than adults to detoxify and excrete chemicals.
•    Children’s developing organ systems are more vulnerable to damage from chemical exposures.
•    Children have more years of future life in which to develop disease triggered by early exposure.

What can you do?

* Search the Skin Deep data base maintained by Environmental Working Group to find safer alternatives to the products identified in the Campaign’s report.

* Contact Johnson & Johnson, and urge them to clean up their products by removing dangerous ingredients like 1,4 dioxane and formaldehyde.  Here is the e-mail I just sent:

 I have recently learned that J&J baby soaps contain 1,4 dioxane and formaldehyde. These are known carcinogens to which no child should be exposed. Please remove these compounds from all your products immediately. Until you do, I will cease to be a J&J customer.

*Write to Rep. Henry Waxman, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, with responsibility for legislation and oversight in the areas of public health, consumer protection, food and drug safety, and the environment.Urge Rep. Waxman to convene hearings on toxic ingredients in baby products.

2204 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Telephone (202) 225-3976
Fax (202) 225-4099

* Write your own Senators and Representative and urge them to support the Kid-Safe Chemical Act, legislation that would strengthen laws and regulations to protect kids from toxins in all products – including baby soap and shampoo.

The post Should Soap Bubbles Make Your Baby Sick? Tell J&J No! appeared first on Big Green Purse.