No More Toxic Tub
It shouldn’t be too much to ask that baby products be free of toxic chemicals. This is apparently not the case: according to a recent report (PDF) released by Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, dozens of commonly used baby shampoos and lotions contain hazardous ingredients, most prominently formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane.
Companies argue that the amount of formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane contained in these products is small enough to not cause any cause for concern. The use of these chemicals is so widespread, however, that many parents unwittingly use products that contain one or both of these chemicals every time they bathe their child.
The study found that 61% of the products tested 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. Even more of the products tested contained either formaldehyde or 1,4 dioxane, 82% and 67% respectively containing the chemicals.
The European Union has recognized the danger posed by formaldehyde, which has been known to cause severe rashes in some children, banning and recalling all lotions and shampoos containing the chemical. Japan and Sweden have banned the use of 1,4 dioxane in personal care products. But in the United States, even though the EPA lists these hazardous chemicals as possible carcinogens, the government still allows almost any ingredient to be included in personal care products.
Fortunately, Massachusetts has taken its first steps towards ensuring the safety of personal care products. Senator Tolman and Representative Kaufman have introduced the Safer Alternatives Bill, which will help business replace toxic chemicals with safe alternatives wherever feasible. As noted by Erin Boles, Associate Executive Director of the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, “Children, men and women are getting sick every day, unnecessarily. The time for change is now.”
