Don’t Drink the Bath Water

Kids will be kids; they do things that can sometimes make us cringe - like eating dirt, picking their nose, or drinking their bath water. But most of these things are harmless rites of passage that we can just laugh off. After all, drinking bubble bath water can’t really harm them, right? Wrong, says the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a national coalition of nonprofit health and environmental organizations that just released a study on children’s bath products. The study contains products tested for cancer-causing chemicals formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane. A total of 48 products were tested for 1,4-dioxane; 28 of those products were also tested for formaldehyde.

The Results

17 out of 28 products tested (61%) – contained both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane
23 out of 28 products (82%) – contained formaldehyde
32 out of 48 products (67%) - contained 1,4-dioxane

Johnson’s Baby Shampoo, Sesame Street Bubble Bath, and Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wash were among best-selling products found to contain both chemicals. The full results of the study can be found in the report, “No More Toxic Tub” at www.safecosmetics.org/toxictub.

So what do you do if you find that your child’s bath products are on the offending list? You’d think the best way to avoid products with these chemicals is to read ingredient labels carefully. However, according to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics the chemicals were not disclosed on product labels because they are contaminants, not ingredients, and are exempt from labeling laws.

Johnson & Johnson said in a statement that the study “inaccurately characterized the safety of our products” and “unnecessarily alarms parents.” They also stated that trace levels of formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane "can result from processes that make our products gentle for babies and safe from bacteria growth" and that "the FDA and other government agencies around the world consider these trace levels safe, and all our products meet or exceed the regulatory requirements in every country where they are sold."

The problem is, usually multiple bath products are used several times a week on children, which increases exposure, so even trace amounts can be worrisome. "Any level of carcinogen in a baby product is of concern," said Lisa Archer of the Breast Cancer Fund, the national coordinator for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and an author of the March 12th report. "We're encouraging Johnson & Johnson and other companies to reformulate without these chemicals of concern."

“Products made in the U.S. and marketed for children should not contain chemicals linked to cancer or any other health problem,” said Jane Houlihan, vice president for research at Environmental Working Group and creator of the Skin Deep cosmetic safety database (www.cosmeticsdatabase.com).

Safeguard your Family

The best way to limit your family’s exposure to harmful chemicals in personal care products is to choose products with fewer, more natural ingredients that have no synthetic fragrances or dyes. You can also look at Environmental Working Group’s Safety Guide to Children’s Personal Care Products (www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/parentsguide/) to check for the products you currently use and for an in-depth list of safer products.

Research and Statistics: www.safecosmetics.org, www.cosmeticsdatabase.com, www.webmd.com

Kara Sibilia, mother of one, is a freelance writer based in New Jersey who enjoys writing about beauty, fashion, health, and motherhood. To contact Kara, please email kara_sibilia@yahoo.com.

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