Carcinogens Found in Baby Care Products

A baby’s skin is tender; this is why parents use gentle care baby shampoo, baby wash, and baby lotions. These products make claims to be gentle enough for baby’s tender skin, and we, as loving, caring parents, believe it. After all, these products are recommended by doctors and other health professionals! Why wouldn’t we believe them?

Last year, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested 48 baby products, including bubble bath, baby wash and baby shampoo, including popular brands like Johnson & Johnson and Baby Magic. 23 of these contained trace amounts of formaldehyde, 32 contained trace amounts of 1,4-dioxane and 17 of them included BOTH.

So what are 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde? According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), they are carcinogens, or cancer causing chemicals. It has been scientifically proven that our skin can absorb these harmful chemicals. How much more susceptible is the skin of a baby? Why would we want to expose our children to such dangerous chemicals on a daily basis, at such a young age?

When the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics released the results of their study, Johnson & Johnson issued a statement in response to the claims of carcinogens in their products:

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. We are disappointed that the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has inaccurately characterized the safety of our products, misrepresented the overwhelming consensus of scientists and government agencies that review the safety of ingredients, and unnecessarily alarmed parents.

That last part gets me: “unnecessarily alarmed parents.” I’m not so sure that it’s “unnecessary” to know that there are carcinogenic chemicals in products I’m blindly trusting are safe for my children. Especially with how “safe” so many products that the FDA has told us are safe only to find out they’re killing us…slowly but surely.

We’ve also seen that government regulations don’t seem to have the safety of its citizens as a top priority anymore. Profit is the bottom line. So as far as I’m concerned, the fact that Johnson & Johnson is attempting to excuse the presence of these cancer causing chemicals by saying they operate within governmental standards doesn’t reassure me at all.

So how can we avoid bathing our children in these dangerous chemicals? There are many organic shampoos and soaps available today. Thankfully, the spreading knowledge of the dangers in our foods and skin care products have created a profitable network for safe, healthy and all-natural products, so they aren’t hard to find. Here are ten safe, all natural alternatives to care for your baby’s skin:

Erbaorganics Baby Shampoo
Organic Blessings Baby Shampoo and Baby Wash
Nature’s Paradise Baby Shampoo and Baby Wash
Burt’s Bees Baby Shampoo Bar
Dr. Bronner’s Organic Castile Baby Soap
Nature’s Baby Organics Shampoo and Baby Wash
Angel Baby Shampoo and Body Wash
GAIA Skin Naturals Baby Shampoo
Oopsy Daisy Rinse Free Shampoo
Dermamed Baby Shampoo

At the very least, we want to make sure our children are safe, and by using these products with cancer causing chemicals, we are unknowingly hurting them.

Read the study here: http://www.safecosmetics.org/get-the-facts/reports-2/
News Article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/12/AR2009031202940_pf.html

3 Comments

  1. Amy on October 9, 2015 at 4:28 pm

    Thank you for bringing this to the public’s attention. These chemicals also may cause blindness or long-term vision problems as well. I had heard a few years ago, that anesthetic was also in baby shampoo, making it “tear free.”. Only masking the otherwise burning sensation. We have to keep optometrists in business somehow, correct? Bless you! May the Lord motivate your further blessings in helping humanity! Amy



  2. Mom on November 30, 2015 at 5:35 pm

    Thanks for this information. Wish I had researched and found your website several years ago. But from now I will be purchasing Dr. Bronners and reading labels.



  3. Jennifer on January 11, 2016 at 2:07 am

    Concerns over chemicals in beauty care products, particularly those for vulnerable babies, led the campaign to announce plans last November for a consumer boycott of J J products. That was scrapped before it began because Johnson Johnson quickly agreed to make its baby products safer.



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