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Tougher Standards May Be Warranted
 More than half of popular brands of baby lotion, shampoo, and other infant bathroom products contain small amounts of two toxic chemicals which have been linked to cancers, a new study says.
Infant products made by Johnson & Johnson and other industry giants have tested positive for formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, two chemicals the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has identified as cancer-causing carcinogens, according to a new study from the nonprofit group Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. The group’s report can be found at http://www.safecosmetics.org/toxictub. (You can also download the full PDF by Clicking HERE.)
The toxic chemicals found are not added to the products intentionally or listed as ingredients on the product labeling, but they appear as byproducts of the manufacturing process for the products, the group said. Formaldehyde forms when other chemicals break down over time, while 1,4-dioxine is produced when foaming agents are combined with petrochemicals, such as ethylene oxide.
While the levels of the chemicals detected were in trace amounts, use of the products over time, could allow the chemicals to seep through the skin of young children or otherwise be ingested, causing cancer and other serious health complications.
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) called the group’s findings “horrifying” and said she intends to introduce legislation soon that would require stronger oversight of the cosmetics industry.
Dozens of Baby Products Tested
The new study tested 48 bath products, including various brands of baby shampoo and bubble bath, and found that 32 contained low levels of 1,4-dioxine while 23 contained small amounts of formaldehyde, the group said. Seventeen of the products tested some of both chemicals.
The group said it is ironic that many of the products containing the toxic chemicals are advertised as being “gentle” or “soft” on children’s skin and called on the government for stricter regulation of shampoos, lotions, bubble baths, and other bath products, especially those for children.
Manufacturers Say They Meet Government Standards
However, companies that make the tested products fired back at the study and said they meet government standards for the products. The Food and Drug Administration and other agencies regulate the products and enforces some of the toughest standards for the products in the world, Johnson & Johnson said in a statement.
The company said it was “disappointed” that the campaign had “inaccurately” attacked the safety of the products.
Chemical Banned in Some Countries
The chemical 1,4-dioxine is banned for use in personal care products in Europe due to concerns about its long-term effects. The U.S. FDA has not set limits for its use in shampoo and other bath products, saying that trace amounts now found in them have not been shown to cause harm.
However, consumer and health advocates contend that lotions and other bath products used daily can allow even trace amounts of toxic chemical to gradually seep into the skin, causing health problems. An FDA study of 1,4-dioxine in 1982 found that the chemical could seep through human skin when used in lotion and other studies have found that infants and children with developing bodies are more susceptible to exposure than adults.
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