Saturday, March 14, 2009

Is this true? Please don't scare me!

This is not a bento post, but if it's true, it's important enough to blog about to warn mothers with young children about potential dangers.

My ten year old and my husband share the same shampoo. They have been using Johnson's Baby shampoo for the last 10 years.

I picked this article up from "thedailygreen.com" and I'm not sure how true it is. This time, I've copied and pasted the entire report in this post. I don't want to get UPSET again if these links get broken for some reason or other!

Can anyone verify this article or is there a way I can verify how much TRUTH is in it???


I don't want to react by throwing away all the related products immediately, although if it is true, that will be the first thing which I will do!

Mothers with young children please read this and take note that it just not affects shampoo but also the bubble baths, sunblock lotion, baby wash and a whole list of other stuff.

3.12.2009 10:17 AM

Shampoos and Other Children's Bath Products Have Toxic Ingredients That Aren't on the Label

Nonprofit group's tests find formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane in children's shampoos, bubble baths and baby lotions. See complete list of brands that had one or both chemicals.



toddler bathing with shampoo and bubble bath
Photo: Istock

By Dan Shapley



Buzz up!

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics today will reveal which brands of children's shampoos, bubble baths and baby lotions tested positive for formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, two chemicals that have been linked to serious health problems, including cancer.

You won't find these chemicals on ingredient lists, though you might find marketing claims like "gentle" and "cure" on the suspect products, according to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a national coalition of nonprofit health and environmental organizations.

Of 48 products tested, 67% had 1,4-dioxane. Of 28 products tested, 82% had formaldehyde. See below for a list of brands that did and did not have the chemicals.

Not waiting for the full report, the cosmetics industry attacked the group in a press release, calling the allegations "patently false and a shameful and cynical attempt by an activist group to incite and prey upon parental worries and concerns in order to push a political, legislative and legal agenda." The Personal Care Products Council questioned the scientific integrity of the report, and said that levels of the chemicals found were extremely low, within regulatory limits and safe for use. It defended the use of formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing compounds as a safe preservative.

True, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is pushing a political, legislative and legal agenda, and the $250 billion global cosmetics industry has come to show concern about publicity over the group's reports.

The Campaign has previously exposed high levels of phthalates, formaldehyde and toluene in nail polish, leading to the phase-out of the use of those chemicals by several major brands; exposed the presence of lead in many lipsticks (see 11 lead-free lipsticks). The campaign supports both the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep database of chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products, and state and federal proposals to regulate the use and disclosure of certain suspect chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products.

Brands That Tested Positive For 1,4 Dioxane

*According to The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

  • Baby Magic "Soft Baby Scent" Baby Lotion (Ascendia Brands, Inc)
  • CVS Baby Shampoo (CVS/Pharmacy)
  • Johnson’s Baby Shampoo (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
  • L'Oreal Kids Extra Gentle 2-in-1 Fast Dry Shampoo – Burst of Cool Melon (L’Oreal USA)
  • Suave Kids 2-in-1 Shampoo – Wild Watermelon (Unilever)
  • American Girl Hopes and Dreams Glistening Shower and Bath Wash (Bath & Body Works)
  • American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Apple Blossom (Bath & Body Works)
  • American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Apple Blossom (Bath & Body Works)
  • American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Apple Blossom (Bath & Body Works)
  • American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Sunny Orange (Bath & Body Works)
  • Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)

  • Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
  • Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
  • CVS Kids Body Wash – Blueberry Blast (CVS/Pharmacy)
  • Equate Tearless Baby Wash (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.)
  • Gentle Naturals Eczema Baby Wash (Del Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)
  • Grins & Giggles Milk & Honey Baby Wash (Gerber Products Company)
  • Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wash (Kimberly-Clark)
  • Johnson’s Moisture Care Baby Wash (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
  • Johnson’s Oatmeal Baby Wash – Vanilla (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
  • Mustela Baby Shampoo (Laboratories Expanscience)
  • Mustela Dermo-Cleansing Gel for Hair and Body Newborn/Baby (Laboratories Expanscience)
  • Night-time Bath Baby Wash (Target Corporation)
  • Barbie Berry Sweet Bubble Bath (Water-Jel Technologies)
  • Dora the Explorer Bubble Bath (MZB Personal Care)
  • Hot Wheels Berry Blast Bubble Bath (Water-Jel Technologies)
  • Mustela Multi-Sensory Bubble Bath (Laboratories Expanscience)
  • Sesame Street Bubble Bath – Orange Mango Tango (The Village Company)
  • Tinker Bell Scented Bubble Bath (Goldie LLC)
  • Soft & Beautiful Just for Me! No-Lye Conditioning Creme Relaxer, Children’s Super (Alberto-Culver Company)
  • Pampers Kandoo Foaming Handsoap – Magic Melon (Procter & Gamble)
  • No-Ad Sun Pals SPF 45 UVA/UVB Sun Protection (Solar Cosmetics Labs Inc.)

Brands That Tested Positive for Formaldehyde

*According to The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

  • American Girl Hopes and Dreams Shimmer Body Lotion (Bath & Body Works)
  • Baby Magic “Soft Baby Scent” Baby Lotion (Ascendia Brands, Inc)
  • Baby Magic “Soft Baby Scent” Baby Lotion (Ascendia Brands, Inc)
  • Baby Magic “Soft Baby Scent” Baby Lotion (Ascendia Brands, Inc)
  • Tinker Bell Body Lotion (Goldie LLC)
  • CVS Baby Shampoo (CVS/Pharmacy)
  • Johnson’s Baby Shampoo (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
  • Johnson’s Baby Shampoo (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
  • L’Oreal Kids Extra Gentle 2-in-1 Fast Dry Shampoo – Burst of Cool Melon (L’Oreal USA)
  • American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Apple Blossom (Bath & Body Works)
  • American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Apple Blossom (Bath & Body Works)
  • American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Apple Blossom (Bath & Body Works)
  • CVS Kids Body Wash – Blueberry Blast (CVS/Pharmacy)
  • Equate Tearless Baby Wash (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.)
  • Gentle Naturals Eczema Baby Wash (Del Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)
  • Grins & Giggles Milk & Honey Baby Wash (Gerber Products Company)
  • Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wash (Kimberly-Clark)
  • Barbie Berry Sweet Bubble Bath (Water-Jel Technologies)
  • Dora the Explorer Bubble Bath (MZB Personal Care)
  • Sesame Street Bubble Bath – Orange Mango Tango (The Village Company)
  • Tinker Bell Scented Bubble Bath (Goldie LLC)
  • Hot Wheels Berry Blast Bubble Bath (Water-Jel Technologies)
  • Mustela Multi-Sensory Bubble Bath (Laboratories Expanscience)
  • Huggies Soft Skin – Shea Butter (Kimberly-Clark Global Sales Inc)
  • Pampers Kandoo Foaming Handsoap – Magic Melon (Procter & Gamble)

Brands That Had Neither 1,4-Dioxane Nor Formaldehyde

Note that several brands were tested for only one of the two chemicals; consult the The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics report (look below for complete report) to see those brands that tested clean for the one chemical tested.

  • Dark & Lovely Kids Beautiful Beginnings No-Mistake Nourishing No-Lye Children’s Relaxer System, Fine Hair Types (SoftSheen-Carson, owned by L’Oreal USA)




Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

Toxic Tub: Product Test Results


Below are the results for all the products tested for formaldehyde and/or 1,4-dioxane for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics report, "No More Toxic Tub." The company that distributes the product is shown in parentheses next to the product name. ND means that the impurity was not detected (though see "Why 'No Detect' Doesn't Mean No Problem" below the chart). A blank space means that the product was not tested for the relevant contaminant.

Product Name
1,4-dioxane (ppm)
Formaldehyde (ppm)
Lotion


American Girl Hopes and Dreams Shimmer Body Lotion (Bath & Body Works)
ND*
310
Baby Magic “Soft Baby Scent” Baby Lotion (Ascendia Brands, Inc)
ND*
570
Baby Magic “Soft Baby Scent” Baby Lotion (Ascendia Brands, Inc)
0.92
610
Baby Magic “Soft Baby Scent” Baby Lotion (Ascendia Brands, Inc)
ND*
330
Johnson’s Bedtime Lotion Natural Calm Essences (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
ND*

Mustela Baby Body Lotion (Laboratories Expanscience)
ND*

Tinker Bell Body Lotion (Goldie LLC)
ND*
220



Shampoo


CVS Baby Shampoo (CVS/Pharmacy)
0.92
350
Johnson’s Baby Shampoo (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
ND*
200
Johnson’s Baby Shampoo (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
1.1
210
L’Oreal Kids Extra Gentle 2-in-1 Fast Dry Shampoo – Burst of Cool Melon (L’Oreal USA)
0.95
260
Suave Kids 2-in-1 Shampoo – Wild Watermelon (Unilever)
0.69
ND*



Liquid Shower Soap


American Girl Hopes and Dreams Glistening Shower and Bath Wash (Bath & Body Works)
14

American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Apple Blossom (Bath & Body Works)
6.3
210
American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Apple Blossom (Bath & Body Works)
5.7
220
American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Apple Blossom (Bath & Body Works)
18
150
American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Sunny Orange (Bath & Body Works)
35
ND*



Bath Wash


Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
1.4

Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
1.7

Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
4.6

CVS Kids Body Wash – Blueberry Blast (CVS/Pharmacy)
0.75
54
Equate Tearless Baby Wash (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.)
0.63
290
Gentle Naturals Eczema Baby Wash (Del Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)
6.4

Grins & Giggles Milk & Honey Baby Wash (Gerber Products Company)
2.8
400
Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wash (Kimberly-Clark)
3.2
410
Johnson’s Moisture Care Baby Wash (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
3.9

Johnson’s Oatmeal Baby Wash – Vanilla (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
4.2

Mustela Baby Shampoo (Laboratories Expanscience)
2.8

Mustela Dermo-Cleansing Gel for Hair and Body Newborn/Baby (Laboratories Expanscience)
3.9

Night-time Bath Baby Wash (Target Corporation)
3.6




Bubble Bath


Barbie Berry Sweet Bubble Bath (Water-Jel Technologies)
0.65
440
Dora the Explorer Bubble Bath (MZB Personal Care)
1.5
130
Hot Wheels Berry Blast Bubble Bath (Water-Jel Technologies)
2.8
100
Mustela Multi-Sensory Bubble Bath (Laboratories Expanscience)
1.7
ND*
Sesame Street Bubble Bath – Orange Mango Tango (The Village Company)
2.8
340
Tinker Bell Scented Bubble Bath (Goldie LLC)
11
420



Baby Wipes


Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wipes (Kimberly-Clark)
ND*

Huggies Soft Skin – Shea Butter (Kimberly-Clark Global Sales Inc)
ND*
100
Kirkland Signature Premium Unscented Baby Wipes (Costco Wholesale Corporation)
ND*

Pampers Baby Fresh (Procter & Gamble)
ND*

Pampers Calming – Lavender (Procter & Gamble)
ND*




Hair Relaxer


Dark & Lovely Kids Beautiful Beginnings No-Mistake Nourishing No-Lye Creme Relaxer, Normal to Course Hair (SoftSheen-Carson, owned by L’Oreal USA)
ND*

Dark & Lovely Kids Beautiful Beginnings No-Mistake Nourishing No-Lye Children’s Relaxer System, Fine Hair Types (SoftSheen-Carson, owned by L’Oreal USA)
ND*
ND*
Soft & Beautiful Just for Me! No-Lye Conditioning Creme Relaxer, Children’s Super (Alberto-Culver Company)
0.27
ND*



Hand Soap


Pampers Kandoo Foaming Handsoap – Magic Melon (Procter & Gamble)
0.49
310



Sun Block


Banana Boat Kids UVA & UVB Sunblock Lotion SPF 30 (Sun Pharmaceuticals Corp.)
ND*

No-Ad Sun Pals SPF 45 UVA/UVB Sun Protection (Solar Cosmetics Labs Inc.)
0.46




Toothpaste


Colgate Kids 2-in-1 Toothpaste and Mouthwash – Strawberry (Colgate-Palmolive Company)
ND*

*ND means the chemical was not detected in the product; however, this does not mean the product is necessarily free of other potentially harmful ingredients. Many of these products contain numerous other chemicals with health concerns.

Why “No Detect” Doesn’t Mean No Problem

Some products tested for this report did not contain formaldehyde or 1,4-dioxane. However, that does not mean the products are safe. There is no guarantee that other samples of the same product are not contaminated. Also, there are no legal requirements for children’s products to be made with the safest ingredients possible. As a result, it is common to find chemicals of concern in brands marketed to children.

Here is an example of a product that did not contain formaldehyde or 1,4-dioxane, yet contains other harmful ingredients:

Dark & Lovely Kids Beautiful Beginnings No-Mistake Nourishing No-Lye Creme Relaxer for Fine Hair (by SoftSheen-Carson, owned by L’Oreal USA):

  • Contains at least 55 different ingredients.
  • 98% of those ingredients have no or inadequate safety data.
  • Contains ingredients that are associated with health conditions, including:
    • Methylparaben: On the European Union’s Banned and Restricted List and recognized as having links to cancer, neurotoxicity and skin irritation.
    • Fragrance: Ingredients not required to be listed on product, but can contain harmful chemicals.
    • Triethanolamine: Strong evidence of skin, immune and respiratory toxicity.
about us | contact us | search | faqs | site map |

Another article here:
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/parentsguide/summary.php?nothanks=1

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin

Learn a WORD a day!

How's your spelling?

Your Spelling is Perfect
You got 10/10 correct.

Your spelling is excellent. You also have a great memory and eye for detail.
You Are Cilantro
The bad news is that there are some people who can't stand you.
The good news is that most people love you more than anything else in the world.
You are distinct, unusual, fresh, and very controversial. And you wouldn't have it any other way.