No More Toxic Tub: Getting Contaminant Out of Children's Bath & Personal Care Products

In a report publicized yesterday, more than half of the children's bath products tested were found to contain small amounts of two chemicals linked to cancer. Sixty-one percent of the products tested contained both 1,4-dioxane and formadehyde!

The report "No More Toxic Tub: Getting Contaminant Out of Children's Bath & Personal Care Products" was issued by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of nonprofit women’s, environmental, health, faith, consumer and worker organizations.

The chemicals are not listed as ingredients on the products and are believed to be by-products of the manufacturing process. There currently are no regulatory standards that limit formaldehyde, 1,4-dioxane or most other toxic chemicals in personal care products sold in the United States. Other nations have stricter standards. Formaldehyde is banned from personal care products in Japan and Sweden. The European Union bans 1,4-dioxane from personal care products and has recalled products found to contain the chemical.

For the study, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics commissioned an independent laboratory to test 48 top-selling children’s products for 1,4-dioxane; 28 of those products were also tested for formaldehyde. The lab found that:

• 17 out of 28 products tested – 61 percent – contained both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane; these included Johnson’s Baby Shampoo, Sesame Street Bubble Bath, Grins & Giggles Milk & Honey Baby Wash and Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wash.
• 23 out of 28 products – 82 percent – contained formaldehyde at levels ranging from 54 to 610 parts per million (ppm). Baby Magic Baby Lotion had the highest levels of formaldehyde.
• 32 out of 48 products – 67 percent – contained 1,4-dioxane at levels ranging from 0.27 to 35 ppm. American Girl shower products had the highest levels of 1,4-dioxane.

For the complete report, click here. A list of all products tested along with complete test results are on page 9 of the report or online here.

We will be addressing personal care products (kids & adults) in an upcoming EcoParents meeting. Stay tuned!