Carcinogens in Kids' Bath Products

A group called the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested 48 top-selling children's products for 1,4-dioxane and 28 of them for formaldehyde. The 1,4-dioxane chemical is used as a foaming agent.

The resutls were not pretty. 23 had formaldehyde and 17 had both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane.


Among those were the highly popular Johnson's Baby Shampoo, L'Oreal Kids Extra Gentle 2-in-1 shampoo and Pampers Kandoo foaming hand soap, which contained enough formaldehyde to trigger a skin reaction in sensitive people, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics said in its report.

And I'm sure by now all of us know the adverse effects of formaldehyde, but just in case you don't the US National Cancer Institute has reported that studies of workers exposed to formaldehyde have linked the chemical to cancers of the nasal sinuses, nasopharynx, brain and possibly leukemia.

And 1,4-dioxane has been deemed as a "probable human carcinogen" by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Studies have shown that the chemical does cause cancer in animals and as a "probable human carcinogen."

Stacy Malkan of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics makes the point that while the levels might be low in individual products it all add up and "children are more vulnerable to the toxic effects of chemicals."

For the full report click here

Luckily there are many natural bath products available.