They’re at it again. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics – the same organization that warned about lead in your lipstick – has set its sights on baby bath products. Their new report, No More Toxic Tub, found carcinogens in top-selling baby bath products, like formaldehyde (the same stuff that caused the FEMA trailer health debacle) and 1,4 dioxane. So, while you’re ridding your kid’s toy chest of plastics and throwing out your teen’s hormonally challenging eye shadow, don’t forget to take a close look at your bubble bath. You can find information on hundreds of common products through The Environmental Working Group at www.cosmeticsdatabase.com.
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Now that you have added to the false alarm, you have an obligation to also alert your readers to an updated story in today’s Washington Post, headlined: “Review Finds Modest Risk from Children’s Toiletries”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/13/AR2009031303168.html
I wouldn’t be so quick to sound a ‘false alarm’ folks. Mainstream media loves to minimize things like ‘trace elements’ when they don’t factor in the multiplication of applications every hour/day/minute OF those elements (e.g. lead in lipstick, creams, lotions, shampoos, it adds up to being far more than ‘trace’) averaging about 18 products a day per person in body grooming from baths to daily hygiene.
Doing the math, that boosts the ‘trace’ many times over…I think we need to look at the big picture and ask the ‘whys’ of putting public profit over public health…in terms of WHY RISK IT at all?
And yes, I’m a fan of Teens Turning Green and yes, I think it’s time a do a more robust story here on ECP to add balance and evidence to this important conversation…as the cancer doctor speaking at their summit gave a very enlightened response about balancing ‘alarm’ with ‘logic’ and consumer rights to demand a safer FDA/supply chain, research dollars going into policy platforms, and thorough testing of goods particularly exposing vulnerable audiences (like babies, cancer patients with compromised immune systems, etc.)
Here are a few of their video feeds you might find enlightening on this issue: http://www.teensturninggreen.org/video-gallery/video-gallery.html
Mind you, I’m the queen of ‘centrist thinking’ and balance, in terms of weighing/reporting both sides of a debate, so I think it’s time I do a full-fledged piece on this issue to add to Derek and Jennifer’s links that you’ve included above.
The alarm is not ‘false’ as Ann Shannon indicates above, it is simply not as incessantly ear-piercing as the screeching of an ongoing car alarm…They are calling attention to some very important work that media and govt. has a vested interest in minimizing (can we say ad dollars and lobbying groups?) and I think we can point to their work in just the last ‘07-’08 year to evidence same:
http://tinyurl.com/czyx47
More on this soon…guaranteed.