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A Different Kind of Bath Safety

Marketing claims using “natural” and “baby” accompany potentially hazardous ingredients on the labelNo doubt as a parent you’ve witnessed some odd behavior from your toddler. Things like running naked after the cat brandishing salad tongs, eating miscellaneous crusty items off the kitchen floor (but refusing good food at dinner), and even drinking her own bathwater — in great big gulps, soap and all.

While I can take a reasonable guess at what was on the kitchen floor, the actual ingredients in that soapy water were a bit of a shock. An article from the Cox New Service published early in 2007 reported that up to 57 percent of all baby soaps may contain a suspected carcinogen, 1,4-dioxane.

FDA recommendations request that cosmetic companies limit the concentration of this substance to 10 parts per million or less in any given product. However, cosmetics are not regulated and compliance with this recommendation is completely voluntary.

1,4-dioxane is a known animal carcinogen, and is a known eye irritant as well as suspected of causing damage to the central nervous system, liver and kidneys.

You won’t find the ingredient on the product label, either. It is typically a manufacturing byproduct, thus, is not required to be listed. Ingredients that could be potentially linked to the presence of 1,4-dioxane include “sodium laureth sulfate” and ingredients that include the clauses “PEG,” “xynol,” “ceteareth,” and “oleth.” The chemical may be present in adult products like deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste and mouthwash. The concern isn’t so much the use of one product that contains the chemical compound, but the number of different products that a single person uses, all containing 1,4-dioxane.

The article quoted David Steinman, head of environmental publishing company Freedom Press. Apparently Steinman commissioned an independent lab test on various products and found some of them to be at or above the FDA recommended limit.

Products tested included ones made by Johnson and Johnson, Disney, Kimberly-Clark, and Gerber. Two of the specific products named in the article include Hello Kitty Bubble Bath with 12.3 ppm of the chemical and Johnson’s Kids Shampoo Watermelon Explosion with 10 ppm.

Once I learned this, I decided our house needed to go green along with our table. I started by changing my child’s bath soap to one that is made for infants with all natural ingredients, food grade oils, natural minerals and herbs for scent. Then, I started looking for shampoos and other products that were safer options.

The Environmental Working Group has a tool on their web site that can be used a shopping guide for personal products, everything from shampoo and soap to sunscreen and toothpaste. I refer to the list anytime I need to look for new personal care products, especially those for my child.

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Comments

  1. Third Culture Mamma says

    February 16, 2008 at 3:19 am

    The first time I used regular baby shampoo on my daughter, she had a horrible skin reaction. The crap they put in it so make is smell nice, bubble and lather well, etc. It’s ridiculous.

    Reply
  2. leeh says

    July 22, 2008 at 5:29 am

    i have realised that the god smellling vaselin i put on my son gives him bad skin and rash

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Baby Essentials That Aren’t, Part 5: Baby Bathtubs : Eco Child’s Play says:
    February 12, 2009 at 9:03 pm

    […] and irritation, and frequently expose your baby’s tender skin to harsh (and, arguably, toxic) ingredients such as sodium lauryl sulfate, preservatives, and artificial fragrances.  Worse still are those […]

    Reply
  2. Is Drinking Dark Wine Actually Beneficial to You? | Solicat says:
    February 7, 2013 at 12:33 pm

    […] Forget apples. Instead, it’s the doctor that may be kept by a glass of red wine a day away. Reports show burgandy or merlot wine may possibly protect the heart and help get a grip on cholesterol levels, among other benefits[1][2][3]. And these protective characteristics have already been mostly caused by two components in red wine: the liquor and the grape’s anti-oxidants. […]

    Reply

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About Eco Child’s Play

Our ethos is to provide news, information, and opinions on natural, green parenting to help your family live a greener, healthier life! Additionally, we offer personal consulting services to help you achieve your green living goals.

Jennifer is a vegetarian, yoga teacher, gardener, hiker, teacher, and mother that has been living off-the-grid for over 20 years.

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