Washington Post - Probable Carcinogens Found in Baby Toiletries

Today in the Washington Post an article went to print talking about the trace amounts of two chemicals that are believed to cause cancer found in some baby shampoos and lotions (Johnson & Johnson and Baby Magic are two brands cited). Not one to overreact, I wonder about the media's tendency to put focus on something that is really quite minor even as I am kind of glad to see that we don't have to worry about even trace elements when using the 365 line of toiletries for our family. That said, I (and dare I say millions of moms) have used their products in the past and I'm thinking that the genetic lineage of cancer in my family will probably have more affect in my children's lives than using Johnson & Johnson's baby shampoo ever will.

Probable Carcinogens Found in Baby Toiletries

By Lyndsey Layton
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 13, 2009; Page A04

More than half the baby shampoo, lotion and other infant care products analyzed by a health advocacy group were found to contain trace amounts of two chemicals that are believed to cause cancer, the organization said yesterday.

Some of the biggest names on the market, including Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo and Baby Magic lotion, tested positive for 1,4-dioxane or formaldehyde, or both, the nonprofit Campaign for Safe Cosmetics reported.

The chemicals, which the Environmental Protection Agency has characterized as probable carcinogens, are not intentionally added to the products and are not listed among ingredients on labels. Instead, they appear to be byproducts of the manufacturing process. Formaldehyde is created when other chemicals in the product break down over time, while 1,4-dioxane is formed when foaming agents are combined with ethylene oxide or similar petrochemicals.

The organization tested 48 baby bath products such as bubble bath and shampoo. Of those, 32 contained trace amounts of 1,4-dioxane and 23 contained small amounts of formaldehyde. Seventeen tested positive for both chemicals.
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"Our intention is not to alarm parents, but to inform parents that products that claim to be gentle and pure are contaminated with carcinogens, which is completely unnecessary," said Stacy Malkan, a spokeswoman for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, which is calling for the government to more strictly regulate personal care products such as shampoo, lotion and makeup.

Companies that manufacture and sell the products tested by the group stressed that they comply with government standards.

"The FDA and other government agencies around the world consider these trace levels safe, and all our products meet or exceed the regulatory requirements in every country where they are sold," Johnson & Johnson said in a statement. "We are disappointed that the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has inaccurately characterized the safety of our products, misrepresented the overwhelming consensus of scientists and government agencies that review the safety of ingredients, and unnecessarily alarmed parents."

The European Union has banned 1,4-dioxane as an ingredient in personal care products, but the Food and Drug Administration has not established a safe limit for the chemical in shampoo, lotion and other toiletries. It maintains that the trace amounts found in those products are not harmful.

A 1982 study by the FDA showed that 1,4-dioxane can penetrate human skin when used in lotion.

Health advocates argue, however, that federal regulators have not considered the cumulative effect of chemicals in personal care products.

"The levels we've found are relatively low, and the industry often says there's just a little bit of carcinogen in my product," Malkan said. "The problem is, we're finding a little bit of carcinogen in many products. Many of these products are used every day, so we've got repeated and frequent exposure to these low levels of chemicals. They're not the safest and purest products, and parents ought to know that."

In addition, government studies have not examined the effect of chemical exposure on the particular vulnerabilities of infants and children, whose bodies are still developing, the advocates said.

Several Democratic lawmakers said the report is evidence that the nation's chemical regulation system needs to be changed.

"The fact that we are bathing our kids in products contaminated with carcinogens shows how woefully out of date our cosmetics laws are and how urgently they need to be updated," said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (Ill.). "The science has moved forward; now the FDA needs to catch up and be given the authority to protect the health of Americans."

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.) called the findings "horrifying" and said she intends to introduce legislation that would require stronger oversight of the cosmetics industry.

The report can be found at http://www.safecosmetics.org/toxictub.

Whole Food Value Meals - A Healthy Meal for $15

Truthfully, the more I cook the less inclined I am to want to go out to dinner. Like my taste in clothing, I like expensive food. Give me a choice of where to eat and it's going to be sushi or somewhere that has fresh fish or great steak. I cook pretty well so most middle of the road places just don't seem to be worth the price they are asking when I know I can make something so much better at home. It's not even worth NOT cleaning dishes, which of course leaves me in a bind. What if I don't want to cook?

We do like places like Baja Fresh or El Pollo Loco (sigh, wish we had one here in Music City) and even pizza at a local pizzeria every once in a while, but what I have found works great is Whole Foods dinners. For just $15 you get a large entree, side item and dinner salad for a family of 4. They change up the choices regularly so it's a GREAT way to have a healthy meal that just requires heating up. I even keep the containers they come in and re-use them when making dinners for friends having babies or are sick.

Last night I watched a commercial touting a bucket of chicken feeding a family of 5 for just $3 a person - while its a better deal (marginally) financially, I'll let y'all guess which is healthier. I've got nothing against a bucket meal if it's done every once in a great while, but if it's a weekly thing, why not try a Whole Food Value meal one of those weeks. It's a simple switch that your body will thank you for in the long run.

Going Au Naturale Savvy Style

About two years ago what started as a little itchy spot on my leg, turned into a widespread bump-fest on my body. Little by little dry, red, angry patches spread out everywhere on my body except on my face, and in my discomfort and pain, my vanity was spared. I was not however, spared sleepless nights with burning, oozing sores all over my body. Thank God for friends and family who still loved me in the midst of being grossed-out.

Initially thought to be psoriasis by one doctor, it turned out to be lichen planus, a skin condition that affects about 2 percent of the population and has no known cure. Doctors aren't sure what causes it or what makes it go away. Some people battle with it for the rest of their lives. I've been clear about a year now except for a couple spots that just don't seem to want to go away, but doctors say once it appears, there's always a chance it will come back.

A year's worth of trying steroids, topically and finally internally (I'm not a big fan of medication, yes, daughter of a GERMAN nurse), light therapy (a.k.a. tanning beds), the removal of all my silver fillings and FINALLY, a case of flat-on-your-back-for-3-full-days-flu and it went away, almost as quickly as it started. That said the incident was bad enough to warrant me looking into healthier ways and more organic ways to eat and well, live.

That said, I have come to discover in my "old age" that I am not a person of extremes. There are no major causes I believe in (other than savvy shopping that is). I try to eat healthy, eating as little processed foods as possible, drinking mainly water, but still partaking of things like one cup of coffee and flavored creamer a day and even dessert.

I run around after the kids, maybe take a walk to the park and occasionally pull out the exercise tape, but I am not a 5 day a week in the gym sort of person. I believe that we should do as much as possible to be good stewards of this world we live in so we try to recycle as best we can but do not have separation bins in the garage. Goodness, my thrift store wardrobe is one of the greenest things I do! But see, what I mean? We do a little about a lot of things, but aren't really gung-ho about ONE thing.

Thus, when it comes to organic foods and body care products, while I understand the benefit of it and believe it's something worthy to which I should aspire, it's expensive! Still, with my bout of lichen planus and two growing Superstars I figured I should try to apply my savvy saving talents toward switching to as much organic or hormone free products as possible...without breaking the budget and changing up everything. Thankfully, my husband, who was recently "diagnosed" with high cholesterol, agreed, which always make household directional changes easier. You know, CEO and COO being in agreement and all.

The first thing I decided to work with was skincare items or things that touched our skin on a regular basis: shampoo, conditioner, lotion and body wash. We now use Whole Foods 365 line, and for $10 you can get three large 32 oz. bottles of any of their scents (including unscented) natural body products. They last a long time and so far so good! Everyone's hair is squeaky clean and shiny. The lotion is nice and thick and absorbs well. And though I love the smell of the lavender version, something in it irritates Superstar #1's skin so we've had to move to the unscented version. Superstar #1 has sensitive skin and has nickel allergies (like her Mom, her aunt and great grandmother!).


For an extra special treat Trader Joe's carries great natural salt and sugar body rubs, something I enjoy in the shower that helps keep my skin moisturized and smooth. They have several different scents not only in the scrubs but in their lotion and body wash lines as well. The scrub is just $6 and is truly wonderful. Hey, if I'm going to get a 10 minute shower break, it's gonna be a luxurious one if at all possible!

As for hair products, I use Aveda gel for my hair. It generally costs $15 at the salon when I get my quarterly hair cut. I have found it for around $10 on eBay but it's a hit or miss there, luckily a little goes a long way and one bottle lasts me about 6 months.

Now, I'm going to be honest. I'm still working on a natural way to keep the gray hair at bay. I've used henna in the past and it works fairly well but it sure is messy. Still, having sparingly used over-the-counter dyes before, which are also messy, the henna is a lot healthier - even though I know the dyes won't kill me. It's one of those "choose your battle" type of things for me. At the moment I am considering experimenting with a natural way to eliminate gray formula I found on line: boiling sage and rosemary and then letting the mixture stay in your hair 10 minutes before washing your hair and it helps slowly take the gray out. I'll let you know how that goes!

As for face products, I talk a little about it with my post on my switch to mineral make up and the deal I found on the product on eBay. I admit that I still use Oil of Olay Regenerist for my face care. I'm not ready to switch over to all-natural or organic in that arena yet since it works so well for my skin.

The last thing I'm going to mention in this post is laundry detergent. We switched over the Costco Environmentally Friendly Laundry Detergent, which is not only good for the environment, but also our budget at just $12 for 100 loads worth of washing. It's also rated HE, which is what is recommended for my front-load washing machine. It may not be the greenest or the most natural thing out there, but it's a good money-saving item that puts on a path to more natural products.

That's it for today. I'll let you know as I find more items on this path toward more natural living. If you have savvy and simple hints on how to go more natural with body care products, let me know. You know, the kinds of tips that involve saving time and money in the process!

I'm going to post more on healthy food and snack options later. With growing kids who need snacks at least 2x a day, we're always looking for quick, convenient and healthy ways to keep them from getting cranky their energy up!