Cancer-Causing Chemicals Found in Baby Shampoo ...

More than half of the baby shampoo, lotion and other infant care products analyzed by a health advocacy group, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, were found to contain trace amounts of chemicals that are believed to cause cancer. Some of the biggest names on the market, such as Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo and Baby Magic lotion, tested positive for 1,4-dioxane or formaldehyde, or both.The chemicals, which the U.S. 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 are likely by products of the manufacturing process. Formaldehyde is created when other chemicals in the product break down over time, and 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 at least one of the chemicals, and 17 tested positive for both chemicals.

Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Baby products like shampoo and lotion are often advertised as being “pure” and “gentle,” and many parents assume they can trust these claims. But as it turns out so often in the realm of personal care products, there could be virtually anything in that bottle.

This latest study from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found that 32 out of 48 baby bath products they tested -- including some from brand names like Johnson & Johnson -- contained formaldehyde or 1,4-dioxane, both of which are probable carcinogens. And 17 of the baby bath products contained BOTH of the chemicals -- including the top-selling Johnson’s Baby Shampoo and Sesame Street Bubble Bath.

You wouldn’t be able to tell there were cancer-causing chemicals in your baby’s shampoo or lotion just from reading the label, though, as these chemicals are not listed. Rather, they are created during the manufacturing process and shrugged off as being in too minute of quantities to be concerned with. But other countries do not agree. Japan and Sweden have banned formaldehyde from personal care products, and the European Union has banned 1,4-dioxane. They’ve even recalled products that were found to contain it. In the United States, meanwhile, there are no regulatory standards limiting formaldehyde, 1,4-dioxane or, for that matter, virtually any other toxic chemical in personal care products -- not even those for your children. Just How Many Chemicals Are Children Exposed To?

In an average day, children are exposed to 61 chemicals in personal care products(ALONE), 27 of which have not been found safe for kids, according to a national survey by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). In fact, EWG points out that 77 percent of the ingredients in 1,700 children’s products have never been assessed for safety. This means that the simple acts of shampooing your baby’s hair, giving him a bath and putting on some lotion, several times a week or more, is exposing him to chemicals that could very well harm his health. Even though they are likely small exposures at each bath time, over time these exposures add up and may contribute to disease. EWG’s study highlights just what types of toxic ingredients you may be slathering on your child.

They report:
• In an average week, three-quarters of all children are exposed to allergens, neurotoxins, and hormone-disrupting chemicals in their body care products, in addition to the dozens of chemicals not assessed for safety at all.

• Many children's products contain harsh, industrial chemicals at odds with marketing claims on product labels. Products marked as gentle, mild, natural, or unscented routinely contain fragrance, synthetic and hazardous ingredients, and chemicals that can cause allergic reactions or irritate your child’s eyes and skin.

And if you can believe it, at least 41 percent of all products made for children actually warn parents to "keep out of reach of children"!It’s bad enough that personal care products intended for adults contain toxic ingredients, but children are especially vulnerable. Their skin can be up to 30 percent thinner than an adult’s, meaning they’re able to absorb more chemicals into their bodies. And the blood-brain barrier, which helps keep dangerous chemicals from getting into your brain, is not yet developed until a baby is 6 months old, meaning products used before this time should be as pure and safe as possible.Who is Responsible for the Safety of Your Baby’s Bath Products?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would be responsible for the safety of personal care products in the United States, if any safety regulations existed. As it stands, the FDA does not have the authority to require safety tests for personal care products. Instead, a panel called the Cosmetic Ingredient Review goes over the safety of cosmetic ingredients. Not only is this panel funded by the cosmetic industry, but it has yet to review a major portion of cosmetic ingredients that are already on the market. So there is absolutely NO government agency looking out for the safety of personal care products for infants and adults. It is actually perfectly legal and very common for companies to use ingredients that are known or suspected to be carcinogens, mutagens or reproductive toxins.

Which Ingredients Should You Watch Out For?
If you want to avoid the formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane that were detected in many baby products, you need to know what to look for since they’re not listed on the label, at least not in those words.

Common ingredients likely to contaminate products with formaldehyde include:
• Quaternium-15• DMDM hydantoin• Imidazolidinyl urea• Diazolidinyl urea

avoid 1,4-dioxane, a byproduct that could easily be removed if manufacturers chose to do so, watch out for these ingredients:
• PEG-100 stearate• Sodium laureth sulfate• Polyethylene• Ceteareth-20

Of course, this is only a short list of the potentially dangerous chemicals out there. To be truly safe when it comes to personal care products, you need to seek out personal care products that are so pure you could actually eat them. Coconut oil is a great example here, as it makes a great moisturizer that you can also eat. Olive oil is another one that you can use to deep condition your hair. No matter what brand you choose, I suggest you scrutinize the labels on your personal care products and cosmetics just as closely as you do your food. If you’re not sure what an ingredient is, type it into the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database, and you’ll get all the information you need about whether or not it’s safe.

For Dr. Mercola's full story and resources, please visit his website article at: http://tinyurl.com/ckwn5t

We use SUNSHINE CONCENTRATE for several purposes because of the natural ingredients it's made with. It can be used as a household cleaner, a laundry-stain remover, bubblebath or shampoo. My girls love the natural clean scent, or add an essential oil of choice for an extra/different fragrence.

MY THOUGHTS ON ALL OF THIS INFORMATION:

Cancer-causing agents are now pelting us from all sides and angles! Our country is searching for a "Cure for Cancer", but how about the cause? Could it be that there are so many causes that we can't put our finger on just one?

The BLOG article: What is Cancer and What Causes it provides us with a very accurate explanation:

Internal Factors that Cause Cancer:
Hereditary Factors
Weakened Immunity
High Hormone Levels
Metabolism Mutations

External Factors that Cause Cancer:
Tobacco Use
Alcohol Use
Bad Diet
Radiation Exposure

Chemical Substances
Cell Phone Use
Asbestos Exposure
Sunlight (mainly over-exposure, burns)
Viruses

"The above list is not necessarily exhaustive. We may not know all factors that cause cancer. The most likely scenario leading to development of cancer is a combination of several factors - for example if a person who inherited a particular type of gene that predisposes them to developing that type of cancer makes poor lifestyle choices and lives in a bad environment would be exposed to a complex set of interactions between carcinogenic factors which could lead to development of cancer, because they are exposed to several risk factors we do know cause cancer. The more cancer causing factors you are exposed to, the bigger a risk of developing cancer exists.

Furthermore, while above listed agents are known as potential causes of cancer, exposure to these factors does not mean that a person would automatically develop cancer. Many aspects affect your body’s ability to deal with exposure to these agents. For example your age, whether you have inherited any genetic mutations, what you eat and drink, etc. - all of those factors can contribute to lowering or increasing your chances of developing cancer."

Of the internal factors causing Cancer, it's a good thing we can moderate hormone levels and build up immune systems naturally, if we are willing to seek out natural health advice in doing this....possibly eliminating half of the Internal Cancer-causing factors.

I am reminded of the Bible verse: "He (the Lord) punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." Exodus 34:7 ). If we are not treating our bodies as a holy temple: (1 Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own) and we are pelting cancer causing agents of chemicals at it through our foods, drinks, cosmetics, fabric softeners, yard sprays, house cleansers, shower soaps, gels and conditioners, then how can we expect our bodies to remain in an optimum condition to serve and reproduce? Chemicals WILL NOT GET FLUSHED OUT OF THE BODY if the body does not have the extensive support system to do this! They can remain in our organs, muscle tissues and bones for months, years or even a lifetime.....thus leading to problems passed down to our children through "genetics" as un-expected genes, or causing cancer after months/years of dormancy. God created our bodies to naturally flush out harmful substances, but we also need the proper "fuel" to do this: Raw antioxidant fruits, raw dark green veggies, good quality vitamins (I take SUPER ALGAE and SUPER SUPPLEMENTAL VITAMINS & MINERALS from Natures sunshine to make up for nutrients I'm not getting from foods faithfully each day) are all needed on a daily basis to help support your body in this elimination process.

Since our family is on the computer and phone on and off through the day, we have also protected ourselves against the "cell phone use" cancer causing factor by using our cell phone and universal PROTECTIVE CHIPS from BIO-PRO TECHNOLOGY.

Of the External factors: our family eats foods and uses items in our household which are of natural/God designed origin to ensure the safety to our family's health. The less we are exposed to in our own home on a daily basis, the more we are prepared for the problems we come in contact with beyond the walls of our home.

I will be praying that today's posting may help you in your life journey as a creation of God.

FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION, PLEASE VIEW: http://www.safecosmetics.org/downloads/NoMoreToxicTub_Mar09Report.pdf