CSC announces boycott against J&J for continuing to needlessly add cancer-causing chemicals to baby shampoos

Wednesday, November 02, 2011 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
Tags: shampoos, cancer-causing chemicals, health news

(NaturalNews) A new report put together by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC) reveals that, despite numerous petitions from consumers and consumer advocacy groups, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) continues to produce baby shampoos that contain two known cancer-causing chemicals. And perhaps the worst part about the whole thing is that J&J has reformulated these products for some countries, but continues to use the toxic versions in North America.

Entitled Baby's Tub is Still Toxic, the CSC report explains that J&J's Baby Shampoo, Oatmeal Baby Wash, Moisture Care Baby Wash, and Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash all contain 1,4-dioxane, a petrochemical byproduct of the ethoxylation process that lessens the severity of other chemical ingredients, but can also lead to cancer.

J&J's Baby Shampoo also still contains quaternium-15, a harmful preservative added to products to kill bacteria. In the process, though, it releases formaldehyde, a highly poisonous ingredient also used in rat poison. Formaldehyde can cause permanent lung damage, gastrointestinal corrosion, skin burns, and cancer.

What is particularly disturbing, though, is the fact that J&J does not need to even be using these chemicals in its baby products. It already makes versions of these same products that are free of these chemicals for Denmark, Finland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, and the UK. It is only those baby products made for the US, Australia, Canada, China, and Indonesia that still contain them.

"Clearly there is no need for Johnson & Johnson to expose babies to a known carcinogen when the company is already making safer alternatives," says Lisa Archer, director of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics at the Breast Cancer Fund. "All babies deserve safer products."

J&J responded in a statement by saying that it will eventually phase out these deadly chemicals. But it has yet to reveal whether or not it will do so by the November 15 deadline that CSC is petitioning it to do.

"Natural" versions of J&J's baby shampoo products, which are free of these and other harmful chemicals, are already available in the US and other markets. But they typically cost twice as much as J&J's conventional varieties, which discourages many consumers from making the switch.

"While it is encouraging to see that Johnson & Johnson has made progress in formulating a safer 'natural' version of its iconic baby shampoo, now is the time for the company to rise to the occasion and make the safer products the world market is demanding for all its customers," adds Archer.

To read the full Baby's Tub is Still Toxic report on the J&J double standard, visit:
http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=...