No More Toxic Tub...

No More Toxic Tub Getting Contaminants Out of Children's Bath & Personal Care Products by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics March 12th, 2009

Despite marketing claims like “gentle” and “pure,” dozens of top-selling children’s bath products are contaminated with the cancer-causing chemicals formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, according to the March 2009 Campaign for Safe Cosmetics report, "No More Toxic Tub." This study is the first to document the widespread presence of both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane in bath products for children, including baby shampoos, bubble baths and baby lotions. Many products tested contained both chemicals. What We Found The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics commissioned an independent laboratory to test 48 products for 1,4-dioxane; 28 of those products were also tested for formaldehyde. The lab found that: 17 out of 28 products tested – 61 percent – contained both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane. 23 out of 28 products – 82 percent – contained formaldehyde at levels ranging from 54 to 610 parts per million (ppm). 32 out of 48 products – 67 percent – contained 1,4-dioxane at levels ranging from 0.27 to 35 ppm. Health Concerns While a single product might not be cause for concern, the reality is that babies may be exposed to several products at bath time, several times a week, in addition to other chemical exposures in the home and environment. Those small exposures add up and may contribute to later-life disease. Formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane are known carcinogens; formaldehyde can also trigger skin rashes in some children. Unlike many other countries, the U.S. government does not limit formaldehyde, 1,4-dioxane, or most other hazardous substances in personal care products. Where They Come From The chemicals were not disclosed on product labels because they're contaminants, not ingredients, and therefore are exempt from labeling laws. Formaldehyde contaminates personal care products when common preservatives release formaldehyde over time in the container. Common ingredients likely to contaminate products with formaldehyde include quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea and diazolidinyl urea. 1,4-dioxane is a byproduct of a chemical processing technique called ethoxylation, in which cosmetic ingredients are processed with ethylene oxide. Manufacturers can easily remove the toxic byproduct, but are not required by law to do so. Common ingredients likely to be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane include PEG-100 stearate, sodium laureth sulfate, polyethylene and ceteareth-20. What You Can Do Contrary to industry statements, there are no regulatory standards that limit formaldehyde, 1,4-dioxane or most other toxic chemicals in personal care products sold in the United States. There are signs the U.S. is gearing to catch up, but for now it's up to consumers to consider carefully before they buy. Here's some suggestions for safeguarding your family's health: Simplify: Select products with fewer ingredients and no synthetic fragrance or dyes, and use fewer products overall. Choose safety: Search EWG's cosmetic safety database, Skin Deep, to learn more about the products you use and find safer alternatives. Also check out EWG's Safety Guide to Children’s Personal Care Products. Read labels: Select products for baby and yourself that don't contain the ingredients listed above, which are commonly contaminated with formaldehyde or 1,4-dioxane. Tell manufacturers that safety is important to you: Use our Web site to write to Johnson & Johnson about their product, Johnson's Baby Shampoo. Take action! Can’t memorize these lists? Nobody can. If harmful contaminants and ingredients weren’t allowed in products, you wouldn’t have to. Tell Congress you want safe cosmetics for babies, adults and everyone in between. Spread the word: Send an e-card letting friends and family know about this report.

An amazing letter from one of our customers....

"Thank you! I have been using your body polish for the past
year and wanted to share with you the impact it has made in my life.

I am 39 years old and have dealt with a skin disorder since I was 9. I
have a condition called Keratosis Pilaris. A protein called keratin-
usually a protective element of our skin that aids in immunity, builds
up in the openings of hair follicles in the skin. This produces small,
rough patches, usually on the arms and thighs. The treatment for it is
no treatment. It just maintains the condition until the condition self
resolves or it will reoccur. In my case I have never had a product
work. These treatments are made of at least one of: salicylic acid,
lactic acid, urea, or corticosteroids accompanied by a host of
chemicals, preservatives, and alcohols. After learning more about this
disorder in recent years, I started seeking a more natural way of
caring for my skin and I found your body polish. I said thank you at
the outset because, for the first time in nearly 30 years, my skin is
nearly free of scarring and is making significant steps to being nearly
clear of new erruptions. This is huge! I spent most of my life hiding and
ashamed of my arms; resigned to always having scars. Your polish has
started a significant change in my skin and my life. The level of
purity of your product is what I attribute to the change. I examined
other similar products and many still contained products that could
accumulate on the skin or dry the skin. Those are two things that would
have made matters worse.

Please keep making such a great product. My life and skin would
definately not be what they are today if it weren't for product like
yours."

The Ingredient Inquisition.....

Here is a great question we recently received from a curious visitor to our website.....

"I have a general question about preservatives in your products, or I should say, the lack there of. I've noticed that in many of your ingredient lists, I cannot find any preservatives listed. Most of the cosmetic industry uses some type of preservative in their products, whether it be parabens, formaldahyde or other chemical compounds to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungus. How is it that YOUR products do not need preservatives? If there are in fact preservatives, can you point them out to me? Honestly, I love the fact that there are so few ingredients in your products, and I can pronounce and recognize what they are. But according to research, it is sometimes more harmful that a product does NOT have preservatives , than one that does have them. There is a greater risk with the preservative free products to harbor harmful bacteria and fungus that can be introduced when the product is used. Can you please explain this to me..."

That is both and excellent observation and question! Here's my response......

"We do not use preservatives, other than Vitamin E and Rosemary Extract in our oils.
I design our products to be inherently stable. The thing is, we do not mix oil and water and then try to prevent mold, yeast and bacteria growth with preservatives. Instead, we keep oil with oil, and ask you to mix them with water from your own shower or bath. All of our products are guaranteed fresh for two years from the date of manufacture unopened, and one year after opening. We never ship a product that is older than 6 months from the manufacture date, unless it is purchased from our discount section.
I personally do not like any chemical preservatives. I believe they interfere with the healthy flora that your skin has naturally occuring on its outermost layer, the acid mantle.
We are certified organic, and no chemical preservatives are allowed under the USDA organic rule, so rest assured that we are not bending the truth on this one. Trillium's products are clean, third party certified and personally guaranteed. There is nothing hidden in "extracts" purchased from third parties or other tricky tricks commanly used by other un-certified natural, so called "organic companies".
True, we don't make products in every category in the world, but the products we do make are "Certified Stupendously Pure!"
- Karen Ciesar Owner and Formulator of Trillium Organics