Johnson & Johnson Finally Admits: Their Baby Products Contain Cancer-Causing Chemicals

"Children are our future" as Whitney Houston sang so passionately in the mid 80s. If this is true (and it most definitely is), why are trusted corporations, headed by mothers and fathers just like you and me, selling potentially cancer-causing baby products? Any kind of carcinogenic material shouldn't come into contact with things we put in and on our bodies, at any age. In infancy, the most vulnerable time in our lives (spare a major illness potentially caused by these products), exposure to some of the chemicals Johnson & Johnson has just admitted to using could spell disaster.

So What's In It?

Formaldehyde has been detected in Johnson & Johnson products. Studies suggest it may cause cancer—and it is in your baby's shampoo. The chemical is commonly used as an embalming agent when preparing a corpse for burial. What is it doing in consumer-use products, you ask? The "why" is unclear but the "how" is quaternium-15. This ingredient releases formaldehyde, which is known to cause skin, eye and respiratory irritation. It has also been tied to leukemia.

 

"The North American Content Dermatitis Group considers quaternium-15 to be among the most clinically significant contact allergens in children"

But Wait! There's More

Johnson & Johnson has another dangerous chemical in their cocktail of potentially cancer-promoting chemicals. 1,4-dioxane is also part of the mix and it too has carcinogenic properties. This gem is a brain toxin that can cause damage to the central nervous system, liver and kidneys.

 

 

Inconsistent Regulation

Analytical Sciences, an independent laboratory hired by The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, has tested several of J&J baby products. They found that the samples from the U.S. had low levels of the chemicals in their initial report. However, according to Lisa Archer, director of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, subsequent consumer groups in Sweden, Japan, and South Africa contacted the group to note that quaternium-15 was not being used in ANY products sold in those countries.
Archer noted that there are strict bans on these chemicals in consumer products in some countries, but not others.

Time To Start Reading The Fine Print

Reading ingredients and looking them up may be your best defense. That or making your own baby products out of natural items. It's hard enough to be a parent, and now it's just gotten a little harder. However, if you get a routine going, you can make a huge difference in the future health of your child.