Baby shampoo should be safe, not toxic. So why can it contain carcinogens? Our new ad campaign exposes the ugly truth about the cosmetics industry.

In January 2007, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics released product tests that found the chemical 1,4-dioxane in nearly two dozen popular baby soaps, bubble baths and shampoos, including Sesame Street character brands and even the iconic "pure and gentle" Johnson & Johnson's baby shampoo. None of the products listed 1,4-dioxane on the label.

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Why do products contain this nasty chemical? 1,4-dioxane is a byproduct of a dirty petrochemical process called "ethyoxylation," which involves adding ethylene oxide (a known breast carcinogen) to other chemicals in order to make them less harsh. For example, sodium laurel sulfate – notoriously harsh on the skin – is often converted to the gentler chemical sodium laureth sulfate by adding ethylene oxide (the "eth" denotes ethoxylation), which causes 1,4-dioxane contamination.

Sodium laureth sulfate is just one common example. More than 56 cosmetics ingredients are associated with the contaminant 1,4-dioxane.

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Even many natural brands contain 1,4-dioxane. Product tests released in March 2008 found the synthetic carcinogen in 46 out of 100 "natural" or "organic" products tested.

The good news: many companies in the natural products industry are quitting the ethoxylation habit. New standards such as the Whole Foods Premium Body Care Seal do not allow ethoxylation, and many companies have been quietly reformulating to replace chemicals such as sodium laureth sulfate that are associated with 1,4-dioxane.

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Health Concerns

1,4-dioxane is a known animal carcinogen and probable human carcinogen, according to the EPA. As with many chemicals of concern used in cosmetics, the companies do not disagree that the chemical is toxic. However, they argue that it's "just a little bit" of 1,4-dioxane in the baby shampoo. Unfortunately, the same baby may be exposed to 1,4-dioxane from the bubble bath, the shampoo, the body wash and many other sources in the same day.

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What You Can Do

Avoid using products that list ingredients that may be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, including sodium myreth sulfate, PEG compounds and chemicals that include the clauses "xynol," "ceteareth" and "oleth."

Sign up for e-mail updates from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. We'll e-mail you once or twice each month about products, ingredients and what you can do to protect yourself. 

More Information

Body lotion should be safe. Not toxic.

Our 2002 report, Not Too Pretty, found hormone-disrupting chemicals called phthalates in nearly three-fourths of the 72 products tested, even though none listed phthalates on the labels. Phthalates are used in soft, flexible plastics and are a frequent component of fragrances used in air fresheners, detergents, cleaning products - and cosmetics. A significant loophole in the law allows phthalates (and other chemicals) to be added to fragrances without disclosure to consumers. Because fragrance occurs in nearly every conceivable product, including lotions, soaps, cleansers and hair care products, phthalates are common

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Health Concerns

A study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that every one of the 289 people tested had dibutyl phthalate (DBP) in his or her body. In particular, women aged 20 to 40 (squarely in their childbearing years) had the highest levels of DBP. The CDC scientists speculated these high levels could come from personal care products and cosmetics, among other things.

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Two decades of research suggest that phthalates disrupt the hormonal systems during fetal development. Phthalate exposure in human mothers has been associated with a shortened distance between the anus and genitals in male babies, characteristic of female sex in both humans and animals.

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Further research in humans shows a relationship between exposure to various phthalates and low sperm counts, damaged sperm, testicular atrophy, undescended testicles and birth defects of the penis such as hypospadias. Researchers suggest that these de-masculinizing effects emerge because phthalates act like estrogens in the body by binding to hormone receptors on cells.

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What You Can Do

Choose products with no added synthetic fragrance. Look for products without the word "fragrance" on the label, or choose products that use "natural fragrance" or essential oils. 

Potentially harmful ingredients in personal products include:

Potential toxins in everyday products - some of the ingredients used are just cheap petroleum product based fillers, some are the same as used in engine degreasers and antifreeze, aluminum is linked to Alzheimer's disease, some may suffocate the skin's breathing surface, some dry up the skin and help in aging the skin, others may cause harm on the eyes or in the brain, among other potential problems (including being a carcinogen that can cause cancer).

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Do You  Really Know What's In Your Products

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