Today I read a very disturbing report on how Johnson & Johnson is continuing to use dangerous chemicals in their baby shampoo here in the States, but have discontinued it abroad. My first reaction was shock which then turned to outrage. Isn’t Johnson & Johnson based here in the U.S.? Isn’t it an American company? And why then would they be less concerned about our American kids’ safety than those abroad? I just couldn’t believe that this could be true, but after reading the story, it does appear that it’s right on the money. However infuriating, we have American companies who feel like it’s OK to use harmful ingredients in our baby products here while at the same time they are substituting better ingredients abroad.
It all started two years ago when the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics released a report entitled No More Toxic Tub. It exposed the beauty products for kids industry and revealed that many companies, including Johnson & Johnson, were manufacturing baby products with harmful chemicals. These included chemicals known to cause cancer such as quaternium-15. This chemical actually releases formaldehyde which is used to preserve dead bodies and causes cancer. After this report came out, J&J stopped using the ingredient in their baby shampoo, but here’s the catch: not globally. Apparently the babies in Norway, the U.K., Sweden, Japan, Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands were deserving of having this toxic chemical removed from their shampoo. What about the babies in Canada, Australia, Indonesia, China and the United States? Not so lucky. Quaternium-15 is still in the baby shampoo being sold and distributed in all of these countries. This is clearly despicable. They have found a safe alternative and are manufacturing the shampoo without this carcinogen, but for some reason they think it’s fine to keep on selling it in certain parts of the world.
When asked why this is so, Johnson & Johnson gave a very weak answer that they haven’t gotten around to reformulating the U.S. formula. What? That makes no sense as they clearly have another formula that they are selling. They also stammered that they no longer make new products with formaldehyde releasing chemicals. Are we supposed to be impressed by this? Really? No new baby products with this known toxin? Hooray! It is actually infuriating. When polls are conducted amongst the U.S. public, Johnson & Johnson is consistently ranked as one of the most trusted brands. Clearly we all need to do our research and start reading labels.
So what can we do? First of all, we must demand that our cosmetic companies hold our American babies and children in as high regard as international children. The standard of care here should not be any lower than abroad. As consumers we vote with our dollars, so stop buying these products immediately. Tell your friends about it too. This is dangerous stuff that no one should be putting on their baby. Second, look for alternatives. There are lots of small beauty product manufacturers that are making organic skin care products that are safe for babies and kids. Buy and use those products instead. Third, get involved politically to make sure that our government representatives pass stronger laws which prohibit large companies from poisoning our kids in order to make higher profits. It’s just flat out unacceptable. We must hold these companies responsible for their actions since they clearly cannot be left to hold themselves accountable. Go green and spread the word. We will not sit idly by and watch our kids get poisoned.
Some people may ask, “What’s the harm? Is anything bad happening because of it?” Here are some scary facts. Every day we use personal care products with a plethora of toxic chemicals in them. How can this be? The laws that govern the industry were passed over seventy years ago. Think of how many new chemicals have been created over the past seventy years. Those obviously aren’t included in any laws. In Europe, the EU has listed over 1,000 chemicals which it considers toxic and that are banned from being included in products. How many chemicals are banned in the U.S.? Ten. Yes, that is not a type- it is just ten chemicals which are considered too dangerous to use in our personal care products. This means that even chemicals which are known to be toxic are allowed to be used in our products, and they are. They also leech into our rivers and landfills in the form of pollution, so even if you buy organic products, you are still exposed to these toxins.
But luckily there is change coming, much in the same way change has come to our food industry. Small manufacturers are starting to make their own natural and healthy products which work better than the traditional chemical ones. Some are organic certified and some just use wholesome, good ingredients. How can you tell which products are good for you? Turn over products and start reading labels. A good rule of thumb is, if you know what it is, and it’s something you can eat, then it’s probably OK. Don’t be confused by the Latin names under which many ingredients are listed. Usually the common name will put in parenthesis as well since few us speak Latin. For example, if you see “Helianus Annuus” you may think that it’s a chemical because you don’t know what it is, but in fact it is just sunflower seed oil.
There are numerous essential oils which can help with the symptoms of eczema. Essential oils have numerous fatty acids, phytosterols and polyphenos which can help with the symptoms of eczema. Some of the ones which may be helpful include:
Gallic acid can occur either as part of a tannin molecule or as a free molecule. It is found in almost all plants, but is found in high concentrations in grapes, witch hazel, tea, evening primrose oil, pomegranate seed oil, and mango butter. Gallic acid has anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties and it acts as an antioxidant to protect our cells from free radicals. Studies have shown that gallic acid can cause cancer cells to self-destruct while not causing any damage to normal cells. It is an excellent wound healer and may have use in the treatment of psoriasis and hemorrhoids.
Recently Omega-3 fatty acids have become very popular in the media as a critical supplement that people should take. This is because they have been linked to preventing chronic illnesses such as arthritis and heart disease. They have also been shown to reduce inflammation in the body and may help to treat high blood pressure and heart disease problems. These fatty acids are found in high concentrations in the brain and it’s not a far stretch to imagine that they contribute to behavioral and brain health in addition to normal development. We need both Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids and we need them in the correct proportion. It is estimated that for early humans the ratio was 1:1 but today’s man tends to get a ratio closer to 10:1. Many believe that it the overabundance of Omega-fatty acids on our diet that leads to inflammation in our systems.
Linoleic acid is a wonderful addition to any skin care product because it is so essential to healthy skin. It is critical in the development and maintenance of a healthy skin barrier. The skin barrier function is a multitasked process that involves providing a first line of defense of the body to keep harmful chemicals out of our systems and keep in moisture and essential nutrients. These harmful elements can include toxins, germs, dirt, pathogens, bacteria and viruses. Anything foreign that makes its way into the body must be dealt with by the immune system, so the more that is kept outside the body, the more the immune system is freed up to tackle invading objects. In addition to keeping foreign bodies out, the skin barrier function must keep moisture and nutrients in. Moisture is a critical component in skin health and without it our skin quickly becomes dry and cracked. Dry and cracked skin is not only itchy and bothersome, it is also unable to protect us and keep out foreign intruders. A deficiency in linoleic acid can quickly lead to dry skin and poor wound healing.
