OPINION: Could My Baby Shampoo Be Dangerous?

Despite offering safer products on the shelves in other countries, some Johnson & Johnson baby products sold in the United States still contain traces of potential cancer-causing agents. The chemicals in question are quaternium-15 and 1,4-dioxane.

I found myself shocked watching the news yesterday. Coverage of this story aired on all the major networks and various online media outlets, including the Huffington Post.

Realizing that I have been bathing my children in potentially cancer-causing agents since they were brought home from the hospital had me outraged. Sure enough, the dangerous chemicals were found in several of the products in my children’s bathtub. I found it in their baby shampoo and I also found quaternium-15 in their body wash.

This Perry Hall mom threw them all away.

I trusted Johnson & Johnson. Why would they remove these chemicals from products in several other countries, but leave them in place here in the United States?

The company’s website has released a statement about how they hold themselves to the highest standards and have reformulated 70 percent of their products to remove these chemicals. Still, I find it irresponsible to not have done this with their No. 1 selling baby shampoo.

A media campaign was launched yesterday by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, called Baby’s Tub is Still Toxic, which is urging consumers to boycott the products until they commit to producing these products without the dangerous chemicals by Nov. 15.

The company reports that they are not introducing any new products with the formaldehyde-releasing chemicals, and are working to reduce and eliminate these agents, both of which are approved for use in the United States.

But if a safer formula was already available, why were they still producing the less safe products in the United States?

I’m not trying to be unrealistic. I recognize that so many chemicals and ingredients our children are exposed to could be harmful—, sodas, preservatives, —but when it’s brought to my attention, I do my best to make informed decisions. I also believe that consumers should expect well- known and trusted companies to produce the safest products they can and not cut corners.

I’m not perfect. I don’t read every ingredient my kids consume. But stories like this open my eyes to make even better choices. Personally, I’ll be staying away from these products for some time.

My anger alone will have me switching to a less dangerous product.