Is Your Child Bathing in Formaldehyde or 1,4 Dioxane?

Educated parents check ingredients carefully before buying products for their children to make sure they don’t contain harmful chemicals such as phalates, dyes and sodium lauryl sulfate. But did you know there are dangerous carcinogens in child care products that aren’t listed as ingredients, such as 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde?

Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency reassessed 1,4-dioxane and concluded that it is more potent than the EPA originally thought in 1990. The greatest risk stems from low-level inhalation by workers exposed to the chemical, according to the EPA.

So why isn’t 1,4 dioxane listed as an ingredient? Because it is a byproduct that is produced when cosmetic chemicals are processed with ethylene oxide, an ingredient that softens the irritating effects of soap. Similarly, formaldehyde is a byproduct of certain preservatives as well, so it too, is not listed as an ingredient.

Unlike Europe and Canada, the United States does not restrict the use of formaldehyde, 1,4 dioxane or most other harmful chemicals found in personal care products. In addition, U.S. law doesn’t require manufacturers to remove toxic byproducts, according to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. When young children are repeatedly exposed to chemicals, small exposures add up. It is up to consumers to know what’s safe and what isn’t and be able to read between the lines.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics says common ingredients likely to be contaminated with 1,4 dioxane are PEG-100 stearate, sodium laureth sulfate, polyethylene and ceteareth-20. Ingredients likely to lead to the production of formaldehyde are quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea and diazolidinyl urea.