dirty bubbles

This is news to me: I just read an alarming report about a carcinogenic ingredient being used in children's and women's bath products.

An article from Health News Digest reports that "A hidden cancer-causing petrochemical has been found in dozens of children's bath products and adults' personal care products, in some cases at levels that are more than twice the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's lenient recommended maximum.

Laboratory tests revealed the presence of 1,4-Dioxane in products such as Hello Kitty Bubble Bath, Huggies Baby Wash, Johnson's Baby Wash, Scooby-Doo Bubble Bath and Sesame Street Bubble Bath. The tests also found the carcinogen in Clairol Herbal Essences shampoo, Olay Complete Body Wash and many other personal care products.

1,4-Dioxane is a petroleum-derived contaminant considered a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a clear-cut animal carcinogen by the National Toxicology Program. It is also on California's Proposition 65 list of chemicals known or suspected by the state to cause cancer or birth defects. Because it is a contaminant produced during manufacturing, the FDA does not require it to be listed as an ingredient on product labels."

I encourage you to read the full article. Did you know that the FDA "does not review or regulate cosmetics products or ingredients for safety before they are sold to the public and has no legal authority to require safety assessments of cosmetics?"

The article goes on to list the brand names of products tested.

I'll be posting more soon about choices in body products and what to look for. More research needed, as always.