Toxic Chemicals In Your Baby’S Shampoo

When my children were babies, I never suspected that there were toxic chemicals in their baby shampoo.  I figured that these companies had been around for decades and could be trusted to be safe.

Well, I was in for a shock when I discovered that not only was baby shampoo unsafe, but so was baby bath, baby lotion, and baby powder.  Now my mind was reeling - what was in MY shampoo and body wash?  What about all the other personal care products my family and I used on a daily basis?  Were those long and unpronounceable words on my bottle of lotion representative of dangerous chemicals?

I found this list naming the most common and most dangerous chemicals and started comparing the names to the ingredient list on my lotion bottle, my shampoo and conditioner, soap and shaving cream, toothpaste and mouthwash.  Talk about an awakening!  I have been putting on my body over 160 toxic chemicals a day, just in personal care products.

The Environmental Working Group did a study in 2004 on a unique group of individuals:  newborn babies.  Umbilical cord blood was collected from 10 babies born in August and September of 2004 from hospitals in the U.S.  This study revealed 287 chemicals in the group:  pesticides, consumer product ingredients, and wastes from burning coal, gasoline, and garbage.

"Of the 287 chemicals we detected in umbilical cord blood, we know that 180 cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests. The dangers of pre- or post-natal exposure to this complex mixture of carcinogens, developmental toxins and neurotoxins have never been studied."  http://archive.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden2/execsumm.php

A developing child in the womb, or an infant, is much more susceptible to harm from toxins than an adult.  Their organs are rapidly developing and their defense system is incomplete, and they are not able to withstand the onslaught of these chemicals. Read the whole study here.

Another study conducted by EWG, discovered 16 chemicals from 4 chemical families in the bodies of 20 American teen aged girls.  Teens have been found to use an average of almost 17 personal care products per day - the average adult woman uses about 12.  Teens using up to 17 products daily are exposed to approximately 174 unique cosmetic ingredients.  Read this study here.  Teens are also developing rapidly, and are thought to be particularly sensitive to the hormone disrupting properties of these chemicals.

So what are these chemicals, and what harm do they actually do?

• Propylene Glycol (PG) and Butylene Glycol - Found in anti-freeze and your deodorant.  PG penetrates skin and weakens protein and cellular structure. It's strong enough to remove barnacles from boats!  The EPA considers PG so toxic that workers are required to wear protective clothing and to dispose of PG by burying it in the ground. PG penetrates the skin so quickly, the EPA warns against contact to prevent brain, liver, and kidney abnormalities, but there isn't even a warning label on products such as stick deodorants, where the concentration is greater than in most industrial applications.

• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) - Used in garage floor cleaners and engine degreasers - and in your baby's bath products that foam.  Animals exposed to SLS experience eye damage, depression, labored breathing, diarrhea, severe skin irritation, and even death. Young eyes may not develop properly if exposed to SLS. It may damage the skin's immune system and can be transformed into a potent class of carcinogens. Your body may retain the SLS for up to five days and maintain residual levels in the heart, liver, lungs, and brain.

• DEA (diethanolamine). MEA (Monoethanolaniine) & TEA (triethanolamine) - Hormone-disrupting chemicals that can form cancer-causing nitrates.  Restricted in Europe due to carcinogenic effects, yet they are still used in the U.S. Americans may be exposed 10-20 times per day with shampoos, shaving creams and bubble baths. Dr. Samuel Epstein (Professor of Environmental Health at the University of Illinois) says that repeated applications of DEA-based detergents result in major increase in liver and kidney cancer. The PDA's John Bailey says, "The risk is significantly increased for children."

• Sodium Hydroxide - This is caustic lye found in drain cleaners, and is now found in our toothpaste!  I even found this in an all-natural shaving cream.

• Triclosan - A synthetic "antibacterial" with a chemical structure similar to Agent Orange!  It is widely used in soaps, toothpastes and deodorants, has been detected in breast milk, and one recent study found that it interferes with testosterone activity in cells.  Toxic effects measured in the parts per trillion: That is only one drop in 300 Olympic-size swimming pools!

• DMDM & Urea (Imidazolidinyl) - Two of many preservatives that often release formaldehyde, and found in baby bath soap, nail polish, eyelash adhesive and hair dyes.  They have a long list of adverse health effects, including immune-system toxicity, respiratory irritation and cancer in humans, and they can cause joint pain, skin reactions, allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness, and loss of sleep.

• Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) - Carcinogenic petroleum ingredient that reduces the skin's natural moisture. Increases the appearance of aging and leaves you vulnerable to bacteria. It's also used in spray-on oven cleaners and cleansers to dissolve oil and grease.

• Parabens - (methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, butyl-, isobutyl-) - Parabens appear in a wide variety of toiletries.  A study found that butylparaben damaged sperm formation in the testes of mice, and a relative, sodium methylparaben, is banned in cosmetics by the E.U.  Parabens break down in the body into p-hydroxybenzoic acid, which has estrogenic activity in human breast-cancer cell cultures.

• Alcohol, Isopropyl (SD-40) - Made from a petroleum derivative, it's found in shellac and antifreeze, as well as personal care products. A drying, irritating solvent that strips skin's moisture and immune barrier, making you vulnerable to bacteria and viruses. Promotes brown spots and premature aging. Fatal ingested dose is one ounce or less.

• Mineral Oil - A petroleum by-product that coats the skin like plastic wrap, clogging the pores. It interferes with skin's ability to eliminate toxins, promoting acne and other disorders. Slows down skin function and cell development, resulting in premature aging.  Baby oil is 100% mineral oil!

• FD&C Color Pigments - Synthetic colors from coal tar are known human carcinogens used as active ingredients in dandruff shampoos and anti-itch creams. Coal-tar-based dyes such as FD&C Blue 1, are used in toothpastes, and FD&C Green 3, are used in mouthwash,

• Fragrances - The catchall term "fragrance" may mask phthalates, which act as endocrine disruptors and may cause obesity and reproductive and developmental harm. Can contain up to four thousand ingredients (including animal urine), many toxic or carcinogenic. Causes headaches, dizziness, allergic rashes, skin discoloration, violent coughing, vomiting, and skin irritation. Fragrances also affect the nervous system, causing depression, hyperactivity, irritability, inability to cope, and other behavioral changes.

So, in our baby's shampoo and bubble bath, that our babies and small toddlers are soaking in while they play, are fragrances, FD&C colors, parabens, sodium hydroxide, imidazolidinyl urea, among others.  As noted above, some of these cause problems with the reproductive organs, and our babies are sitting in this for 10-15 minutes, playing during their bath time!

This is by no means an exhaustive list.  You would have stopped reading a long time ago; it's just too overwhelming. I do hope this report spurs you on to do your own investigating and, like I did, a thorough cleaning out of the bathroom cabinet.