"Children are our future" as Whitney Houston sang so passionately in the mid 80s. If this is true (and it most definitely is), why are trusted corporations, headed by mothers and fathers just like you and me, selling potentially cancer-causing baby products? Any kind of carcinogenic material shouldn't come into contact with things we put in and on our bodies, at any age. In infancy, the most vulnerable time in our lives (spare a major illness potentially caused by these products), exposure to some of the chemicals Johnson & Johnson has just admitted to using could spell disaster.

So What's In It?

Formaldehyde has been detected in Johnson & Johnson products. Studies suggest it may cause cancer—and it is in your baby's shampoo. The chemical is commonly used as an embalming agent when preparing a corpse for burial. What is it doing in consumer-use products, you ask? The "why" is unclear but the "how" is quaternium-15. This ingredient releases formaldehyde, which is known to cause skin, eye and respiratory irritation. It has also been tied to leukemia.

 
But Wait! There's More (Sorry)
Johnson & Johnson has another dangerous chemical in their cocktail of potentially cancer-promoting chemicals. 1,4-dioxane is also part of the mix and it too has carcinogenic properties. This gem is a brain toxin that can cause damage to the central nervous system, liver and kidneys.

They Are Taking Their Sweet Time Fixing This And To Hell With The Consequences
For some reason, Johnson & Johnson are not putting a hop in their step to fix this problem. Even with millions of helpless babies bathing in their bathwater, the company is moving slowly in removing these chemicals from products sold in the U.S. The company produces products that are free of these chemicals for other countries. Necessity breeds invention. 

A Statement | A Contradiction
Though well-written, this statement is full of contradictions. If your products are "approved in the countries where they are sold", why would you need to "reduc[e] the number of formulations globally with these 'formaldehyde releaser' preservatives by 33% and in the U.S. by over 60%"? 

Inconsistent Regulation
Analytical Sciences, an independent laboratory hired by The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, has tested several of J&J baby products. They found that the samples from the U.S. had low levels of the chemicals in their initial report. However, according to Lisa Archer, director of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, subsequent consumer groups in Sweden, Japan, and South Africa contacted the group to note that quaternium-15 was not being used in ANY products sold in those countries.

Archer noted that there are strict bans on these chemicals in consumer products in some countries, but not others.

Time to Start Reading The Fine Print
Reading ingredients and looking them up may be your best defense. That or making your own baby products out of natural items. It's hard enough to be a parent, and now it's just gotten a little harder. However, if you get a routine going, you can make a huge difference in the future health of your child.

Courtesy Diply