When it comes to bath time, every parent has their checklist.  It includes safety precautions like putting a cushioning cover over the faucet, watching the water level, using a non-slip bath mat... It includes fun factors like tossing in the squirty octopus character and making lots of bubbles.  It includes special comfort moves… do you have that washcloth ready to help keep soap out of the eyes when shampooing?

But there is one item that's too often left off the checklist - making the sure the bath products themselves are safe for your child.  In fact, you may be bathing your child in toxins. 

And the worst thing about it is this:  Those yummy baby-smelling gels, shampoos and soaps, their labels splashed with words like "gentle" and "giggles" are in fact the source of such toxins in the bath.

According to a recent report published by the Environmental Working Group's Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, laboratory tests have shown that two chemicals linked to cancer and skin allergies were found in 61% of children's bath products tested by an independent lab.

Formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane are completely unregulated in their use in children's bath products, despite the fact that the EPA identifies them both as probable carcinogens (cancer-causing chemicals). These chemicals are linked to cancer and skin allergies. They are anything but safe and gentle and yet, are often ingredients in products marketed as such.

The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission states that “the presence of 1,4-dioxane, even as a trace contaminant, is cause for concern.”  And formaldehyde is not only linked to cancer, but causes allergic skin reactions as well.

If you're wondering how much of this gets in through your children's skin, consider this:  The EPA warns that children can absorb even more toxins through their skin than from drinking or eating contaminated food or water.

Neither of these toxic ingredients are deliberately added to bath products.  They are manufacturing byproducts that the manufacturers don't bother to take out or change the production process to keep out.  They are found in popular products sold with names like “Giggles,” “Naturally,” and “Gentle.”

I personally witnessed how bath time can turn into a nightmare when each of my daughters developed severe skin allergies from the products I was using in their bath.
It took me months to identify the culprits – the "gentle" shampoos and lotions I had been lathering into their hair and smoothing over their skin.  But once I discovered the cause, I became a mom with a mission. I was determined to check labels and understand each and every ingredient. My experience led me to develop my own line of natural and organic skin care products for children. When I started my company, I was amazed that there are not more stringent guidelines and safeguards required for personal care products, particularly products marketed to children. Dangerous chemicals such as parabens, formaldehyde, 1,4 dioxane and petrochemicals are common ingredients in childrens cleansers, lotions and ointments.  I was horrified when I realized that the very products that I was applying to my children to protect and care for them was actually exposing them to known carcinogens!  From this experience I learned how common formaldehyde, parabens and 1,4 dioxane are in personal care items and how difficult it can be to produce products without them, but it is worth the extra effort. I began to look up ingredients on-line to try to help me determine what was causing my daughter’s rashes. I was shocked to find out that the ingredients in the everyday baby products that we had been using came up as bio-hazards, potentially harmful, carcinogenic, and as irritants! I was and am shocked there are no requirements that contaminants to be listed on product ingredient labels and as such, we may not even know these toxic chemicals are in our products!

When shopping for personal care items (particularly for products that touch babies’ delicate skin), always check to make sure that they do not contain formaldehyde or 1,4 dioxin, look for companies that support the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and abide by truth in labeling practices. Both are issues near and dear to my heart and I am passionate about spreading the word to other moms and dads.

Bath time should be a restorative, healthy and relaxing ritual, not a place to introduce toxins!  You've got options to keep bath time safe, healthy and fun.  Keep these toxins out of your house, out of the bathtub and out of your baby's beautiful, healthy bodies.