Thursday, March 8, 2012

Johnson's Head-To-Toe Baby Wash


This entry was originally called "chemicals I want out of my house!" but the topic kind of developed into something different. It was originally a rant on the chemical Sodium Laureth Sulfate.

Sodium laureth sulfate, or sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) is a chemical added to many cosmetic products due it being a cheap foaming agent.


What that means is that they use it to simulate soap in products. It is found in shampoo's, toothpaste, cleaning products, facial cleansers, etc. basically it is used in anything you want to foam.

The main problem with SLES is that, depending on the manufacturing process, is that it may be contaminated with ethylene oxide and 1, 4-dioxane and according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer ethylene oxide as a known human carcinogen and 1, 4-dioxane as a possible human carcinogen.

Now what bothers me is that SLES is the main ingredient in the bubble bath I recently bought for my daughter, and it is the also the main ingredient in Johnson's "head to toe" baby wash. Upon reading the ingredients of body wash I could not find any actual some in it. If you read the back it says "milder than any soap" and calls the product an "ultra mild cleanser". It's kind of funny that no where is it actually called soap!

I'd like to take a break here to actually go through the actual ingredients of the Johnson's Head-To-Toe Baby Wash.




 
Cocamidopropyl Betaine:a synthetic surfactant derived from coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine

PEG-80 SORBITAN LAURATE:Fragrance Ingredient; Surfactant - Cleansing Agent; Surfactant - Solubilizing Agent; EMULSIFYING

Sodium laureth sulfate, or sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES:SLES is an inexpensive and very effective foaming agent. It is also is a detergent and surfactant found in many personal care products.

PEG-150 Distearate:effective thickener for surfactant-containing products

Tetrasodium EDTA is a preservative that’s made from the known carcinogen, formaldehyde and sodium cyanide

Sodium Chloride:table salt

Polyquaternium-10:Thickening quat conditioner of the polymeric quaternary ammonium salt of hydroyethly-cellulose

Parfume:also know as "fragrance" basically its just a bunch of chemicials to simulate a scent.

Quaternium-15: a quaternary ammonium salt used as a preservative in many cosmetics and industrial substances. It acts as a formaldehyde releaser. It can cause contact dermatitis, a symptom of an allergic reaction, especially in those with sensitive skin, on an infant's skin, or on sensitive areas such as the genitals.

So after reading and researching for this blog entry, there is no way I want this stuff touching my kid’s skin any more than it absolutely has to. I am having a hard time convincing Kate that we need to just throw the stuff out and get something nicer, but she's not having it because "we already paid for it!" hopefully after reading this entry she might change her mind.

cheers

Nick

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