My granddaughter, Maya!

In this article: Coming Clean About Dirty Ingredients Ban the Bubble Bath? Tips for Picking Safe Bath Products Avoid Toxins Outside the Tub A Less Toxic Tomorrow

Bath time for Baby should be fun, relaxing—and most of all—safe. but news reports about toxic chemicals found in popular children’s bath care products have put many parents on edge. . . . → Read More: Toxin Alert: Are Your Baby’s Bath Products Safe?]]>

My granddaughter, Maya!

In this article:
Coming Clean About Dirty Ingredients
Ban the Bubble Bath?
Tips for Picking Safe Bath Products
Avoid Toxins Outside the Tub
A Less Toxic Tomorrow

Bath time for Baby should be fun, relaxing—and most of all—safe. but news reports about toxic chemicals found in popular children’s bath care products have put many parents on edge. Should you be concerned? Before you touch that tap, here’s what every parent needs to know.

Despite labels carrying such reassuring claims as “extra gentle” and “safe for Baby’s delicate skin,” dozens of top-selling children’s bath care products contain trace amounts of the toxins 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde, according to a buzz-worthy report from consumer watchdog group, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. Far from safe and gentle, both substances are classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as “reasonably anticipated to cause cancer in humans.”

Coming Clean About Dirty Ingredients
Spurred by a previous investigation that detected toxic chemicals in bath products marked “all natural,” this time the Campaign decided to round up a sampling of mainstream children’s bath products. From baby shampoo to bubble bath, lotion to body wash, 48 well-known products were independently tested for 1,4-dioxane; 28 were also checked for traces of formaldehyde.

Lab result highlights?

61 percent of the products tested (17 out of 28) contained both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane. These included some big names:
Johnson’s Baby Shampoo
Sesame Street Bubble Bath
Grins & Giggles Milk & Honey Baby Wash
Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wash

82 percent of products (23 out of 28) contained formaldehyde at levels ranging from 79 parts per million (ppm) to 610 ppm. Exposure to formaldehyde concentrations as low as 250 ppm may cause skin rash in children with chemical sensitivities; the product with the highest level of formaldehyde—Baby Magic Baby Lotion—would require a warning label if sold in Europe (where the formaldehyde cut off is 500 ppm).

67 percent of products (32 out of 48) contained 1,4-dioxane at levels ranging from 0.27 ppm to 35 ppm. American Girl shower products from Bath & Body Works contained the highest levels of 1,4-dioxane. The United States classifies the toxin as a “probable human carcinogen”, but has not set cut-off levels for its use. In contrast, Canada and Europe completely ban products containing any amount of 1,4-dioxane.

If these results have motivated you to scour the ingredients of your favorite baby shampoo, you won’t find 1,4-dioxane or formaldehyde listed, even if you use one of products mentioned above. Both toxins are considered contaminants, meaning they ended up in the product as a result of chemical breakdown during the manufacturing process—and were not intentionally added.

As Stacy Malkan, a lead author of the Campaign’s report, points out, “because they’re technically not ingredients, formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane are exempt from current US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labeling laws.”

Ban the Bubble Bath?
Since the study’s worrisome findings were made public March 12, 2009, many manufacturers have stepped forward to defend their products. In a statement released by Johnson & Johnson, the company noted that “trace levels of certain compounds can result from processes that make our products gentle for babies and safe from bacteria growth. The FDA and other government agencies around the world consider these trace levels safe.”

Dr. Jim Sears, MD, author of The Baby Book and co-host of the new hit syndicated television show The Doctors, urges parents to remain calm. “Since this is the first study to look at these substances in baby products, it’s probably going to be a while before we see any big changes in the ingredient lists. I’m not too worried about these ingredients, since we don’t know for sure if their effects are harmful…. Hopefully, the FDA will take a closer look at these chemicals, and if there is a problem, there will be a change in regulations.”

And according to Dr. Sean Palfrey, MD, a pediatrician in the Boston area, “What parents need to know is that unless a child actually swallows the shampoo or lotion [ingesting the product directly from the bottle], there is no immediate risk of toxic poisoning from any of these products.”

But Malkan believes real risk is present, even when the amounts being debated are so small. “These results might seem insignificant to some—it’s just a little bit of carcinogen absorbed through the skin,” she says. “The problem is that the same toxic chemicals are found in many products and these small exposures can add up. For example, the same baby can be exposed to formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane from baby shampoo, bubble bath, and body wash—in a single bath.”

Dr. Greg Germain, BabyZone’s resident expert on pediatric health, understands why this report prompts parents to feel concerned—and he’s also a little confused himself. “Unfortunately, toxic exposure is complicated and somewhat controversial,” he says. “How much exposure is really toxic? What if animal data exists, but no human data? Does mouse data even apply to your baby?”

Tips for Picking Safe Bath Products
Malkan’s report also reminds parents that small babies do not require a tub full of cleaning products every time they take a bath. Unless they are dirty, infants do not require a daily head-to-toe bathing, and when they do, water and a tiny amount of mild soap are all Baby needs.

But what if you’re in the market for new baby bath care products? How can you be sure you’re choosing wisely? Labels can still hold valuable clues about the kinds of toxins a product may contain. According to Malkan, formaldehyde contaminates personal care products when common preservatives release formaldehyde over time in the container.
The ingredients that signify that formaldehyde may lurk within the bottle or tube include the following:
quaternium-15
DMDM hydantoin
imidazolidinyl urea
diazolidinyl urea
1,4-dioxane is a byproduct of a chemical processing technique called ethoxylation, in which harsh cosmetic ingredients are processed with ethylene oxide to become gentle enough for human use. Manufacturers can easily remove the toxic byproduct, but are not required by law to do so.

Common ingredients likely to be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane include the following:
PEG-100 stearate
sodium laureth sulfate
polyethylene
ceteareth-20

Another toxin-avoiding tip? “Try to choose more ‘natural’ products with the shortest ingredient list possible,” recommends Dr. Sears.

Avoid Toxins Outside the Tub

Dr. Germain advises parents who aim to reduce their child’s overall chemical exposure to look beyond the suds: Cigarette smoke is a potent and direct source of both formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane. By taking such steps as not smoking around your child and not exposing her to second-hand or so-called “third hand” smoke (cigarette smoke sediment on clothing), you greatly reduce your family’s exposure to these potentially carcinogenic ingredients.

According to Dr. Germain, there are countless ways parents can reduce toxic exposure in everyday life. Some of his favorites? “Avoid heating foods in plastic dishes and breastfeed your baby for as long as possible,’ he says. “Clean up mold around the house as soon as you see it, and don’t forget to install carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. Also, keep your children’s vaccines up to date. Bacteria [from illness] release toxins, too.”

A Less Toxic Tomorrow
Finally, some good news! Even before the Campaign for Cosmetic Safety’s report rocked bathtubs across the nation, positive signs started to emerge that consumers, manufacturers, and state and local governments are newly committed to reducing toxins in our environment and in the lives of children.

Consumer demand for toxin-free baby products is higher than ever, and more than 1,000 companies have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, a pledge to replace hazardous chemicals with safe alternatives. To pick up the slack for lax federal laws, in 2005, California passed the Safe Cosmetics Act, requiring companies to disclose toxic chemicals known to cause cancer or birth defects. Other states have introduced similar cosmetics legislation.

“The onus should be on companies to fix this problem, because they already know how to fix it,” says Malkan. “In the meantime, we can reduce chemical hazards in our homes by choosing safer products. But we can’t just shop our way out of this problem; we also need to change the laws so parents can stop worrying about this stuff.”

The Wellness Company has been manufacturing safe products for families for over 23 years. They have a full line of kid friendly products guaranteed to be free from harmful toxins and carcinagins. (http://www.saferforyourhome.com)

Our handy Koala Pals Bath Time Pantry Pack combines your two favorite kid cleaners: Koala Pals Tear-Free Body Wash and Koala Pals Tear-Free Hair Wash. Koala Pals Tear-Free Body Wash gently and quickly removes the dirt young kids pick up so easily. In one easy step, Koala Pals Tear-Free Hair Wash tenderly cleans and conditions hair. The bright, attractive bottles and delicious fruity scents turn bath time into playtime.
Koala Pals Tear-Free Body Wash uses natural ingredients—coconuts and oats—to safely and effectively clean skin while vitamin E, aloe vera, and chamomile moisturize and soften. Using provitamin B, chamomile, and naturally derived conditioners, Koala Pals Tear-Free Hair Wash tames tough tangles stopping tears before they start leaving young hair soft and manageable for easy styling.

Remember…..these products are SAFER for your family, SAFER for your home, SAFER for the environment and SAVE you money on a monthly basis by simply SWITCHING stores.
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For information on how to order and save money, contact me at optforsuccess@msn.com or call me at 303-770-3180 and take MaxGXL, a glutathione accelerator to eliminate toxins from the body.
Warmly,
Connie Clark

Glutathione is widely recognized as the most powerful of all antioxidants, and one scientist has referred to it as “the great multi-tasker” in a 2006 article. As you read his article, keep in mind: MaxGXL® is not a glutathione supplement, but rather provides the body with the precursors it needs to manufacture and absorb . . . → Read More: Glutathione – the great multi-tasker]]> Glutathione—The Great Multi-tasker

Glutathione is widely recognized as the most powerful of all antioxidants, and one scientist has referred to it as “the great multi-tasker” in a 2006 article. As you read his article, keep in mind: MaxGXL® is not a glutathione supplement, but rather provides the body with the precursors it needs to manufacture and absorb glutathione.
________________________________________________________
Glutathione – the great multi-tasker
JOE SCHWARCZ, Freelance, Montreal Gazette
Published: Saturday, November 25 2006

Our body doesn’t take chemical insults lying down. It fights back. And one of its most powerful weapons in the battle against toxic invaders is glutathione, a molecule synthesized inside our cells from glycine, glutamic acid and cysteine, three amino acids found in the diet.

Glutathione turns out to be a great multi-tasker. It has antioxidant properties, it improves the activity of vitamin C, it helps white blood cells fight invaders, and it induces the formation of enzymes that help solubilize potentially dangerous substances so they can be eliminated in the urine. Given all of this, it stands to reason that higher levels of glutathione in the blood should correlate with good health. That does seem to be the case, at least if we go by a study carried out at the University of Birmingham in England.

Researchers measured glutathione levels in healthy volunteers, old and young, as well as in elderly patients who either suffered from chronic diseases, or had recently been admitted to a hospital with an acute problem. If glutathione were indeed related to health, such an analysis should muster evidence, the scientists suggested.

They were not disappointed. The healthy young volunteers had the highest plasma levels of glutathione, followed by the healthy elderly, then the elderly outpatients, and finally the elderly hospitalized patients. At the School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Mara Julius and colleagues also found that higher glutathione levels were associated with fewer illnesses such as arthritis, diabetes and heart disease. We also have data from animal experiments about the chemoprotective properties of glutathione. Rats exposed to aflatoxin, a potent carcinogen, fared better when given glutathione.

Animals not treated with glutathione died within two years of exposure to the carcinogen, but 80 per cent of treated animals were alive at the end of that period.

So why are we not wolfing down glutathione supplements? They are available, and there certainly is no safety issue. Nobody has shown any hazard associated with oral glutathione. The problem is that nobody has shown any major benefit either. How come? Unlike rats, humans do not absorb glutathione to any significant extent from the small intestine.

That doesn’t mean oral glutathione is useless. It can be used for benefit by cells that line the intestine. These often become damaged in diseases such as AIDS or cancer, resulting in impaired nutrient absorption, which leads to physical wasting with loss of weight and muscle mass. Oral glutathione has been shown to repair intestinal cells and has been used to advantage in AIDS patients. But for other health benefits, oral glutathione won’t do.

Since oral glutathione is ineffective, we have to look at ways of helping cells make more of the compound. The best way is by ensuring they have an ample supply of the raw materials needed to do this. Glycine and glutamic acid are plentiful in the diet, but cysteine presents a difficulty. It has limited solubility, on top of which it is readily destroyed before it can enter cells. Cysteine therefore becomes the component that determines the amount of glutathione that can be formed in cells. Because of the solubility and destruction issues, oral supplements of cysteine are not the answer either. But cysteine can be readily converted in the laboratory into N-acetylcysteine (NAC), which is more soluble and less prone to destruction in the bloodstream.

After absorption into cells it is reconverted into cysteine, which is available for glutathione synthesis. The many people who have been brought from the brink of death after overdosing on acetaminophen can attest to the efficacy of NAC.

Acetaminophen (Tylenol is a common trade name) is a widely used pain reliever. In the recommended dosage it is very effective, but like any medication, it’s a problem when abused. Overdosing on acetaminophen, which is facilitated by alcohol consumption, can lead to severe liver problems and possibly death. Suicide attempts with acetaminophen are not unheard of. Often, though, they remain only “attempts,” because of quick medical intervention with NAC. Our body recognizes acetaminophen as an intruder and tries to eliminate it by converting it into a more soluble compound.

Unfortunately, this compound, N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone-imine (NAPQI), is the one that is toxic to the liver. But fortunately, a glutathione-induced enzyme stands ready to help the kidneys excrete it.

When the acetaminophen dose is too high, however, glutathione stores are depleted and liver damage ensues. Unless, that is, NAC is quickly administered to replenish the cellular levels of glutathione.

If NAC works so well to boost glutathione, why are we not being urged to take it in supplement form to prevent disease? Well, we are, by manufacturers of NAC. While there is no major toxicity concern, nausea is a possible side effect. And nobody has really examined the consequences of taking NAC over a long term, or possible interactions with other medications. It would be great if an innocuous way of increasing our glutathione levels were available. And maybe there is. (Visit here for more information on increasing glutathione levels).

Cheese-making requires the separation of the curds from the whey, a liquidy residue that harbours proteins rich in cysteine. When processed in a special way, these proteins can deliver their cysteine content to cells where it can be released to enhance glutathione formation. Some studies have indicated that these special whey preparations have increased endurance in athletes, presumably by reducing free radical damage to muscles. Laboratory work has shown increased glutathione levels in human prostate cells exposed to whey protein, suggestive of protection against prostate cancer.

Animals fed the protein concentrate are more resistant to carcinogens, and whey has been seen to increase glutathione in normal cells, while it depletes it in cancer cells, making these more susceptible to chemotherapy or radiation. Of course we need more evidence before jumping on the bandwagon, but as far as glutathione supplementation goes, we may have found a “whey” to go.

Joe Schwarcz is director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society