posted on March 31, 2009 by
37 Comments

Johnson & Johnson Starts a “Green” Social Media Campaign but Neglects to Remove Toxic Chemicals

Foam-born baby

I had hoped to continue reading on in the press release about Johnson & Johnson’s launch of the Big Bubblin’ Stars Contest that they would announce some major changes in their use of toxic chemicals.  I thought there might be a higher chance anyway -  especially with the help of Angie Harmon, who’s interested in bettering the environment and protecting the rights of children – that the company wouldn’t stop at raising money for charities.  But alas, it appears they won’t be living up to my expectations.

The timing of the grand announcement was interesting too, right after the Campaign for Safe Cosmetic’s expose detailing a case study of J&J’s Baby Shampoo from the report No More Toxic Tub.  The study tested dozens of mainstream baby care products, only to find formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane in many of them.

There may be no more iconic baby product than Johnson’s Baby Shampoo. But the well-known claim that it is “as gentle to the eyes as pure water” just doesn’t measure up. Unfortunately, there are no legal standards that require products with such marketing claims to contain the safest ingredients available.

Recently, one of our favorite personal care product experts, SafeMama, explained that the levels of formaldehyde found (over 200 ppm) may be enough to trigger skin reactions in sensitive people.

We get tons of email from readers asking what to do about skin rashes and eczema and if you aren’t already using a natural bath product line it’s time to start.  For starters, formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane are known carcinogens.  Why would we want that on our kids or us?  In addition, formaldehyde can also trigger skin rashes in some children.  These substances are not on labels obviously, but that’s because they are contaminants of the processes companies use to create and package them.  So you won’t know by reading the labels.

The No More Toxic Tub Report also goes on to explain that formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane are not the only chemicals of concern in the J&J product – it also contains D&C Orange 4, a color additive  not approved by FDA for cosmetics used around eyes.

Are you serious??

And now to add insult to injury, I’m watching the hoopla buzzing around the Big Bubblin’ Stars Campaign.  They’ve been able to pull in hundreds of mom bloggers to help spread the word about their new social media initiative.  Kind of disappointing . . .

So what’s the right answer?

1)  J&J could rock this issue of concern the right way with their giant sphere of influence.  Go on – throw all caution to the wind and commit to dumping known carcinogens and irritants.

2)  Help support a truly toxin-free initiative by aligning with the Kid-Safe Chemical Act to require complete transparency with all chemicals used in children’s products by manufacturers.

Solution #1 + Solution #2 = Some Serious Moxie (n. vigor, verve, pep, nerve, skill, know-how, courage and aggressiveness)

Now I could really throw myself behind that – and I can guarantee that there are many other influential mom bloggers who would jump on board in an instant!  In fact, we’ve already heard from several:

What can we do to cause change?

>> Learn more about about this issue of toxic ingredients by reading The Smart Mama’s “A Label Reading Lesson:  Johnson & Johnson’s Head to Toe Baby Wash“.

>> Sign the Kid-Safe Chemical Act Declaration today.

>> Contact Johnson & Johnson to let them know that you’ll be putting your money where your mouth is, and won’t be buying their products until they remove harmful ingredients like 1,4 dioxane and formaldehyde.

3/31/09 Correction: My poor little brain was on the wrong track when I initially published this post, and I mistakenly addressed SC Johnson’s voluntary move to stop using phthalates in their products.  Which leaves even more bad news for Johnson & Johnson – not only have they NOT agreed to remove phthalates, but they even defend using endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the products!

Photo Credit: iStockPhoto

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  • http://www.harseverse.blogspot.com willowsprite

    Oh my… You gotta go all he way, guys, come ON! I don’t get this halfway crap…

  • http://www.harseverse.blogspot.com willowsprite

    Oh my… You gotta go all he way, guys, come ON! I don’t get this halfway crap…

  • http://www.harseverse.blogspot.com willowsprite

    By the way that baby is ADORable!!! :)

  • http://www.harseverse.blogspot.com willowsprite

    By the way that baby is ADORable!!! :)

  • http://www.greenphonebooth.com JessTrev

    Love SafeMama’s deets about the potential for skin rashes. Great info, great attitude! Love this post (and you’re right, Green Phone Booth would throw itself behind this kind of public stand in an instant).

  • http://www.greenphonebooth.com JessTrev

    Love SafeMama’s deets about the potential for skin rashes. Great info, great attitude! Love this post (and you’re right, Green Phone Booth would throw itself behind this kind of public stand in an instant).

  • http://www.greenandcleanmom.org Sommer-Green and Clean Mom

    Alicia, I am so happy to have you be part of this campaign to motivate companies such as J&J to do better and for moms to realize that what is on the bottle isn’t always true but rather marketing. The Kids Safe Chemical Act needs to pass so this type of stuff doesn’t take place.

    I’m with Willwosprite…why not go all the way? Instead launch a YouTube campaign and give $10,000 but why not reformulate and make your product safe and then do something like this?

  • http://www.greenandcleanmom.org Sommer-Green and Clean Mom

    Alicia, I am so happy to have you be part of this campaign to motivate companies such as J&J to do better and for moms to realize that what is on the bottle isn’t always true but rather marketing. The Kids Safe Chemical Act needs to pass so this type of stuff doesn’t take place.

    I’m with Willwosprite…why not go all the way? Instead launch a YouTube campaign and give $10,000 but why not reformulate and make your product safe and then do something like this?

  • http://andadelinetoo.blogspot.com/ sushi_noem

    Yep, it’s like they just did enough to make fool consumers into thinking they’re “safe” and “natural” but aren’t really committed to providing non-toxic products for our precious babies.

  • http://andadelinetoo.blogspot.com/ sushi_noem

    Yep, it’s like they just did enough to make fool consumers into thinking they’re “safe” and “natural” but aren’t really committed to providing non-toxic products for our precious babies.

  • http://www.thesmartmama.com/bg Jennifer Taggart, TheSmartMama

    Alicia – I love you and I love this post, but, and please correct me if I am wrong, isn’t SC Johnson a different company from Johnson & Johnson?

    • http://www.thesoftlanding.com Alicia

      Jennifer – thank goodness you’re around to help me out with my lame-brain moments!! Yes, you are exactly right about the glaring fact that SC Johnson is different and separate from Johnson & Johnson. I’ve corrected the post and appreciate your help :)

      Alicia

  • http://www.thesmartmama.com/bg Jennifer Taggart, TheSmartMama

    Alicia – I love you and I love this post, but, and please correct me if I am wrong, isn’t SC Johnson a different company from Johnson & Johnson?

    • http://www.thesoftlanding.com Alicia

      Jennifer – thank goodness you’re around to help me out with my lame-brain moments!! Yes, you are exactly right about the glaring fact that SC Johnson is different and separate from Johnson & Johnson. I’ve corrected the post and appreciate your help :)

      Alicia

  • Eric McErlain

    Johnson and Johnson has nothing to apologize for. Their products are safe, and it’s the claims of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics that are bogus. See the two following links for just two examples of people who took the time to read the entire report and find some glaring flaws:

    http://www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/Children_s_Health_200/Stop_The_Fear_Mongering_On_Children_s_Health.shtml

    http://www.stats.org/stories/2009/baby_bath_cancer_mar13_09.html

    As for the time of J&J’s marketing campaign and questioning it, why not question the motives of the Environmental Working Group? After all, they’re the muscle behind both the No More Toxic Tub report and the Kid-Safe Chemical Act. At bottom, they’re leveraging a bogus claim about baby bath products to push their legislation.

    The bottom line is that these products are safe, and the only irresponsible parties here are the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, the Environmental Working Group and third parties who passed along their charges uncritically.

    • http://www.thesoftlanding.com Alicia

      Hi Eric,

      I feel like I’m hearing from the American Chemistry Council again on the healthy wonders of bisphenol-a. Your blog was obviously created to promote the use of formaldehyde however a product manufacturer sees fit – strangley reminiscent of the famous bisphenol-a.org. Just think about it – both EWG and parents like myself were called crazy for being upset about the estrogen-disrupting properties of polycarbonate plastic used in children’s products just a few short months ago. But now as non-industry funded studies come flooding in on the dangers of BPA, the baby bottle manufacturers step up to make the necessary changes even though the government won’t.

      The purpose of this article is to voice my opinion and to tell you NO, I am not comfortable bathing my child in formaldehyde just because you tell me I should be. I don’t want to pick up a bottle of baby shampoo and find a “proprietary” ingredient list. I believe it’s a basic right to actually know what’s in it and it makes me upset that I can’t.

      I’m calling on Johnson and Johnson to use their power for good – and in my eyes, asking manufacturers to prove that each and every chemical they use in children’s product is safe is a legitimate way to do that. Step and up and prove that they truly “aspire to be the most environmentally responsible company in the world,” as they state on their website.

      I don’t see how you could fault EWG’s motives to “push their legislation through” when it comes down to a foundational issue – the safety of our children. The Kid-Safe Chemical act is a necessary reform to allow our governing body to enforce safe practices in the use of over 80,000 unknown and untested chemicals.

      As for being irresponsible, that would more likely be the practice of hiding a whole list of toxic ingredients under the guise of “fragrance” – while calling it “as gentle to the eyes as pure water” . . .

      A sincerely concerned parent,

      Alicia

  • Pingback: Kid Safe Chemcial Act is Need | Green & Clean Mom

  • Eric McErlain

    Johnson and Johnson has nothing to apologize for. Their products are safe, and it’s the claims of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics that are bogus. See the two following links for just two examples of people who took the time to read the entire report and find some glaring flaws:

    http://www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/Children_s_Health_200/Stop_The_Fear_Mongering_On_Children_s_Health.shtml

    http://www.stats.org/stories/2009/baby_bath_cancer_mar13_09.html

    As for the time of J&J’s marketing campaign and questioning it, why not question the motives of the Environmental Working Group? After all, they’re the muscle behind both the No More Toxic Tub report and the Kid-Safe Chemical Act. At bottom, they’re leveraging a bogus claim about baby bath products to push their legislation.

    The bottom line is that these products are safe, and the only irresponsible parties here are the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, the Environmental Working Group and third parties who passed along their charges uncritically.

    • http://www.thesoftlanding.com Alicia

      Hi Eric,

      I feel like I’m hearing from the American Chemistry Council again on the healthy wonders of bisphenol-a. Your blog was obviously created to promote the use of formaldehyde however a product manufacturer sees fit – strangley reminiscent of the famous bisphenol-a.org. Just think about it – both EWG and parents like myself were called crazy for being upset about the estrogen-disrupting properties of polycarbonate plastic used in children’s products just a few short months ago. But now as non-industry funded studies come flooding in on the dangers of BPA, the baby bottle manufacturers step up to make the necessary changes even though the government won’t.

      The purpose of this article is to voice my opinion and to tell you NO, I am not comfortable bathing my child in formaldehyde just because you tell me I should be. I don’t want to pick up a bottle of baby shampoo and find a “proprietary” ingredient list. I believe it’s a basic right to actually know what’s in it and it makes me upset that I can’t.

      I’m calling on Johnson and Johnson to use their power for good – and in my eyes, asking manufacturers to prove that each and every chemical they use in children’s product is safe is a legitimate way to do that. Step and up and prove that they truly “aspire to be the most environmentally responsible company in the world,” as they state on their website.

      I don’t see how you could fault EWG’s motives to “push their legislation through” when it comes down to a foundational issue – the safety of our children. The Kid-Safe Chemical act is a necessary reform to allow our governing body to enforce safe practices in the use of over 80,000 unknown and untested chemicals.

      As for being irresponsible, that would more likely be the practice of hiding a whole list of toxic ingredients under the guise of “fragrance” – while calling it “as gentle to the eyes as pure water” . . .

      A sincerely concerned parent,

      Alicia

  • http://non-toxickids.net Katy from Non-Toxic Kids

    Great to see you in this debate! And your response was spot on. Especially from your perspective as someone who has been intricately involved in these issues for quite awhile now. I particularly like your recounting of the BPA saga in the comments. Glad to read your thoughts!

  • http://non-toxickids.net Katy from Non-Toxic Kids

    Great to see you in this debate! And your response was spot on. Especially from your perspective as someone who has been intricately involved in these issues for quite awhile now. I particularly like your recounting of the BPA saga in the comments. Glad to read your thoughts!

  • Pingback: Johnson & Johnson Going Green With 1,4-Dioxane And Formaldehyde In Products? | The Good Human

  • http://www.dianesbiggreenpurse.com Diane MacEachern

    Good points all. But remember – we don’t have to buy J&J in the first place. There are lots of alternatives (see ewg.org) – let’s put our money where our mouth is and shift our spending to the safest products available.

  • http://www.dianesbiggreenpurse.com Diane MacEachern

    Good points all. But remember – we don’t have to buy J&J in the first place. There are lots of alternatives (see ewg.org) – let’s put our money where our mouth is and shift our spending to the safest products available.

  • http://myteddybearshop.com/ Mandi

    That baby is so cute! Thanks for you post we all need to be enlightened.

  • http://myteddybearshop.com/ Mandi

    That baby is so cute! Thanks for you post we all need to be enlightened.

  • http://www.greenandcleanmom.org Sommer-Green and Clean Mom

    Thanks for being part of the carnival and making so many great points. All of us joining together to help reach the masses – it’s powerful!

  • http://www.greenandcleanmom.org Sommer-Green and Clean Mom

    Thanks for being part of the carnival and making so many great points. All of us joining together to help reach the masses – it’s powerful!

  • http://comfortjoydesigns.blogspot.com/ Deborah

    Hello! Poppin’ in from The Ultimate Blog Party…all the way from Queensland, Australia! G’Day!

    Yes…still making my way through the 1500+ parties…and lovin’ it!

    I hope you have time to visit my party soon.

    I’m giving away Pink Champagne Shower Syrup from Jaqua Beauty…stop on over and enter! Ends April 8. Open to USA.

    Ta!

    I want to invite you to the Mommie Daze Virtual Baby Shower that I am hosting May 15 to June 8. This is an international even and there are prizes! Stop by my blog for all the details.

  • http://comfortjoydesigns.blogspot.com/ Deborah

    Hello! Poppin’ in from The Ultimate Blog Party…all the way from Queensland, Australia! G’Day!

    Yes…still making my way through the 1500+ parties…and lovin’ it!

    I hope you have time to visit my party soon.

    I’m giving away Pink Champagne Shower Syrup from Jaqua Beauty…stop on over and enter! Ends April 8. Open to USA.

    Ta!

    I want to invite you to the Mommie Daze Virtual Baby Shower that I am hosting May 15 to June 8. This is an international even and there are prizes! Stop by my blog for all the details.

  • Wendy

    Love this post!

    It doesn’t matter how many wind turbines you use to power your manufacturing or how much you recycle, if your product is toxic to the people (mainly children) it is meant to be used on, that is a BIG problem!

    Loved your response to Eric McErlain!

    I have avoided most commercial baby products since discovering the EWG’s wonderful research and databases! And am “voting” with my dollars.

    Thanks for doing such great work!

  • Wendy

    Love this post!

    It doesn’t matter how many wind turbines you use to power your manufacturing or how much you recycle, if your product is toxic to the people (mainly children) it is meant to be used on, that is a BIG problem!

    Loved your response to Eric McErlain!

    I have avoided most commercial baby products since discovering the EWG’s wonderful research and databases! And am “voting” with my dollars.

    Thanks for doing such great work!

  • Crystal P.

    I think transparency of ingredients and providing consumers (especially parents and caretakers of special needs kids/adults) are very important. I have already switched to California Baby Super Sensitive Shampoo & Body Wash and Dr. Bronner’s Baby Mild Liquid Soap. I do occasionally use Suave Kids when I’m tight on cash or when the kids just smell really, really stinky and was glad to see that it is pretty low on the offending No More Toxic Tub list compared to others.

    I do, however, find it ironic that heavy-polluting industrializing nations like China are pulling J&J off of their shelves for testing for ingredients that may cause long-term risks when their milk and infant formula were literally killing children as recent as 8 months ago (that we in the West know about). Their other newly industrializing efforts inherently cause all sorts of other pollution and it seems like their efforts would be better directed at more readily dangerous products/contamination. They should probably leave the soap checking to others until they have stabilized as an industrial nation.

    I don’t think consumers should be prevented from buying J&J or Suave when they are short on cash or simply prefer them, I just think there need to be some truth in advertising standards ENFORCED on products and there need to be standards requiring disclosure of all ingredients and trace chemicals. If a product is advertised “as gentle as pure water” and it is not (which J&J can’t be if it has any potentially irritating ingredients or manufacturing by-product trace chemicals) there should be some sort of disclaimer revealing potentially “less gentle” ingredients or “trace ingredients”.

    I don’t advocate killing the free market with over-regulation (as I don’t want all innovation in cosmetics regulated by the same bureaucratic methods as prescription drugs which would stifle competition and result in slow-to-market products with huge price increases), but we consumers need to be provided with truthful, disclosed ingredients so we can make our own decisions.

  • Crystal P.

    I think transparency of ingredients and providing consumers (especially parents and caretakers of special needs kids/adults) are very important. I have already switched to California Baby Super Sensitive Shampoo & Body Wash and Dr. Bronner’s Baby Mild Liquid Soap. I do occasionally use Suave Kids when I’m tight on cash or when the kids just smell really, really stinky and was glad to see that it is pretty low on the offending No More Toxic Tub list compared to others.

    I do, however, find it ironic that heavy-polluting industrializing nations like China are pulling J&J off of their shelves for testing for ingredients that may cause long-term risks when their milk and infant formula were literally killing children as recent as 8 months ago (that we in the West know about). Their other newly industrializing efforts inherently cause all sorts of other pollution and it seems like their efforts would be better directed at more readily dangerous products/contamination. They should probably leave the soap checking to others until they have stabilized as an industrial nation.

    I don’t think consumers should be prevented from buying J&J or Suave when they are short on cash or simply prefer them, I just think there need to be some truth in advertising standards ENFORCED on products and there need to be standards requiring disclosure of all ingredients and trace chemicals. If a product is advertised “as gentle as pure water” and it is not (which J&J can’t be if it has any potentially irritating ingredients or manufacturing by-product trace chemicals) there should be some sort of disclaimer revealing potentially “less gentle” ingredients or “trace ingredients”.

    I don’t advocate killing the free market with over-regulation (as I don’t want all innovation in cosmetics regulated by the same bureaucratic methods as prescription drugs which would stifle competition and result in slow-to-market products with huge price increases), but we consumers need to be provided with truthful, disclosed ingredients so we can make our own decisions.

  • Pingback: Organic and Green Mom Blog | The Toxic Tub Report: An Update at Organic Mania

  • ilior

    Eco-Office Gals placed an observative post today on Squeaky Clean?Here’s a quick excerptThere has been a lot of bubble buzz from the blogosphere. On the heals of Johnson & Johnson’s Big Bubblin’ Stars Contest many concerned parents and consumers have brought to light J&J’s use of toxic chemicals in their baby bath products. acnee

  • Pingback: Organic and Green Mom Blog | A First Look at What the New Safe Chemicals Act May Mean for Parents: It Won’t Be an Immediate Panacea at Organic Mania