No more tears, parents. After pressure from consumers,a major brand has finally removed the formaldehydefrom its baby shampoos. Yes, you read that right: They've removed formaldehyde.
This week, Johnson & Johnson announced that it has finished reformulating its iconic yellow baby shampoo, and the new version will be available worldwide soon. The new and improved shampoo is without both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, two potentially harmful chemicals. J & J have also come up with new formulas for roughly 100 other baby-care products in its lineup.
It's hard to believe that products that were developed for babies have such controversial, potentially dangerous ingredients in them. There are, ironically, plenty of baby care products on the market that contain questionable ingredients, despite (front) labels that scream "natural!" "gentle!" "sensitive!" It's both terrifying and maddening.
The bottom line, parents, we need to do our homework if we want to ensure our baby products don't contain things we're not comfortable with. Read labels, research them online (GoodGuide.comis a great site), ask questions. Many of our parents probably bathed us with formaldehyde while smoking in our faces, but we have way too many resources now to figure out what's good for our babies and what may be harmful.
Remember, just because you use something that you think is safe because it's formulated for babies doesn't mean it is. It's always smart to investigate before purchasing.
What kind of products do you use on your little one?
Image via Sean De Burca/Corbis