Manufacturers have known for years that bubble bath, shampoo and other products contain small amounts of the preservatives formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane but it is now coming to the public attention that children’s bath products contain chemicals that may cause cancer and skin allergies, according to a report released by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. Twenty-three of 28 products tested contained formaldehyde, a toxic chemical which is also part of embalming chemicals.

Despite marketing claims like “gentle” and “pure,” dozens of top-selling children’s bath products are contaminated with the cancer-causing chemicals formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, according to the March 2009 Campaign for Safe Cosmetics report, "No More Toxic Tub."

Thirty-two of 48 products contained 1,4-dioxane, also considered a probable human carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is a byproduct of a chemical processing techniques used to make petroleum-based ingredients gentler to the skin. Nearly two-thirds of products tested, including Johnson’s Baby Shampoo, contained both chemicals, according to the campaign, a coalition of environmental and health groups that includes the Breast Cancer Fund and the Environmental Working Group.  Analytical Sciences, an independent laboratory in Petaluma, Calif., performed the tests.

A spokeswoman for Johnson & Johnson told USA Today that the company’s products are safe, meeting or exceeding all regulations. And a spokesman for the Personal Care Products Council says the study’s results are old news.  Really?  This is the first we have heard of it?

For the complete list of products with carcinogens, see USA Today’s coverage of the report.