Caveat Emptor-Let the Buyer Beware
I’m quite sure the intent of this legal term was meant
more for buying things like used items, real estate and such but; apparently
for us here in North America it seems to apply to cleaning product, kid’s and adult’s
personal care products, cosmetics and even food!
The regulation on this stuff is a joke at best and near
criminal at worst. There would appear to
be more technicalities and loopholes than on a millionaire’s taxes.
One need only to look at the first paragraph of this
article from the New York Times this past August. And sadly this isn’t the only one.
August 15, 2012
Johnson &
Johnson to Remove Formaldehyde From Products
”Johnson &
Johnson, which makes a range of personal care products like baby shampoo, acne
cream and antiwrinkle lotion, announced plans Wednesday to remove a host of
potentially harmful chemicals, like formaldehyde, from its line of consumer
products by the end of 2015, becoming the first major consumer products company
to make such a widespread commitment.”
Firstly,
what is this “host of potentially harmful chemicals”? Secondly, why not until “the end of 2015” and
why are they just “the first major consumer products company to make such a
widespread commitment”?
Now for
those that don’t know, in 2011, the US National Toxicology
Program described formaldehyde as "known
to be a human carcinogen", meaning it can cause
cancer in humans! Now they kick around
what is considered mild exposure and what is considered high exposure but,
wouldn’t any exposure be a concern, especially for small children or the
elderly? And if we are washing with it, cleaning with it and for the
women wearing it, wouldn’t that constitute prolonged, repeated exposure?
Here is two
clips from another article of which there are many:
What Other Products
May Contain Formaldehyde?
Many personal cleansing and beauty products contain formaldehyde, think
about that before you put them on your skin, your largest organ. Here are some
of the personal products that might contain this toxin:
|
·
Lotions
·
Shampoos
·
Sunblock
|
·
Soap Bars
·
Cosmetics
·
Body Wash
|
·
Toothpaste
·
Baby Wipes
·
Bubble Bath
|
Be wary of products containing the
following ingredients:
|
·
Formalin
·
Methanal
·
Oxymethyline
·
Urea
·
1,3-Dioxetane
·
Quaternium 15
|
·
Methylaldehyde
·
Methylene Oxide
·
Formic Aldehyde
·
Oxomethane Formalin
·
Phenol Formaldehyde
|
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Safety provides a quick
reference list of some products known to contain formaldehyde [1]. I’m
appalled at the number of baby and kid products on the list, as these little
angels usually have no say in whether they’re being exposed or not.
So, in short (I know you’re thinking too late right)
we need to educate ourselves on what we are bring into our homes and exposing
our families to in the disguise of harmless everyday products from supposedly
caring companies and regulated by supposedly concerned regulatory government
agencies. They seem to have no problem
putting profits before people but hey, let the buyer beware...
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