Renowned personal health care company, Johnson & Johnson, has pledged to permanently remove chemicals found in their products that could be harmful to those who use them. While many people in Louisiana may be wondering whether they previously had dangerous chemicals in their products before, they did and so do nearly all companies that produce personal care products.
The chemicals include formaldehyde, parabens, triclosan, phthalates, and other ingredients that add fragrances. They are mostly found in hair sprays, shampoos, facial cleansers, lotions and other beauty products.
The company has already removed toxins from baby products sold in the United States, and more people are demanding additional action. This is a good sign for the health of the consumer, since some of the chemicals and additives have been linked to cancer and other serious health issues. Recently, the health problems linked to the chemicals have shed more light on the problem of including them in products some people use on a daily basis.
Triclosan, which is found in many household items including shaving cream, lipstick, soap, cleaning items and even bedspreads, has been linked to causing muscle weakness in animals and linked to liver toxicity, cancer and developmental defects, among others.
Phthalates are used in an assortment of beauty products and it may be difficult to find a product without them. However, it is now being linked to diabetes in women, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The research revealed women doubled their risk of diabetes if using products with phthalates.
According to a study from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, some of those dangerous chemicals are created through the manufacturing process or released over a period of time, which is why those chemicals are not listed as an ingredient.
As more information emerges about these dangerous products, there may be some lawsuits filed that can link an injury or illness to a company’s dangerous chemicals.
