Class action suit against J&J continues
The plaintiff’s, represented by law firm Keller Rohrback, allege that Johnson’s baby shampoo and Wal-Mart’s Equate Tearless baby shampoo contain methylene chloride.
According to the plaintiffs, the products contain the ingredient that they claim is both banned in cosmetics and related to an increased cancer risk.
In addition, the plaintiffs are arguing in the lawsuit that the ingredient is easily removed from formulations by a simple vacuum stripping process.
This is not the only class action suit the consumer goods giant is facing over its baby products, and a number of them were prompted by a study commissioned by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics last year that alleged the presence of 1,4 dioxane and formaldehyde in the formulations.
1,4 dioxane and formaldehyde
In the report ‘No More Toxic Tub’, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics stated that out of 28 baby products tested, 23 contained formaldehyde, and 32 out of 48 products tested contained 1,4 dioxane. It claims the chemicals are linked to cancer and skin allergies.
However, at the time industry bodies called the study findings misleading and said they were misinterpreted.
The Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) described the allegations as a cynical attempt to prey upon concerned parents.
It argued that the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics had falsely attempted to position the report as ‘scientifically noteworthy’ and new.
“The US FDA and the Cosmetic Ingredients Review (CIR) …have long been aware of the potential presence of 1,4 dioxane and formaldehyde in personal care products and found them to be safe when present at low levels,” said Dr John Bailey, chief scientist for the Personal Care Products Council.
