E-mail dialogue about "Toxic Tub"

Well this is not anything new, was in the news a few months ago, but it seem to be coming up. Many of us who use the products are having questions. This is a rather interesting e-mail dialogue that's been going around ........

I posted the link to this one earlier, but here it is again since this is what started it ....

Baby Products Expose Infants to Chemicals
Posted in Science & Health
Source: Shutterstock.com
(Newser) – Common baby products may be exposing infants to dangerous chemicals called phthalates, a new study shows. The presence of the substances in infants' urine was linked with the use of baby lotions, powder, and shampoo. Experts don't know the long-term health consequences, but "there is a large body of animal studies to suggest developmental and reproductive toxicity" from phthalates, a doctor tells Reuters."We found that reported use of baby lotion, baby shampoo, and baby powder was associated with increased concentrations" of the chemicals, says the doctor, who worked on the study. The US government doesn't require products including phthalates to carry markings on their packages, so avoiding the chemicals can be difficult.
Source: Reuters

Mo, had send the above to the team and some words of her own


Subject: Baby Products Expose Infants to Chemicals...but not our line
When people ask me about my background before Arbonne, I am proud to tell them, as a Behavioral Biologist I have been studying Neurological diseases in children and adults for 15 years. My work in Neuroscience has always focused on brain health and disease prevention and for the last 10 years the effects of chemicals and envirotoxins on brain development and disease has come up nearly everyday in my work. Therefore, working with Arbonne is an easy fit because I am so confident about sharing products that don't compromise the safety of my clients or their families. I know I can help others in raising their consciousness about what they put in and on their bodies. That said, we all have a responsibility to raise the consciousness of our clients (and potential consumers) who are buying products for their families...especially for their children.
So when someone asks you what makes Arbonne different, there are many answers you can be proud to share, but one of the most distinguishing factors is that Arbonne doesn't allow phthalates in our products. Below is a blurb from Science & Health posted by Reuters for you to share with moms who want to know why Arbonne would work so hard to be different from common baby products. It goes without saying that no mom would intentionally risk her child's health by exposure to phthalates if she knew better. Fortunately, with Arbonne's ABC Line, the risk is eliminated for her. Spread the word!
-Mo


then Tracie read all this and did her own research and e-mailed this to Melissa asking for her input ...

Based on the report from EWG, Arbonnne's products were given a hazard rating between 4-6 based on chemicals that were included in their products.. I was a bit concerned about this report since obviously my children only use Arbonne products. Would love to hear others thoughts on this.....

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/parentsguide/tables.php?&table=contain_ioc&start=50

Melissa's response ....


WOW! I love that we are having this dialogue! I have been waiting for parents to demand these kinds of answers since I began studying Autism at UCD 10 years ago. So thank you for your email Tracie, I hope my answer helps you and other consultants/parents. I'll share the long and the short of it beginning with... Melanie is right, SkinDeep has info that is out of date for the ABC line (and other Arbonne products as well). In fact their ingredients listed for the ABC Lotion and Diaper Rash Crème are from 8/07 and the ABC line has been reformulated since then. I do love that you are looking at their site because they have a great purpose; when used correctly and accurately.

The long of it is that on March 16th, 09 the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics released it's Executive Summary and Report called "No More Toxic Tub, " in response to independent trials revealing harmful toxins in common baby care products. You may have heard about it, because it has been all over the news linking many major marketplace brands to high levels of formaldehyde and 1-4 Dioxane in baby products such as powders, lotions, and washes. The primary chemicals under review are: 1-4 Dioxane, which is a known carcinogen and neurotoxin and Formaldehyde, also a suspected carcinogen. These toxins are bi-products of processing and it's an easy fix for companies to avoid/limit product contamination. Unfortunately, the major players, like the companies listed in the report (Aveeno, Johnson's, American Girl, L'Oreal, Barbie, Suave just to name a few), have not changed their practices since it was first revealed to be dangerous last year.

So how does all of this relate to Arbonne? Well first, when you read this, I think you’ll breathe a sigh of relief knowing you don’t use the products implicated. I know I did! Also, you’ll find that when Arbonne reformulated the ABC line, they removed the ingredients from the ABC lotion & Diaper Rash Crème that were considered "moderate" in the SkinDeep hazardous index. I don’t know why Arbonne did this, but they continue to impress me. If you have the diaper crème lying around you’ll also notice that Arbonne’s does NOT have Diazolidinyl urea or Q-15 in it, which is a preservative shown in the Toxic Tub report likely to be contaminated w/ formaldehyde. Lastly, as we all know, European standards are much higher than those in the US and I think that is why so many of us continue to trust Arbonne, AIRD, and European practices when it comes to creating safer products.

That said, I assume the Toxic Tub report will and already has inspired changes in how every company, including Arbonne, creates and manufactures products. I have no doubt that if changes, formulations, or adjustments to ingredients or practices are necessary, that Arbonne will make them accordingly and quickly and I will watch for changes and report then as they occur. I am guessing we all feel the same way, since Arbonne means so much to each of us in both product and philosophy.

Thank you again! I hope this helps -Melissa

link to "No More Toxic Tub" report http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=426


boy am I glad we have some people on our team who know so much .........

I made the decision to add this to my e-mail signature. I posted this a while back, but from now on you'll have to look at it every day, if I can figure out how to add this as a sig here :)


Arbonne cosmetics are formulated in accordance with the European Union Council Directive 76/768 (EU 76/768) It has banned the use of 1,132 ingredients that are known or strongly suspected of causing cancer, mutation or birth defects. The US currently has no pre-market system for assuring ingredient safety and therefore requires no testing for cancer or other long-term effects of various chemicals commonly used in cosmetic formulations. Because Arbonne adheres to the EU 76/768, its formulations are free of all ingredients banned as a result of EU 76/768.