Study Reveals Toxins Even in ‘Safer’ Products

Study Reveals Toxins Even in ‘Safer’ Products

Consumer products such as shampoos and sunscreens, even ones touted as safer, may contain potentially harmful chemicals not listed on their labels, according to a recent study that tested dozens of them. Chemicals that disrupt hormones or affect asthma were found in all 42 of conventional products sampled, as well as in most — 32 of 43 — of the alternative products billed as safer, including some by Seventh Generation, Jason Natural Products and Aubrey Organics, according to the study by the Silent Spring Institute – a scientific group studies the links between the environment and women’s health.

John Spengler, a professor of environmental health at Harvard School of Public Health, who was not involved in the study, says the work is “very important” for spotlighting health concerns and alerting companies to possible cross-contamination in products, whether from the supply chain or the packaging.