Left Brain is livid…
Here at the Beauty Brains, we get contacted by lots of PR firms giving us the latest press release for all the new beauty products coming on the market. It’s really a great perk of writing a beauty blog. Of course, we get many silly press releases which border on being funny, but sometimes we get ones that are so outrageous we can’t ignore them. Here’s one that really boiled my blood.
Chemical Fear – Chemicals Be Afraid
First the subject line:
“Carcinogens in baby shampoos”
Talk about scary! You can’t help but open up the message.
Then the press release goes on with the following headline…
LIL RINSER SIMPLIFIES CHILD BATHING AND PROTECTS AGAINST HARMFUL SHAMPOOS
Rinse and Run Technology Keeps Dangerous Carcinogens Found in Children’s Shampoos Away from Face
They go on to quote the chemical fear-mongering Campaign for Safe Cosmetics explaining that CSC found “…many children’s bath products contain chemicals that may cause cancer and skin allergies.”
Finally, they pitch their product (the Lil Rinser) by saying “For parents concerned about the potential risk, Lil Rinser,…can help further prevent exposure to toxins in shampoos.”
Lil Rinser
Before I get into what’s irked me, I’d like to say that this sounds and
looks like a great idea. I don’t have kids myself, but I’ve helped my sisters with their kids enough to know that some kids don’t like soap to get in their face. Tear-free shampoos can help however, they aren’t always effective.
The Lil Rinser looks like it would do a great job of keeping soap out of their eyes, water out of their ears and doesn’t look too hard to use. I LOVE the fact that it was created by small-time inventors who had the gumption to take their ideas and do something with it. Too many people have great ideas then never do anything about them. But I digress…
Awful marketing campaign
There are two big problems I have with the way that Lil Rinser has decided to market their product. First, they spread distorted information about personal care products to scare people and second, their message is hypocritical. If they focused more on the real benefits of the product, like the ones mentioned above, I’d be a much bigger supporter.
Are baby shampoos filled with toxins?
The suggestion that baby products contain carcinogens comes from a recent report that shows 1,4 Dioxane and Formaldehyde were both detected in a variety of baby products tested. Both of these compounds have been characterized as “probable carcinogens” by the EPA.
While we have no reason to doubt the test results, the implication that the presence of tiny amounts of carcinogens makes the product harmful is unfounded. All of the best research maintains that the levels are not dangerous. The dose of exposure matters just as much as the chemical. Pure water will kill you at a high enough dose.
The idea that you should be afraid of the chemicals in baby shampoos is nonsense. Indeed, selling products without preservatives (as formaldehyde is a preservative) is much more dangerous.
Shame on the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics for trying to scare people with distorted science, and shame on Lil Rinser for trying to exploit people’s fear and chemical ignorance for economic gain.
What about toxins in Lil Rinser?
Perhaps the most appalling things about Lil Rinser’s marketing campaign is their own hypocrisy. If you take a look at their lab reports, you might be aghast to find that the Lil Rinser is proven to contain the following toxins
1. Arsenic – a potent human poison
2. Barium – extremely poisonous
3. Cadmium – known to cause cancer
4. Mercury – extremely toxic
5. Antimony – toxic
6. Selenium – toxic
Why are these toxins and carcinogens in the Lil Rinser?
Because they are an unavoidable part of the rubber and plastic making process. And you know over time, these toxins and carcinogens will be leached out into the water that’s your child is soaking in.
Fortunately, these toxins are also in the product at levels that have been determined by reliable, governmental agencies to be safe.
This is also true of the carcinogens that can be detected in your personal care products!
The cosmetic industry has no interest in poisoning people. They do not produce or sell products that are unsafe.
Beauty Brains Bottom Line
Lil Rinser will not make children more safe from their already safe baby shampoos. In our environment we are surrounded by all kinds of chemicals and compounds that are toxic and carcinogenic at high enough doses. Our ability to detect these compounds keeps getting better and better so it’s understandable we’ll find them in more and more every day products. However, presence of a nasty chemical is both unavoidable and should be of little concern if the amount is tiny enough.
It’s impossible to avoid all traces of toxic/carcinogenic compounds. Fear-mongering consumer groups & marketing people who suggest it is are wrong.
If you’re interested in trying the Lil Rinser because it’s a cool gadget (not because it will protect you from cancer) you can see more about it by clicking here.
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
I followed your link to the Lil Rinser website, and I must say it’s very amusing, especially to me as a parent of two who hated soap in the face. This site, which is intended for consumers, makes no mention of toxins from baby shampoo, but instead cites the other selling points which you mentioned in the post. Perhaps their marketer thought a press release to a beauty products website (as opposed to a parenting website) should come from the toxic chemical angle. Obviously they had not read over the BB or they would not have sent it over to be debunked by you.
I really do like the idea of this product and wish them well. I just hope in the future they don’t try to sell their unique product by spreading fear and distorted information.
You’re right, their PR person is probably not an avid readers of the Beauty Brains. lol!
The Lil rinser thing is kind of ridiculous but aside from that..
Why would selling products without preservatives be a bad thing? If pay attention to the exp date, you should be fine. Correct?
Not fine. Once you open a product that has no preservatives, microbes can start to grow and proliferate. Your cosmetics would become like food and you’d have to throw it out rather quickly.
It would be a bit like opening a gallon of milk and leaving it on your counter-top. How long would you wait before throwing that away?
When I was a kid I had a sort of headband that kept water out of my eyes, so even the product regardless of the marketing, isn’t all that original.
Sometimes I wish that the Beauty Brains were able to have a huge campaign against this whole fear mongering against toxins and chemicals. I feel pretty alone when I talk makeup with my friends and they start talking about how pure things are, but they don’t know the science behind what’s good and what’s bad. Btw, the picture on the top is hilarious!
But if the product in question has anti bacterial elements in it? (Such as tea tree oil and etc)
I just can’t seem to find a real use for most preservatives. I switched to organic and preservative free body and beauty products a few years ago and I’ve found that my skin has almost completely cleared up. The only thing it doesn’t let me do is stock up on products because they WILL go bad.
I like your blog but it sometimes feels like your on a mini crusade against natural/organic beauty products. I’m not saying all natural products are good for you or that the company is telling you the truth but some of them are effective and deserve more then a “uhuh.. sure..” sort of pat on the head.
How low, to manipulate money out of people’s pockets by scaring the hell out of them about childhood cancer.
I’ve never found them to hit natural products any harder than synthetics. They praise coconut oil and olive oil for hair, and have slammed plenty of aynthetic products as not worth the powder to blow them to hades. The truth is just that not many products work period, be they natural or synthetic.
If you like synthetic, you’ll say that they’re always on a crusade against specific brands. If you like natural products, you’ll only see them as badmouthing them. But if you go back and read their blogs, they’re really very evenhanded. They don’t take a position on natural versus synthetic, just on what works versus what doesn’t.
Interesting post. However I disagree with the statement that “small doses are not dangerous”.
Ever heard of Homeopathy ? It uses trace amounts of chemicals, amounts so tiny that theoretically they shouldn’t even have a bit of effect on an ant. But they do have an effect, and a very strong one !
Did somebody just seriously bring up homeopathy as proof that small doses are effective? In case you haven’t heard, homeopathy has been debunked so many times that I could wallpaper my house with the studies that show it to be ineffective.
Small doses ARE ineffective. Homeopathy is even less effective than a small dose because it generally contains no dose at all (not even a single molecule of the active ingredient).
@ Eternal*Voyageur: No, sorry, but homeopathy does not work beyond a placebo effect. If the principles behind homeopathy actually worked, I’d be able to clean my house off dilutions from a bottle of Mr. Clean forever. I’d be able to get drunk off dilutions of a bottle of wine forever. Studies on homeopathy published in scientific journals don’t show an effect other than placebo and that chance alone would produce.
Toxicity most definitely depends on the dose.
As for barium being poisonous, I’m confused… don’t we use barium in barium enemas and drinks for gastrointestinal tests?
Homeopathy…sounds like an idea for a future Beauty Brains post. People still believe in it?
Re: Barium. That is true but water soluble barium compounds are poisonous/toxic. More proof that it is the dose of a material that matters.
Remember, Botox is one of the most toxic substances known and yet people have it injected into their faces all the time.
There is a whole section in Whole Foods dedicated to homeopathy. I tried it out of curiosity. Unfortunately, my faith was not strong enough, and it didn’t work. Placebo effect for sure (although I’d like to see what case studies the BB can dig up!)
As for the BB being biased, I think it depends on your own biases prior to reading the posts. Do you strongly believe in the pure and natural movement? Do you read the BB posts, look at the ingredients lists, and then make your decision? A lot of what the BB do is allow us to see beyond marketing claims and use scientific proof to see if products work or not. Natural or synthetic, they usually don’t.
Homeopathy? Oh my… *giggle* I’ll be waiting for that post (especially the comments)!
Anyway, if shampoos is awfully dangerous due to preservatives, but you try to counter the effect by using this product, also containing toxins, aren’t you harming the kids twice as much?
Water can contain carcinogens – should I should stop drinking it?
Should I also learn to read what I’ve written before hitting “submit”?
I feel dumb for posting three times in a row, but this is extremely important…
“If the principles behind homeopathy actually worked, I’d be able to clean my house off dilutions from a bottle of Mr. Clean forever.”
You silly little thing… Of course you can’t do that! The true homeopathic house cleaning works this way:
You need to wash your floor? Wipe it a bit with a clean cloth, rinse it in a bucket of water, save a drop and fill the bucket again. Then, add the drop you saved, mix, and take another drop, which will then be mixed with another bucket of water. NOW you have a good cleanser (the cure should be similar to the ailment)!
And while you’re at it, make the cleaning fun. Just pour some vodka on a band-aid and put it on: you’ll get a nice buzz. Hey, if the skin can absord anything… Works as well as the homeopathic cleanser!
Is this thing for real?
Why not have the kid hold a washcloth over his eyes, like we did when we were kids??
pffft.
What I don’t understand about this lil rinser is, If this is suppose to protect children from carcinogens supposedly in shampoos. Why would a parent use the shampoo in the first place???? That shampoo will still touch the childs head and cause problems no matter what gadget you put to protect the face :c/
That’s a good question. I suppose the makers would say that the chemicals getting in their eyes would be worse than just being exposed to their skin. But a great question.
I stumbled across this website and I found it to be everything I ever wished for in a beauty blog- As a chemist myself I was thrilled to find you putting into writing what I’ve heard myself saying time and time again when faced with people who don’t know a thing about science or chemical toxicity, right down to “Water can kill you in a high enough dose!” (As an aside, let us not forget about routes of exposure with regards to chemicals- something hazardous when inhaled may be benign when swallowed, if we may use water as an example again.)
Amazing! thank you guys so much for standing up to the ignorance and idiocy rampant among the chemically uneducated! You are doing a great job and I hope people stop, listen, try to think about things for a moment, and learn!
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