The Green Parent

There is a lot of buzz going around these days about Johnson & Johnson’s new “Big Bubblin Star” campaign to promote their latest line of baby’s bubble bath.  The timing on this campaign is interesting, as it follows right on the heels of a recently released safety report, , compiled by the  that cited several Johnson & Johnson baby products as containing known carcinogens such as formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane within their formulas.

I’m not too cool with bathing my kids in chemicals.  Nor am I thrilled with having to pay a fortune in hard earned dollars just to find products that I can feel comfortable using to bathe my kids.

So I am very excited about a new movement underway, spearheaded by the women of the that questions this new Johnson & Johnson campaign and asks the company to come up with a better way to earn our trust. Just as we as consumers questioned the safety of BPA and demanded that it be removed from our products, we are mobilizing a grass roots effort to demand a higher safety standard and greater transparency in the products we use to clean and care for our children.

As a leader in the personal care product industry, Johnson & Johnson has an opportunity here to spearhead this effort, proving that they truly “aspire to be the most environmentally responsible company in the world,” as they state on their website.  That’s a lovely sentiment, but these days, it takes more than talk to go green.  It takes leadership, innovation, and above all a concern for the health of people and the planet that means you will go above and beyond in your efforts to protect them.

Here is what it would take for Johnson & Johnson to earn my trust:

Safety: As an American consumer, I am finally beginning to understand that I need to take responsibility for demanding that safety is priority #1 when it comes to my family. If there are chemicals that are known carcinogens (ie 1,4 dioxane, phthalates, and formaldehyde) I do not want them in my personal care products. And
I want Johnson & Johnson…a company that promotes itself as a leader in caring about families and protecting the environment…to take the lead on undertaking initiatives to ensure that the products they sell are safe for people and the planet.  

I also want to know what is in the products I put on and in my children. Many companies that make personal care products claim that they cannot reveal their ingrendients because they are part of their product’s “secret formula.” I’m calling baloney on that. To me, the average consumer, “properitary formula” is just a fancy way of saying “dangerous chemicals that we don’t want you to know about.” I will not buy any product unless I know what’s in it. It’s as simple as that. If your product has chemicals in it that you don’t want me to know about, then I don’t want your product.

Sustainability: To quote the website, “we must protect the environments in which we work and live. A healthy planet and a healthy community go hand in hand.”  I couldn’t agree more.  I wholeheartedly applaud Johnson & Johnson’s efforts to reduce their company’s carbon dioxide emissions and minimize their overall environmental footprint.  According to their website, Johnson & Johnson “aspires to be the most environmentally responsible company in the world.”  That’s wonderful!  But you can’t just greenwash this.  Johnson & Johnson needs to put their money where their mouth is to make this happen.  And that means making products that do not bathe our children in chemicals or release toxins in to the environment.

Support:

It goes without saying that Johnson & Johnson is a leader in the personal care industry.  So I’d like to see them use that leadership to support the  that is in front of Congress right now.  I would like to know that they are willing to ensure that all chemicals in kids products are proven safe BEFORE they’re used to create baby bath and lotion.  How is it possible that this is not already the case?  

So there it is. That is what I want from Johnson & Johnson.  And believe you me, if they can deliver on this, then I will be a Johnson & Johnson customer for life.   Because this is what it will take for them to earn the title of “the most environmentally responsible company in the world.”

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