• 17 out of 28 products tested – 61 percent – contained both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane.

• 23 out of 28 products – 82 percent – contained formaldehyde at levels ranging from 54 to 610 parts per million (ppm).

• 32 out of 48 products – 67 percent – contained 1,4-dioxane at levels ranging from 0.27 to 35 ppm.

Just how bad are these chemicals?  Formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane are known carcinogens.  And formaldehyde can also trigger skin rashes in some children. Sure, one chemical found in one product probably isn't too big of a deal.  But health experts are concerned about the "cocktail effect" that occurs when these chemicals combine with each other and with other toxins in the body and in the environment. 

So how can you make sure your child's bath is chemcial-free?  Limit the number of products you use in the tub.  In other words, skip the bubble bath and use one all purpose cleanser for skin and hair.  And make sure that the products that you do use are free of toxins by scouring the formula label and verifying products using Skin Deep, a database of consumer product toxicity information.