1,4 Dioxane in Personal Care Products
The Use of 1,4 Dioxane in Personal Care Products
Shampoos and cleansers often contain trace, or very tiny, levels of a compound known as 1,4 dioxane. This compound is a byproduct of the process that makes cleansers mild and nonirritating. 1,4 dioxane is also found naturally in some foods, including tomatoes and coffee.
Measuring a Trace Material
When something is called a trace material, that means it accounts for a tiny part of the overall make up of a product. In the case of our personal care products, we measure traces in parts-per-million (ppm). This is a very small measure, the equivalent of roughly 1/16 of an inch in a mile or one millimeter in a kilometer.
We work with our suppliers to utilize processes that reduce the presence of 1,4 dioxane in our ingredients, and we evaluate the materials in our beauty and baby care products to ensure these extremely low levels.
Our Position on 1,4 Dioxane
Numerous regulatory agencies around the world have studied 1,4 dioxane and determined that it poses no harm at the trace levels found in personal care products.
Still, many people have expressed their concern, and we want you to have complete confidence that the levels in our beauty and baby care products are extremely low. So we’re in the process of reducing them even further.
Consistent with a commitment we have already made, the traces of 1,4 dioxane in our baby products will be reduced to what is currently the lowest reliably measurable level, 1 to 4 ppm. The methods we use are designed to limit the amount to 1 ppm, but since tests cannot reliably discern among levels this low, we can safely say 1 to 4 ppm. In our adult products, we are reducing 1,4 dioxane to below 10 ppm, which is lower than the levels considered safe by regulators around the world.
Learn More*
- Visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's information page on 1,4 dioxane.
- Black, RE, Hurley, FJ, Havery, DC. “Occurrence of 1,4-dioxane in cosmetic raw materials and finished cosmetic products”. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2001.
* No endorsement, approval, association, or sponsorship of Our Safety & Care Commitment by the organizations listed is stated or implied.