Why are baby care products important?
Babies are very [[sensitive::Someone who is easily affected or hurt.]]. Their skin, hair, and nails are much softer than ours. That’s why many parents use special baby products for their babies.
Baby products like baby oil and baby shampoo are used to clean babies gently. Johnson and Johnson (J&J) is a company that makes many baby products.
They make a baby powder that is very popular around the world.But for many years, J&J has been getting in trouble for their baby powder.
What’s wrong with Johnson and Johnson’s baby powder?
There have been many [[complaints::To report a problem.]] against Johnson and Johnson’s baby powder. Many people who used their baby powder say it has made them very sick.
Johnson’s baby powder has talcum (talc) in it. Talc keeps skin dry, that’s why it is used to make baby powder. Sometimes, a [[mineral::A rock-like substance that is found in the earth.]] called asbestos may get accidentally mixed with talc.
This is where the problem starts. Breathing in asbestos can make people very sick. If there is asbestos in talcum powder, the powder is not safe to use.
So…did their talcum powder contain asbestos?
Johnson and Johnson has always said that their baby powder is safe and pure. They said it does not have any asbestos in it. But in 2019, a small amount of asbestos was found in one bottle of their baby powder.
What did Johnson and Johnson do about this?
There have been 38,000 complaints against Johnson and Johnson’s baby powder. All these complaints were causing them to lose a lot of money.
They were risking the loss of more money with every new complaint. That’s why the company has decided to stop selling its talc baby powder. They will now make their baby powder from [[cornstarch::A white powder made from parts of corn. It is used in soups and other foods.]].
What can we learn from this?
The lesson we can learn here is to be careful about what we buy! If you feel unwell after using a product, always inform your parents and go to a doctor if needed.
Quick Revision
Babies have very soft skin, so they need gentle baby products.
Johnson & Johnson’s talc baby powder was found to sometimes contain asbestos, which is harmful.
Many people complained it made them sick.
J&J stopped using talc and now makes powder from cornstarch.
Lesson: Always use safe products and tell an adult if something causes problems.
