Interesting story in the New York Times the other day about how Johnson & Johnson has changed its Baby Shampoo formula so that it no longer contains "two potentially harmful chemicals, formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, that have come under increasing scrutiny by consumers and environmental groups."
This move, the Times writes, "is the first step in a companywide effort to remove an array of increasingly unpopular chemicals from its personal care products, and is the biggest yet by a major consumer products manufacturer … In doing so, the company is navigating a precarious path, investing tens of millions of dollars to remove the chemicals while at the same time insisting that they are safe."
The response highlights "a fundamental shift in consumer behavior," the Times writes, "as an increasingly informed public demands that companies be more responsive to their concerns, especially when it comes to the ingredients in their products." These demands are being felt not just by manufacturers, but also by retailers that sell such products and are being targeted by special interest groups.
This move, the Times writes, "is the first step in a companywide effort to remove an array of increasingly unpopular chemicals from its personal care products, and is the biggest yet by a major consumer products manufacturer … In doing so, the company is navigating a precarious path, investing tens of millions of dollars to remove the chemicals while at the same time insisting that they are safe."
The response highlights "a fundamental shift in consumer behavior," the Times writes, "as an increasingly informed public demands that companies be more responsive to their concerns, especially when it comes to the ingredients in their products." These demands are being felt not just by manufacturers, but also by retailers that sell such products and are being targeted by special interest groups.
- KC's View:
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Just another example of how consciousness raising affects the transaction of commerce.
I only hope that the elimination of these two chemicals doesn't affect the efficacy of the shampoo, which J&J assures us it won't.
I have some self-interest here. In fact, I've used Johnson's Baby Shampoo on my own hair every morning for the past 40+ years. I'm not saying that there's necessarily a connection, but of my two brothers and my father, I'm the only one with a full head of hair. And at this point, I'm not changing - it may be more superstition than science, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
