I'm one of those consumers who does careful research before buying pretty much anything. This is a result of a) deciding to stay home with kids and having more time to do research on things I always took for granted, and b) being shocked and disgusted with the things I found out about what people/companies try to pawn off on us as "safe".
That said, I have a couple of questions.
1. From a corporation point of view, especially one who seems to be trying to be environmentally and people friendly, why do you include ingredients that are publicly unpopular even though you deem them to be "safe"? For example, you use sodium benzoate. There's research to show that it's safe, and more research to show that it's not. People who shop "organic" (or close thereto) don't want that stuff in their products, yet you have it in some of yours. Why? Is not having it there (like in your baby wipes) more expensive to you? Does it increase your baby wipe revenue more to have it in there and lose some sales instead of removing it (and something happens to the wipes...?) and you sell more?
2. Your "natural" fabric softener. It contains benzisothiazolinone, a known human immune system toxicant and carcinogen. Again, why? I understand that it's an antifungal. Is it really the only one out there? Is it the safest? Are you concerned that your product will grow a fungus if you don't put it in there? What about methylisothiazolinone? It's a known human immune system toxicant and is apparently toxic enough, and is easily absorbed through the skin, that some countries (Japan, Canada) have limited or forbidden its use. Yet it's in your product. Again, why?
I'm just trying to understand from a consumer point of view. My background is in molecular biology/anatomy etc and not chemistry or business. Thus, I don't understand a lot from the chemistry side or the business reasons, but I understand the research I read about what this chemical junk actually does to our bodies. Don't get me wrong, I think this stuff is miles better than certain dryer sheets which shall remain nameless and that actually contain industrial toxic waste that's made to smell pretty with a ton of toxic perfumes. And you actually list your ingredients, which is really wonderful. But with some of the things you use, I just can't bring myself to use it on my family's clothes/bodies etc.
If you've actually read this far, thank you. If you actually respond and don't nuke this post, a million thanks! I'd really love to hear what you have to say.
-KarateGirl
