SAN DIEGO -- In your home right now are probably several bath products, shampoos and bubble baths that contain a carcinogen not even listed on the ingredient label.

Cielo Porreco said she enjoys bath time with her 9-month-old daughter and 3-year-old son.

"This is Huggies -- shampoo lavender and chamomile," said Porreco.

She said she assumes her brand name products are safe.

"I trust them," Porreco said.

What Porreco doesn't know is she is bathing her children with a carcinogen called 1,4-dioxane found in shampoos and bath products.

"The products are dangerous because they increase our children's cancer risk," said author David Steinman.

Steinman first started testing products for the carcinogen when his daughter asked for Hello Kitty bubble bath.

He said he found a majority of products contain 1,4-dioxane.

"In animal studies it's a known carcinogen. It is known to definitely cause cancer -- liver cancer and various other cancers," said Dr. Hong-Chang Liang, with the SDSU Chemistry Department.

Liang said 1,4-dioxane is created during the manufacturing process, but don't look for it on the label -- it's not listed. That's because it comes from mixing different ingredients together -- a by-product.

The law states by-products are not required to be listed, which shocked Porreco.

"I think they should do something about it," said Porreco.

She was equally surprised when 10News took her products to an independent lab, West Coast Analytical Services, to be tested.

The lab took a sample and heated it for an hour at 80 degrees Celsius.

Todd Nute analyzed Porreco's Aveeno Baby Wash and Shampoo, Garnier Fructice Shampoo and Huggies Baby Shampoo.

Nute said he found 1,4-dioxane in all three.

"If you're exposed to enough of it, over a long enough period of time, there's a chance you could get cancer from being exposed to it," said Nute.

How much is too much? The manufacturers, which regulate the amounts themselves, say the levels pose no risk to consumers.

"It's very simple and very inexpensive to remove, that's what is so ironic about this," said Steinman.

Steinman said it's going to take public pressure or congressional action to get 1,4-dioxane removed.

The FDA says that the amount of 1,4-dioxane in products is not harmful to people so no warning is needed. Also, manufacturers have worked to reduce the amount, even though the FDA sets no limits.

Johnson & Johnson stands by the safety of its products, stating there is no risk and that 1,4-dioxane also occurs naturally in some foods.

Although 1,4-dioxane is not listed on the label, there are some clues that it's there.

Look for the words sodium laureth sulfate, or peg.

There are manufacturers that don't use 1,4-dioxane, among them, California Baby and Aubrey Organics.

Read Johnson & Johnson statement

Read L’Oréal Group statement

Read FDA statement

For more information on choosing safer products, click on Campaign For Safe Cosmetics