Talcum Powder

Talc is a naturally occurring mineral made up of magnesium, silicon, oxygen and hydrogen. It’s mined from rock deposits found around the world. The rocks are crushed, dried and milled into a fine, soft, white powder, known as talcum powder.

When finely ground, talc absorbs moisture, oils and odor, and it serves as a lubricant, providing soft, slippery surfaces that reduce friction. It also produces an astringent effect with human skin.

These properties make talcum powder an attractive ingredient to the personal care industry, which uses talc as an ingredient in common products that prevent skin irritation, chafing and body odors. Many baby powders, foot powders, medicated powders, cosmetics and intimate hygiene products contain talc. And about 40 percent of women are said to regularly use talcum powder.

Uses of Talc

The use of talc can be traced as far back as ancient Egypt. Ancient Assyrians and Native Americans also used talc for a variety of purposes.

Talcum powder was first introduced in the 19th century to alleviate skin irritation caused by medical plasters (protective dressings). Consumers soon noticed that talc was also helpful in calming diaper rash, and in 1893, Johnson & Johnson debuted Johnson’s Baby Powder.

For generations, talcum powder was a fixture in American bathrooms and nurseries, and it was assumed to be an innocuous and soothing substance. Parents, caregivers and nurses dusted the bottoms of infants as an inexpensive and effective way to treat diaper rash and other minor irritations.

Over time, product lines evolved, and women became a target market. Manufacturers targeted women by pitching talcum powder as a way of staying cool, comfortable and free of vaginal odors. It grew routine for women to dust their private parts, underwear and sanitary napkins with talcum powder, a practice associated with cleanliness and freshness in the minds of many Americans. At times, talcum powder was also used with diaphragms for birth control and was once found in a number of condoms.

Skin-care product developers also put the silky substance in face powders (both loose and pressed), powdered eye shadow and blush products to absorb moisture, prevent caking, make makeup more opaque and to improve the feel of a product. Talc is also an additive in tablets, chewing gum and some rice.

FDA, Talc & Asbestos

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) monitors cosmetic products for potential safety problems and takes action when products on the market are found to be unsafe. However, there is no law that requires cosmetic companies to share their safety information with the FDA. In fact, unlike with medications and medical devices, cosmetic products do not undergo FDA review or approval before they go on the market.

Since the 1970s, the FDA has periodically received questions about talc’s safety and whether products made with talc contain harmful contaminants, such as asbestos.

Asbestos is a cancer-causing substance. In its natural form, some talc contains asbestos. Both talc and asbestos are naturally occurring minerals and may be found near one another in the earth.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is part of the World Health Organization (WHO), classifies talc that contains asbestos as “carcinogenic to humans.”

The FDA says it’s unacceptable for cosmetic talc to contain asbestos. Talcum products sold in the U.S. have been asbestos-free since the 1970s.

“To prevent contamination of talc with asbestos, it is essential to select talc mining sites carefully and take steps to purify the ore sufficiently,” according to the FDA.

Because safety questions about the possible presence of asbestos in talc arise from time to time, the FDA contracted with AMA Analytical Services, Inc. (AMA) of Lanham, Maryland to conduct a laboratory survey of currently marketed cosmetic-grade raw material talc, as well as some cosmetic products containing talc.

The study, which ran from September 28, 2009 to September 27, 2010, found no signs of asbestos in the samples tested. However, the results were limited because only four talc suppliers submitted samples and the study only tested 34 products.

“For these reasons, while FDA finds these results informative, they do not prove that most or all talc or talc-containing cosmetic products currently marketed in the United States are likely to be free of asbestos contamination,” according to the FDA.

Lung Cancer and Serious Respiratory Diseases

Talc can cause respiratory problems, especially in infants. For this reason, the American Academy of Pediatrics and a majority of private pediatricians discourage use of baby powders containing talc.

As powder is applied, particles of talc become airborne. When inhaled, these particles can cause wheezing, fast and shallow breathing, coughing and in some cases acute or chronic lung irritation, known as talcosis.

Breathing in talc can also cause pneumonia and trigger asthma symptoms in certain people. Some studies show an increased risk of lung cancer and other respiratory diseases in people with long-term exposure to talc such as miners and millers, according to the CDC. In addition, inhalation studies in female rats have demonstrated carcinogenicity, according to the National Toxicology Program.

Uterine Cancer

According to the American Cancer Society more studies are needed to explore talc and the risk of uterine (endometrial) cancer. One study indicated that using talcum powder on genitals may slightly increase the risk of uterine cancer; others have not found a link between talcum powder use and this type of cancer.

Results of a study published in 2010 suggest that genital talcum powder use increases the risk of uterine cancer, particularly among postmenopausal women. The analysis included more than 66,000 women with nearly 600 cases of uterine cancer diagnosed between 1982 and 2004.

Women who said they had used talcum powder at least once showed a 21 percent increased risk of uterine cancer while women who said they regularly used talcum powder were associated with a 24 percent increase in risk.