Is Any Kind of Baby Powder Safe to Use?

Johnson & Johnson is willing to pay almost $9 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits alleging that its talcum powder caused cancers, the company announced Apr. 4. The proposal is the latest chapter in a long-running saga related to the company’s use of talc—a naturally occurring mineral that has been linked to cancer—in its baby powder. Johnson & Johnson stopped selling baby powder containing talc in North America in 2020, and last year announced plans to discontinue global use of the mineral and sell only a cornstarch-based baby powder formula. At the time, Johnson & Johnson representatives said in a company statement that the shift was a “commercial decision” to “meet the needs of our consumers, customers and evolving global trends.” In an Apr. 4 statement, the company maintained its “longstanding position that its talcum powder products are safe.” [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Talc is not banned in the U.S., but today, many baby powder brands instead use cornstarch, which is used as an absorbent in cosmetics. While cornstarch is likely a safer choice than talc, some experts say it still comes with health risks. Here’s what to know. The health risks of talc-containing and cornstarch-based baby powder Just as parents use baby powder to keep their infants’ skin dry and free of rashes, some adults apply the product to their genitals, inner thighs, feet, or other parts of the body to ...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Cancer healthscienceclimate Source Type: news