Talc. Another controversial ingredient allowed in cosmetics. We probably know talc best from the loose powder used in baby skin care. A few years ago, an uproar over this and several other cosmetic products containing talc led cosmetics regulators to take a closer look at this ingredient. Why can talc be dangerous to health?
What is talc and why is it so controversial? Talc is a mineral extracted from the earth and used in cosmetics and other industries. By itself, it is not dangerous or harmful to human health, but asbestos can often be found in its composition. It is also a fibrous mineral found in nature, but it is very harmful to human health, causing lung cancer and other lung diseases. In the European Union, including Lithuania, the use of asbestos and products containing it is prohibited. Raw material manufacturers offering talc as a cosmetic ingredient should also be aware of this fact, but as recent research shows, there are quite a few cases when talc used in cosmetics contains asbestos impurities.
What cosmetic products contain talc?
In which products will you find talc, as well as harmful asbestos? The most well-known product will probably be the popular baby powder with talc, which is certainly used by mothers in Lithuania as well. The saddest thing is that in studies conducted in 2019, asbestos impurities were found in one batch of this baby powder (source - Food Drug Administration, USA). The likelihood that this is not the only batch of baby powder produced over many years with asbestos impurities is really high, and the risk that such a powder could cause not only lung but also ovarian cancer is also considerable. In addition to this cosmetic product, talc is also used in many others - in dry powders, blushes, concealers, shadows, bronzers, products with a drying effect, as well as in children's decorative cosmetics. In the latter, asbestos impurities were detected in 2017, when a mother in the USA decided to check the children's decorative cosmetics (eyeshadow) used by her six-year-old daughter, and subsequent additional tests revealed that a significant number of other cosmetic products from that manufacturer were also contaminated with asbestos impurities. On March 9 of this year, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a report on the tests conducted, in which asbestos impurities were again detected in 9 of the 52 different cosmetic products with talc tested.
Maybe this substance should be avoided in cosmetics?
In fact, the situation with the use of talc in cosmetics is controversial. I would say that serious control measures should be taken - mandatory testing of all talc used in cosmetic production, and testing of cosmetic products before they are released on the market. Or banning the use of this substance in cosmetic products. Unfortunately, for now, no matter what the results of the research, only products that have been tested and contaminated with asbestos impurities are ordered to be removed. And the likelihood that we still have a number of harmful products with talc on the market is certainly considerable. Although I always try to remain impartial, this time my advice would be to avoid using products that contain talc. You will find it in cosmetic products under the name "talc".
