Is Talcum Powder Safe ?

Baby powder made from cosmetic talc is one of JOHNSON’S^® oldest products and a longtime part of everyday baby care. Extensive research shows the safe use of the talc in our JOHNSON’S^® baby powder. Here you will find further detail to explain the science and safety behind JOHNSON’S^® baby powder.

What is talc?

Talc is a naturally occurring mineral. Its soft composition makes it perfect for cosmetic and personal care products. It has been used in many body powders for generations, and is also found in a variety of cosmetic products such as foundation and eye shadow.

How is JOHNSON’S^® baby powder made?

The grade of talc used in cosmetics is of high purity, comparable to that used for pharmaceutical applications, and is free from asbestos and asbestiform fibers. JOHNSON’S^® baby powder is only mined from select deposits from certified locations, and milled to relatively large, non-respirable particle size.

Does JOHNSON’S^® baby powder contain asbestos?

JOHNSON’S^® baby powder does not contain asbestos, a substance classified as cancer-causing. The talc used in all our global production is carefully selected and processed to be asbestos-free, which is confirmed by regular testing to confirm purity. Like all our products, JOHNSON’S^® baby powder contains only ingredients that have been fully evaluated by scientific and medical experts to ensure they are safe to use.

Does JOHNSON’S^® baby powder cause cancer?

No we do not cause cancer, we firmly believe that JOHNSON’S^® baby powder is safe to use. Decades of safety reviews by independent researchers and scientists have shown that cosmetic talc is safe to use with no proven causal link to cancer.

I have seen media articles on JOHNSON’S^® should I be concerned?

We do understand your concern linked to recent media reports.  We want to assure you, however, that we have no higher responsibility than the health and safety of consumers and the safety of cosmetic talc is supported by decades of scientific evidence. Since the early 1990s, many research papers and epidemiology studies have evaluated talc and perineal use and these studies have found talc to be safe.  In fact, the Nurses’ Health Study (2010) and the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Cohort (2014), the only two large-scale prospective studies looking at talc and ovarian cancer, found no causal relationship between talc and ovarian cancer.

The Cosmetic, Toiletry & Perfumery Association (CTPA) has further information on the safety of cosmetic talc available here: http://www.thefactsabout.co.uk/safety-of-cosmetic-talc/news/99/308/n

All JOHNSON’S^® baby products have been fully tested and evaluated by scientific and medical experts to ensure they are safe to use as directed.