Facts about Talc
The Facts on
Talcum Powder Safety

About Talcum Powder

  • What is talcum powder?

    Talcum powder is the refined, powdery form of the softest mineral on earth: talc. Talc is an “inert” ingredient, meaning it does not generate a chemical reaction when ingested or used on the skin. People have taken advantage of its natural smoothness, safety and absorbency since ancient Egyptian times.1

    Where does our talc come from?

    Talc is found in rock deposits all over the planet and is mined like many other minerals. Only pharmaceutical grade talc is used in our baby powder.

    How is talcum powder made?

    Once it is taken from the earth, talc is partially crushed, sorted and assigned a grade. The talc ore that meets our standards is then milled to a powder, tested for particle size and confirmed to meet Johnson & Johnson’s purity requirements.

Talc is Safe

Talc has been used for centuries.

It’s the softest mineral on earth, and has been used for a variety of applications dating back to ancient Egypt.2

Talc is more common than you think.

It’s in the foods we eat, including chewing gum, rice and olive oil, and many products we use every day (like makeup, soap and antiperspirant.)1,2,3

Talc is safe.

Research, clinical evidence and nearly 40 years of studies by independent medical experts around the world continue to support the safety of talc.

Talc does not cause cancer.

The National Cancer Institute’s Physician Data Query Editorial Board concluded that the weight of evidence does not support an association between perineal talc exposure and increased risk of ovarian cancer.

Decades of Safety

We continue to use talc in our products because decades of science have reaffirmed its safety. Your trust in Johnson’s Baby Products and your confidence using them every day is a huge responsibility – that’s why we only use ingredients that are deemed safe to use by the latest science.

Research, clinical evidence and over 40 years of studies by medical experts around the world continue to support the safety of cosmetic talc. Health authorities around the world have reviewed the data on talc, and it is used widely across the globe.

Even with talc’s long history of safe use in consumer products, some have questioned whether using talcum powder can increase a person’s risk of developing cancer. Recently, there have been questions raised as to whether the talc used in consumer products is contaminated with asbestos. The weight of the science does not support any claim that our talc products cause cancer.

Thousands of tests repeatedly confirm that our consumer talc products do not contain asbestos. Our talc comes from ore sources confirmed to meet our stringent specifications. Not only is our talc routinely tested to ensure it does not contain asbestos, our talc has also been tested and confirmed to be asbestos-free by a range of independent laboratories and universities.

You’ve probably read news stories about lawsuits claiming Johnson’s Baby Powder can cause ovarian cancer or mesothelioma.
Johnson’s uses only pure, pharmaceutical grade talc. We test every lot to ensure it. But don’t take our word for it. Explore the facts and make up your own mind.
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