Hello Beauties!
Today's blogpost will be discussing the truth about talc. Several blogposts back I wrote about parabens. All my research really opened my eyes. I wanted to continue this series and figure out if these ingredients are harmful to your health. Why the sudden push for "Talc-Free" products? I will be sharing all my research and give you my thoughts and opinions.
What is Talc?
Talc is an ingredient found in cosmetics and personal care products. It is used as an absorbent to decrease moisture and friction, help in makeup opacity, prevent caking, and help prevent rashes (ie. baby powder).
Talc is a natural occurring soft mineral. It is made up of magnesium, silicon, and oxygen.
How do you spot them in your products?
Easy! You just have to spot the word Talc on the ingredients label. I found it in a majority of cosmetic products. If it is present it will be one of the very first ingredients.
Is Talc Safe?
One of the main concerns about the safety of talc is potential asbestos contamination. Asbestos and Talc are both naturally occurring minerals that can be found in close proximity. Unlike Talc, asbestos is know to be cancer causing. The FDA considers it unacceptable for the talc used in cosmetics to contain any asbestos. They have done surveys to test cosmetic products for asbestos contamination. These surveys found no asbestos fibers in cosmetic products containing talc.
Another worry about talc is its possible link to lung and ovarian cancer. I went through a ton of research to figure out if this link is supported. Well, thankfully for me, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (that is a subset of the World Health Organization) compiled a ton of research. Based on their comprehensive review, the agency found that inhaled talc (asbestos free) is not cancer causing in humans. The agency found that the use of talc based body powders in the private area may possibly be cancer causing in humans. Translation: There is no increased risk for lung cancer but there is a possible increase risk for ovarian cancer.
My Thoughts...
Now, the research on talc is so confusing! There is a potential link between talc use in the private area and ovarian cancer. However, I feel more research is needed to come to a strong conclusion. The more I research and read, the more I am unsure. Does that mean the cosmetics I use on my face are dangerous? Or, should I only be worried about the products i use around my private areas?
All in all, I am going to be more conscious about products that contain talc. In the future, I am going to try and limit my use of talc containing cosmetics. I need more evidence!!!! Just remember that all the studies done thus far are inconclusive. Please use your best judgement and be a smart consumer.
I hope you all found this blogpost to be helpful. I want you all to be well informed, so now you can make your own decision. Please leave any comments, feedback, or requests down below. Stay Beautiful, Stay True!
Geek2Chic - Christine
Resources:
http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductsIngredients/Ingredients/ucm293184.htm
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/athome/talcum-powder-and-cancer
http://cosmeticsinfo.org/HBI/26
http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol93/mono93.pdf
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