Is Talcum Powder Safe?
We know that JOHNSON’S® is a trusted part of bath and bedtime routines across Australia and we want to make sure you have the answers.
While we no longer offer this formulation, the safety of talc-based JOHNSON’S® baby powder has been supported by years of independent testing by leading laboratories, universities and global health authorities.
Here you will find further detail to explain the science and safety behind talc-based JOHNSON’S® baby powder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Talc-based JOHNSON’S® baby powder is, and always has been, safe to use.
In Australia, the use of talc in products is regulated under established safety frameworks and is permitted for use, including in consumer products.
Talc is a naturally occurring mineral. Its soft composition makes it perfect for cosmetic and personal care products.
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. Talc-based JOHNSON’S® baby powder was only mined from select deposits from certified locations, and milled to relatively large, non-respirable particle size.
No. Talc-based JOHNSON’S® baby powder does not cause cancer and is safe to use.
Consumer trust in JOHNSON’S® Baby products is important to us – that’s why we use ingredients that are deemed safe to use by the latest science. Unfortunately, news coverage of lawsuits has created unfounded confusion and fear about talc, an ingredient that has been used safely in foods, cosmetic products and pharmaceuticals.
Decades of testing by medical experts at leading institutions around the world using the most state-of-the-art testing protocols demonstrates that talc-based JOHNSON’S® baby powder is safe, did not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer.
In 2022, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. publicly announced the global commercial decision to transition to an all cornstarch-based power portfolio, after discontinuing the product in North America in 2020. This transition was unrelated to the safety of the product but taken for commercial reasons to simplify and streamline its worldwide product offering. As a result, we no longer produce talc-based JOHNSON’S® baby powder, and the product was discontinued globally in 2023.
While talc-based JOHNSON’s Baby Powder is and has always been safe, today the product is made using cornstarch.
The most rigorous scientific studies conducted to date do not support any claims that talc use causes cancer.
Ovarian cancer
There have been four large cohort studies conducted in the United States - none of which found an increased risk of ovarian cancer from the use of talc.
The Nurse’s Health Study is the largest women’s health study ever conducted over 24 years. This U.S. government-funded cohort study has looked into risk factors for major chronic diseases in women since 1976 and studied 78,360 women, 31,789 who used talc, over a 24-year period. The study showed no overall increase in the risk of ovarian cancer for women who used talc.
Gertig, Prospective Study of Talc Use and Ovarian Cancer, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Nurses Health Study. Link to study: http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/92/3/249.full
The Women’s Health Initiative Study was established by the U.S. National Institutes of Health in 1991 to study the health of postmenopausal women. The study took place over 12 years with 61,576 women, 32,219 who used talc. The study showed no overall increase in the risk of ovarian cancer for women who used talc.
Houghton, Perineal Powder Use and Risk of Ovarian Cancer, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Women’s Health Initiative. Link to study:
http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/106/9/dju208.full
The Sister Study conducted from 2003-2009 with the support of the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences was a landmark research effort to find the causes of breast cancer. The study also included an analysis among participants to investigate associations between talc and ovarian cancer. The study took place over 6 years with 41,654 women, 5,735 who used talc. The study showed no overall increase in the risk of ovarian cancer for women who used talc.
Gonzalez, Douching, Talc Use and Risk of Ovarian Cancer, Epidemiology. NCBI - WWW Error Blocked Diagnostic
The JAMA Study was a major prospective cohort study funded by the US Government and published in January 2020 in the Journal of the American Medical Association It was the largest ever study of pooled data from four cohort studies (including the Nurse’s Health Study) comprising over 250,000 women, and concluded:
“In this pooled analysis of 4 large US cohorts, there was no statistically significant association between self-reported use of powder in the genital area and risk of ovarian cancer.”
O’Brien, Tworoger, Harris, et al., Association of Powder Use in the Genital Area With Risk of Ovarian Cancer. Link to study: Association of Powder Use in the Genital Area With Risk of Ovarian Cancer
Mesothelioma
There have been several epidemiologic studies conducted on miners and millers of talc—individuals who were exposed to high levels of talc daily as part of their jobs. These studies have shown that exposures to high levels of cosmetic talc do not increase the risk of mesothelioma.
Italian Miners and Millers study was a cohort study of 1,749 miners and millers who worked with cosmetic grade talc over decades, showed no higher incidence of mesothelioma or lung cancer despite their considerable occupational exposure.
Ciocan, Pira, Coggiola, et al., Mortality in the cohort of talc miners and millers from Val Chisone, Northern Italy: 74 years of follow-up. Link to study: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2021.111865
Want More Information?
Our first priority is helping you do what’s best for your baby. If you have a question you don’t see answered here, don’t hesitate to contact us for more information.