Talcum powder has been a staple in many homes around the world for many years its been used for everything from keeping babies comfy to being added to many cosmetics for both adults and children .
There has been a lot of news lately regarding asbestos and baby powder and asbestos and talc powder products . Just like asbestos talk is a naturally occuring mineral wikipedia describes is as
“Talc or talcum is a clay mineral composed of hydrated magnesium silicate” unfortunately these two minerals asbestos and talk can be found together in the ground and the cancer council of Australia has said recently
“According to the Cancer Council of Australia, in its natural form, some talc may contain asbestos, which is known to cause cancer. That’s because geologically,talc and asbestos can naturally form alongside each other. But not every talc deposit is contaminated with asbestos.”
So what is the risk and what types of cancer may be caused by asbestos. Here is a list of known cancers and diseases caused by asbestos .
- Mesothelioma
- Asbestosis
- Lung Cancer
- Laryngeal Cancer
- Ovarian Cancer
- Testicular Cancer
- Pleural plaques
- Pleural thickening
- Pleural effusion
- Mesothelioma
Currently there is no cure for many of these types of cancer . So what are the alternatives ? Currently there is no research to suggest that cornstarch based powders pose any risk to your health . Experts recommend that you use all powders carefully and avoid inhaling any powder is best practice . because cornstarch powder is made from processes corn and not mixed with any minerals it cannot contain asbestos unless it is added on purpose, so we recommend choosing cornstarch powder that is 100% cornstarch powder .