Both asbestos and talc are soft minerals mined from the Earth. The problem is that asbestos is often found near talc, and the mining process makes it hard to keep them separate. For instance, tremolite – one type of asbestos – is frequently found in talc deposits.

The FDA knew talc was contaminated with asbestos in the 1970s

By the 1970s and possibly earlier, the FDA knew there was a relationship between asbestos-contaminated talc and ovarian cancer. In 1973, the FDA drafted legislation to limit the amount of asbestos in cosmetic-grade talc, however, it never became law.

The cosmetics industry says they have willingly reduced asbestos levels in talc, but not all companies actually bother to reduce asbestos levels.

Is there scientific evidence that asbestos-contaminated talc causes cancer?

Asbestos is a known carcinogen, and there is overwhelming scientific evidence that using asbestos-contaminated talc can cause ovarian cancer and mesothelioma.

For example, this 2014 study found that a “historic” brand of talcum powder contained asbestos, and using the powder released asbestos fibers into the air where they could easily be inhaled. The study also explains that pleural mesothelioma was found in lung and lymph node tissue during an autopsy of a woman who died from mesothelioma. The study states, “digestion of the tissues were found to contain anthophyllite and tremolite asbestos.”

Many studies link talc to cancer

The earliest study linking talcum powder to ovarian cancer was published in 1971 in The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the British Commonwealth. The study, titled Talc and Carcinoma of the Ovary and Cervix, revealed that talc particles were present in 75% of the ovarian and cervical tumors removed from 13 women.

A 2017 study published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention discovered a “weak, but statistically significant association between genital use of talc and ovarian cancer, which appears to be limited to serious carcinoma.” The study, titled Genital Use of Talc and Risk of Ovarian Cancer: A Meta-Analysis notes that the evidence is not consistent. However, other studies have demonstrated consistency.

A 2018 study published in Epidemiology found a consistent association between using talc in the genital area and development of ovarian cancer. The study, titled Perineal Talc Use and Ovarian Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis found that “any perineal talc use was associated with increased risk of ovarian cancer.” The study concluded that there is a “consistent association between perineal talc use and ovarian cancer.”

An earlier study from 1997 titled Perineal Talc Exposure and Risk of ovarian Carcinoma found that “exposure to talc may increase risk of ovarian carcinoma.”

Can asbestos-free talc cause cancer?

Contaminated talc isn’t the only issue. A 1993 study conducted by the National Toxicology Program showed that inhaling even asbestos-free talc was carcinogenic to rats and mice.

While there are no current studies that positively link pure talc to cancer, the effects of long-term use still suspect. Since inflammation is a major cause of cancer, and talc can cause inflammation, it’s a product people should use with caution. When an inhalable, inflammatory substance like talc is contaminated with asbestos, it greatly increases the risk of developing cancer.

Internal memos show J&J knew about asbestos contamination

During a 2019 trial, Johnson & Johnson was exposed to have known their talc was contaminated with asbestos. Internal memos presented at trial revealed that between 1971 and the early 2000s, Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder lab tests sometimes came back positive for asbestos. The positive tests included raw talc and finished talcum powder products.

All the way back in the 1950s, J&J found out their main source of talc from Italy contained tremolite – one of 6 asbestos minerals. Lab reports from 1957 and 1958 identified the contamination as tremolite and described it as “fibrous, acicular, and needle-like.”

At that time, J&J was only concerned about asbestos contamination making their products abrasive. A November 1, 1967 memo revealed that J&J’s source of talc in the 1960s was also contaminated with asbestos.

Documents show J&J was on a hunt for clean talc, but company officials were persuaded to change their approach by the executive director of their talc supply, William Ashton. Ashton told J&J officials it’s normal to find tremolite with talc and got the company to start figuring out how much asbestos they can safely have in their talcum powder.

When discussing the unavoidable nature of tremolite in talc, one doctor told J&J executives to get a lawyer and be prepared for litigation in the future.

Not only did J&J know their talc was contaminated with asbestos, but they continued to tell the public their talc was perfectly clean.

After asbestos turned up in the lungs of deceased people who never worked around asbestos, the Nixon administration called a press conference to discuss the asbestos-contaminated talc. Johnson & Johnson told the public “Our fifty years of research knowledge in this area indicates that there is no asbestos contained in the powder manufactured by Johnson & Johnson.”

Several months later, a mineralogist wrote to J&J to let them know his team found chrysotile asbestos in its baby powder. Another lab test performed by Thomas E. Hutchinson, a professor from the University of Minnesota, found “incontrovertible asbestos” in Johnson & Johnson’s Shower to Shower product.

A test performed in 1974 at Dartmouth College found actinolite – another form of asbestos – in J&J talc. Another lab report from 1975 found “rather high” levels of asbestos fibers in 5 out of 17 samples taken from J&J’s main talc mine.

In 1976, J&J told the FDA their talc was asbestos-free and no J&J samples tested positive for asbestos between 1972-1973. The internal memos uncovered during trial showed that a J&J talc sample tested positive for asbestos in 1973.

Despite the evidence, J&J still denies their talc is contaminated, and that’s why juries are awarding cancer victims millions of dollars. The truth is out and J&J can’t hide anymore.

Are there any safe talc-based baby powder alternatives?

Technically, any talc-based product is suspect since it’s difficult or near impossible to remove all asbestos from talc. However, pure corn starch can be a good alternative to baby powder and other talc-based powder products.