Even from ancient times, this mineral has served a role in handling daily self-care. But in recent years, talcum powder, specifically baby powder, has come under fire. What was once the solution for resolving body odor, and keeping skin dry in humid climates, is not a cause of cancer. As many talcum powder attorneys have seen, thousands of women are filing charges against companies, including Johnson and Johnson, it’s clear that talc can cause cancer. So why do we keep using it?
Historically, talc, a mineral that is among the asbestos family, has served for self-care and skin treatment. Can and should you still use talc? Is it possible that after years or maybe decades of use, you have developed cancer?
Talc, Talcum, and Asbestos Discoveries
Talcum is the name of the powder formed from the mineral talc. The mineral itself contains three primary elements: magnesium, silicon, and oxygen. When ground into its powder form, talcum can absorb moisture better than alternatives, eliminate frictions, and preserve the skin.
Talcum powder was first invented in 1894, but that’s only the first widely commercialized form. Talc is a mineral that was used long before then. Johnson and Johnson created the first talcum powder, that 1894 recipe. Unfortunately, what they didn’t know at the time and didn’t disclose later was that the mineral talc naturally occurs near asbestos.
Asbestos is another mineral that’s woven into fabrics, used in building materials, and more. In 1990 a London hospital discovered during postmortem investigations that asbestos in the lungs was linked to pulmonary fibrosis. Soon after, doctors widely recognized a trend between cancer and asbestos.
However, it wasn’t until the 1960s after many buildings and homes were built with asbestos, did anyone do anything about it. In New York, the Mount Sinai School of Medicine exposed the high mortality rate between workers who handled asbestos insulation and lung cancer. The use of asbestos in building materials continued until 1978.
Cosmetic Uses
Have you thought about thickening your eyelashes? Dusting baby powder across your eyes can have a volumizing effect before applying mascara.
As mentioned above, inherently, talc itself doesn’t cause cancer, but it’s close proximity, and contamination from asbestos certainly does. It doesn’t stop the beauty community, though! For decades women have used talcum powder for setting powder to dull the oil on their face after applying makeup.
Additionally, many women use talcum powder to remove makeup and grease stains, and even to ease facial waxing pain. These cosmetic uses, however, don’t touch on the biggest role of talcum powder—odor and moisture control.
In the modern-day, many adult women use baby powder to reduce moisture in the genital region and prevent chafing. It’s action as a deodorant is just an extra benefit. But it’s this cosmetic use that has led to many cases of cancer.
What’s the Deal with Baby Powder Now?
Even with major lawsuits from thousands of women, usage of baby powder has generally stayed the same—usage among adults averages between 84 to 89 million users each year. People using baby powder are often looking to reduce chafing and to keep their skin dry. But women, unlike men, aren’t going to choose a powder such as Goldbond that has menthol which would not be pleasant give the body region.
Baby powder can soothe dry and irritated skin in a way that a lotion, balm, and other alternative powders can’t. It’s difficult, but many women didn’t know that baby powder was intended for very short term use during our life. They weren’t aware that the continued use of chafing and odor relief would lead to cancer.
Talcum Powder Attorneys Can Help You File Your Lawsuit
If you receive a positive cancer diagnosis for uterus, ovarian, or other cancers within the perennial region, contact our talcum powder attorneys. Talc or baby powder use, specifically from Johnson and Johnson, has a clear connection between cancer development in women who use it regularly. After that diagnosis, you may face trouble paying for medical bills, the loss of your job from the demands of treatment, and more.
To handle your talcum powder personal injury case, contact our talcum powder attorneys. All too often, women use this powder as a relief for their skin and for self-care reasons, and it leads to cancer and treatment that derails their life. Take charge of your life, put the company responsible for misrepresenting this product under the spotlight, and have them take responsibility. With proper legal help from Rueb Stoller Daniel, you have a real chance to pursue compensation for the damages you’ve personally experienced.
