The Relationship Between
Talcum Powder and Asbestos:
By now, we’ve all heard about the toxic relationship between talcum powder and asbestos. Many of us grew up using Johnson & Johnson baby powder or used it on our children, helping to build the company’s squeaky clean image. But in-depth investigations by the New York Times and Reuters in 2018 revealed that Johnson & Johnson has that asbestos contaminated its talc for decades. Now that we are aware of the dangers of cosmetic talc, it’s time to raise the alarm about more products containing talc contaminated with asbestos.
What Does Asbestos Do?
Asbestos is a fibrous mineral with heat resistant properties. As a result, manufacturers worldwide once used asbestos in flame retardant fabrics, including children’s pajamas, construction materials, and heat-resistant items like brake pads. When materials containing asbestos burn or breakdown, they release asbestos fibers into the air, where people can then ingest or swallow them. This exposure can lead to mesothelioma, a deadly and aggressive cancer.Now that we know asbestos can cause cancer, federal regulations control how manufacturers can use it.
Asbestos Contaminating Talcum Powder
Talc is another soft mineral and often forms in deposits close to asbestos. As a result, when miners remove talc from the ground, asbestos often contaminates the talc. For decades Johnson & Johnson and other baby powder manufacturers dismissed public concerns about talc, insisting that its products didn’t contain asbestos. When Reuters and the New York Times published materials indicating that Johnson & Johnson knew that asbestos contaminated its talc, public confidence in the company faltered.Johnson & Johnson now faces nearly 20,000 lawsuits from people with cancer potentially caused by using their “squeaky clean” products. Finally, in May of this year, Johnson & Johnson announced that it would no longer use talcum powder in its baby powder marketed in the U.S. and Canada, only cornstarch.
Talc in Other Products
But Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder isn’t the end of it. Cosmetics don’t need pre-market approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As a result, manufacturers still use cosmetic talc in a wide range of personal products, baby powders, and make-up, including eye shadow, face powder, and blush. It’s time to hold manufacturers accountable for using talc in personal products.If you or a loved one are facing a cancer you think may have been caused by using talcum powder, you don’t have to go through this alone. Contact the Madeksho Law Firm for a free consultation. Call us at 888-910-6376 or contact us online.
