This is some scary news and will change the way you use your bathroom. Are you ready? It turns out that there is a product you have on your bathroom shelf that is dear to you but is risking your life. It is a ubiquitous staple in the household and has been proven to have a link with cancer. And there have been tons of cases too.
So, what is this product and how is it affecting so many lives?
Talcum powder! Yes.The same product that parents use all over their baby’s body. It isn’t just the powder but all the other products that have traces of it.
Johnson & Johnson has been in a bit of a whiff recently.
It has been claimed that the powders contain cancer-causing elements.
In over three months, the company has lost over two lawsuits against the customers.
The customers claim that their talcum powder contributed to Ovarian cancer diagnosis.
It all started off when a lady from St. Louis, Gloria Ristesund was awarded $55 million in damages after being diagnosed with Ovarian cancer in 2011.
She claimed that she had been using the powder for over 35 years now.
But the company, on the other hand, released a statement standing by their product.
The spokesperson for Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Carol Goodrich said, “Multiple scientific and regulatory reviews have determined that talc is safe for use in cosmetic products and the labelling on Johnson’s Baby Powder is appropriate.”
The claims caused a massive rage in the consumers, and then there were more complaints about the product.
Although the Health Organizations were a bit vague with their statements, they did mention that there are certain ways to use the talcum.
The safety card for the powder reads: “This substance may have effects on the lungs, resulting in talc pneumoconiosis.”
Not just this but this was proven way back in the 1960s too when Literature from the American Academy of Pediatrics has advised against using talc-containing baby powder on infants.
But, what exactly links cancer to talcum powders?
While the American Cancer Society states it quite clear that the talc is not a known carcinogen, it does accept that is has been advised that the substance may cause ovarian cancer if and only if exposed directly to the genital area.
As far as Gloria’s case is concerned, according to, to her, she used to apply the talc liberally as her feminine hygiene is concerned.
However, the research in this area continues, it is greatly advised that women should not use it as their daily hygiene routine.
What other products does talc contain?
Talc is used in all the matte products that ladies use on a daily basis. Apart from lipsticks, a lot of eyeshadows and blush contain talc too.
While talc can be found in the main products used daily, it is the way of using that decreases the adverse effects of cancer-causing agents.
Be it whatever; It does make us wonder what other dairy products are unsafe?