Views from all sides: talcum powder for women health

Talcum is a clay mineral with the chemical formula Mg3Si4O10(OH)2. Talcum powder is often combined with corn starch and used as baby powder. The mineral is used as a thickener and lubricant and is an ingredient in ceramics, paints and roofing materials. It is also a major ingredient in many cosmetics. The biggest concerns about a possible link between talcum powder and cancer focus on two groups of people: people who work in environments with long-term exposure to natural talc fibers, such as talc miners, who may be at high risk of lung cancer; and women who frequently use talcum powder on their reproductive areas, who may have an increased risk of ovarian cancer. This article mainly lists different views on talcum powder for women health.

An epidemiological study published by the American Association for Cancer Research in 2016 found an increased risk of ovarian cancer in African-American women who used talcum powder in their private parts. The study also showed that talcum powder particles may produce an inflammatory response when inhaled into the body.

Dr. Robyn Andersen, an ovarian cancer researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in the United States, said that because the powder is composed of finely ground particles, talcum powder for women may be able to move along the mucous membranes in the vagina and eventually enter the ovaries. There, the powder may cause inflammation and eventually cancer.

However, a study published in the National Cancer Research Journal in 2014, which examined data from about 60,000 women, found no link between powder use and ovarian cancer risk.

Scientists who suspect that talcum powder for women may have a link to cancer are cautious and basically add the word "may" to their conclusions. In fact, quite a few scientists doubt that all powders that come into contact with female reproductive organs for a long time will cause cancer. A 2013 study analyzed nearly 20,000 people and found that those who used any type of powder on their private parts were 20% to 30% more likely to develop ovarian cancer than those who did not use any powder. The results of this study concluded that avoiding the use of powder products on the genitals may be a strategy to reduce the incidence of ovarian cancer.

The carcinogenicity of talcum powder for women may be related to asbestos impurities contained in the raw materials. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a subsidiary of the World Health Organization, has classified asbestos as a Class 1 carcinogen. As the Johnson & Johnson talcum powder incident fermented, many large cosmetics companies abandoned talcum powder. At present, China has not yet included talcum powder in the list of restricted raw materials for management, but has stipulated that asbestos is a harmful substance in cosmetics. However, under the current process conditions, talcum powder cannot completely remove asbestos components during processing, so it is still necessary to consider the risks and choose carefully.