Many other companies use cornstarch in their baby powder products. Talcum powder is made from talc, the softest mineral on the planet. Hardness in minerals is measured by a scratch scale, so the softest mineral could be scratched by every other mineral, and would be unable to make a scratch on any mineral. Talc is made up of magnesium, silicon, and oxygen.
It is usually used in products like paint, ceramics, plastic, and rubber, but is also found in blush, eye shadow, and chewing gum. In , a small study done by British researchers found a link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer. The researchers analyzed 13 ovarian cancer tumors and found talc particles deeply embedded in 10 of the tumors. A study in confirmed the link between genital use of talc powder and an increased risk of ovarian cancer. Today, the link has been confirmed by at least 20 additional studies.
Though the exact cause of the link remains unknown, many scientists speculate that fine talc particles sprinkled near the genitals could end up traveling to the ovaries where they cause chronic inflammation and increase the risk of cancerous tumors. Ovarian cancer is one of the most deadly cancers; it is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Every year about 20, women in the U.
It can be difficult to diagnose because it has no regular screening test and no known causes. The odds of a woman in the United States being diagnosed with ovarian cancer are about 1 in Medical studies have found that the use of talcum powder increases the risk to 1 in 53 odds of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
The company already places a warning on baby powder packaging to tell consumers to avoid inhalation of the product as it can lead to dangerous conditions like mesothelioma.
