The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) withdrew a proposal that would have required makeup manufacturers to test talcum powder and cosmetics made with talc for trace amounts of asbestos, citing the need for further “consideration and assessment.”
[1]
The move surprised and disappointed public health advocates, who have been pushing to better regulate or even eliminate asbestos in consumer products.
[2]
Asbestos is a mineral contaminant known to cause certain kinds of cancer, especially mesothelioma, lung cancer, and ovarian cancer.
The FDA’s decision to withdraw its proposed rule requiring standardized testing for asbestos in talc-based cosmetics is “dangerous and irresponsible,” said Scott Faber, the senior vice president for government affairs at Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group, in a statement.
[3]
“Needlessly exposing people to asbestos in personal care products will not make Americans healthy again,” said Faber.
What Is Talc? What Is It Used For?
Talc is a soft, silky mineral (actually the softest mineral in the world) that reduces moisture and prevents clumping. It’s best known for its past use as baby powder.
[4]
Those qualities are why talc is an ingredient in a wide range of beauty products. “It’s found in eye shadow, foundation, bronzer, blush, facial powder, concealer, and more. Unless you’ve been shopping to specifically avoid it, it’s likely in cosmetics in your makeup drawer,” says Tasha Stoiber, PhD, a senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group (EWG).
Asbestos is also a mineral, and it can end up contaminating talc because they often exist side by side in adjacent mineral deposits. “There are no safe levels of exposure to asbestos,” Dr. Stoiber says.
When EWG purchased and tested cosmetics products in 2020, “Talc contaminated with asbestos was found in about 15 percent of the products tested,” Stoiber says.
[5]
Beyond makeup, manufacturers use talc in pharmaceutical and industrial applications as well as in gum, powdered foods, and grains. But it is becoming less common in food, replaced by cornstarch or cellulose, says Stoiber.
The FDA Withdrawal Means That Manufacturers Don’t Have to Test Products for Asbestos — for Now
In the FDA withdrawal announcement, the agency said it may consider regulating an even broader range of talc-containing products — but the direction and any future testing guidelines are up in the air for now.
[1]
The lack of testing and oversight of talc in makeup is a problem, says Stoiber.
“Consumers need a greater level of transparency and required testing to know that the products they are purchasing are not contaminated,” she says.
The safety of talc depends on its purity; contamination with asbestos presents the primary concern, says Stoiber.
“Even brief exposures to asbestos can increase the risk of disease, particularly for products applied to the face, where they can be inhaled, which is why improved testing standards are warranted,” she says.
Should You Be Concerned About the Health Risks of Talc?
Johnson & Johnson stopped selling talcum-based baby powder in the United States in 2020 after lawsuits and reports suggested that the company knew that the product posed a cancer risk. But the risk of talc in makeup is still unclear.
[6]
A comprehensive review of 77 studies found that the overall evidence didn’t show talc exposure caused cancer in humans. In particular, the review found no link between cancer risk and modern cosmetic talc, which is typically more than 98 percent pure and sourced from mines selected for low asbestos content.
[7]
Joellen Schildkraut, PhD, MPH, an epidemiology professor and researcher at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University in Atlanta, says that it’s unclear if talc in makeup poses a cancer risk.
“I think if it comes to inhalation, the concern is that it would induce an inflammatory response that could have health consequences, including cancer risk,” says Dr. Schildkraut.
But right now, the evidence is weak when it comes to potential negative health effects of exposure to cosmetic talc, she adds.
As far as talc in any gum, foods, or medicines, evidence suggests that it doesn’t have much of an effect on health because the GI tract doesn’t absorb it, says Schildkraut.
Talc May Not Be Worth the Risk if You Can Avoid It
Schildkraut was a coauthor of a monograph on talc and cancer risk published in 2024 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The group did not find conclusive evidence that talc is a carcinogen (a substance that causes cancer). But because of the potential for talc to be contaminated with asbestos, the group concluded that talc is “probably” carcinogenic to humans when inhaled.
[8]
Schildkraut says it’s best to avoid using talc if possible, “but I think it would be hard to completely avoid it.”
List of Talc Ingredients to Avoid
Stoiber and EWG recommend avoiding cosmetics, including eye shadow, blush, and powders, that contain these ingredients:
- Talcum powder
- Talc
- Magnesium silicate (the chemical name for talc)
Instead, look for cream-based blush, eye shadow, and other talc-free products, Stoiber says.
Avoiding talc is “especially important for children because makeup in powder form can be easily inhaled into little lungs,” says Stoiber.
She also says you shouldn’t buy ‘toy’ makeup kits, which are often made with cheap and potentially hazardous ingredients, including asbestos-contaminated talc, lead, and other chemicals linked to serious health hazards.
Consumers Are on Their Own Until the FDA Sets Testing Standards
Stoiber points out that a law passed in 2022 — the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA) — requires manufacturers of talc-containing cosmetic products to test for asbestos. But the requirement cannot be implemented until the FDA establishes a standardized testing method, she says.
Until there is required testing and more transparency in the supply chain, consumers will have to do the heavy lifting to find out if their cosmetics have talc in them, says Stoiber.
EWG evaluates products and offers a searchable product directory called Skin Deep to help you choose makeup and other personal-care products with safer ingredients.
