Talc Asbestos Exposure Has Been Widespread

Consumers that have used talc-based cosmetics may have ingested cancer-causing asbestos for decades.

Tuesday, December 29, 2020 - Johnson & Johnson has countered jury decisions that have awarded hundreds of millions of dollars to women with talc asbestos cancer by saying that their baby powder is safe, pure, and asbestos-free. Test conducted by the Food and Drug Administration and independent talc testing labs says differently. Ingesting asbestos through talc-based cosmetics is dangerous and can lead to cancer. Scientists agree that there is no safe level of asbestos, and even one fiber can cause cancer now or long into the future. The Star authors recently interviewed the authors of a study into talcum powder used in Johnson's Baby Powder and makeup products like eye shadow, blush, and foundation, and found that talc is a health hazard. According to the Star, "Inhaling even the tiniest amount of asbestos in talc can cause mesothelioma and other deadly diseases many years after exposure, said Tasha Stoiber, one of the study's co-authors. How much talc is inhaled - and how much is contaminated with asbestos - is hard to know, but it only takes one asbestos fiber lodged in the lungs to cause mesothelioma decades later." Mesothelioma is a form of cancer of the lining of the lungs, the delicate tissues that need to be elastic to allow for normal inhalation and exhalation. Asbestos and also some types of talc themselves are microscopically razor-sharp and cause small cuts in that tissue. Inelastic scar tissue naturally forms when the cuts heal causing breathing difficulty that eventually causes the victim to suffocate to death. Talcum powder cancer attorneys are the national leaders on talcum powder cancer litigation and are committed to seeking justice no matter how complicated the case.

For decades people used talc liberally without reservation or consideration of the health hazards it presented. Women often used the product for feminine hygiene to absorb moisture and odor. Talc is dispensed from a specialized bottle designed to propel talc dust into a cloud. Barbers have brushed talc onto the back of the neck of their customers and in the process been exposed to talc asbestos many times per day. Mothers who have diapered a child two, three, four, or more times per day have also been exposed to vast amounts of talc asbestos. Deodorants manufactured by popular brands like Old Spice contained talc as the main ingredient along with other chemicals and fragrances. OldSpiceCollectibles.com describes the history of Old Spice Talc. "Talcum powder also went by several different names. Originally sold as "Talcum for Men" in 1938, it was briefly known as "Skin Tone Talcum" in 1954 and 1955. In 1954 the first metal can with a shaker top was introduced as "Body Talcum" and "Skin Tone Talcum" was renamed "After Shave Talcum." The Tin container of Body Talc eventually was replaced with a plastic shaker. From 1964 to 1982 "Deodorant Powder" was sold in a blue plastic shaker."

More than 20,000 lawsuits are pending in 2021 against Johnson & Johnson alleging baby powder is defective as sold and that they are liable for manufacturing and selling a hazardous product. Plaintiffs allege that company execs knew of talc asbestos contamination as early as the 1970s and intentionally concealed this information, failing to warn consumers.