"Today I saw mothers discussing that baby powder cannot be used on baby girls, but if it is not used, the baby will cover up in hot weather. Is there a better method to recommend?" Influenced by the recent lawsuit involving talcum powder in the United States, yesterday, the netizen "When I Met You" raised the above question on the social networking site.

Is talcum powder safe? Is there a correlation between it and ovarian cancer? With the arrival of summer, this issue has become the focus of public attention.

"The causes of tumors are relatively complex, and there is no inevitable causal relationship between talcum powder and tumors." Lu Yonghong, director of the Dermatology Department of Chengdu Second People's Hospital, told the Beijing News reporter that from the perspective of dermatology, talcum powder mainly plays a role in astringency and making the skin dry locally. It is widely used clinically, and basically no contact dermatitis and irritant dermatitis occur. Because talcum powder is non-fat soluble, it mainly acts locally and will not be absorbed into the human body through the skin.

Question 1

Is talcum powder safe to use in cosmetics?

Many countries have approved the use of talcum powder in cosmetics, and asbestos is prohibited

There are many brands on the market that have launched corn flour, pine pollen, and mica talcum powder, but talcum powder with talcum powder as raw material is still the mainstream of this category.

Talc is highly stable. It is a white powdery object with inactive chemical properties and no irritating odor. It is also the softest mineral in the world. When talcum powder is applied to the skin, it can effectively absorb water and oil on the surface of the skin, and also help relieve itching.

The Industry Expert Committee of the China Flavor and Fragrance Cosmetics Industry Association pointed out that talcum powder is often used as a lubricant, absorbent, filler, anti-caking agent, sunscreen, etc., and is widely used in various cosmetics, especially powdered cosmetics, including talcum powder.

The Beijing News reporter noticed that manufacturers and sellers of talcum powder talcum powder will emphasize "no asbestos" in their publicity.

Because talcum powder raw materials are accompanied by asbestos impurities, asbestos has been internationally recognized as a carcinogen. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) under the World Health Organization defines talc containing asbestos as "carcinogenic to humans"; while talc products that do not contain asbestos are "not classified as carcinogenic to humans."

Public information shows that talc is safe to use in cosmetics and personal care products, approved by many countries and regions around the world, including the United States, the European Union, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Israel, South Africa, Turkey, Indonesia, etc. For talc used in cosmetics, the laws and regulations of many countries and regions specifically regulate the use of talc, and all of them will have strict control requirements for asbestos residues in it.

The Chinese national standard "Talc" (GB/T15342-2012) stipulates that it is divided into 9 types according to its use, including "talc for cosmetics", "talc for coatings and paints", "talc for papermaking", and "talc for plastics". "Talc for cosmetics" is mainly used for moisturizing powder, beauty powder, talcum powder, etc. The national standard requires that asbestos minerals shall not be detected in talc used in cosmetics.

In the "Cosmetic Hygiene Standards" (2007 edition) and the "Cosmetic Safety Technical Standards" (2015 edition) to be implemented in December this year, "asbestos" is also listed as a prohibited component, that is, it cannot be used as a cosmetic raw material.

"When choosing talcum powder as a cosmetic raw material, cosmetic companies should strictly abide by relevant regulations. According to the existing relevant regulations, under normal, reasonable and foreseeable conditions of use, their products can be considered safe and will not cause harm to human health." On February 27, the Industry Expert Committee of the China Flavor and Fragrance Cosmetic Industry Association expressed the above view in a statement on the use of talcum powder in cosmetics.

Question 2

Is talcum powder related to ovarian cancer?

Multiple studies have found that there is no connection between the two

In the talcum powder litigation in the United States, the most critical point of controversy is whether talcum powder is related to ovarian cancer. The Beijing News reporter found that reports published by many authoritative institutions outside China in recent years and statements issued by official institutions and industry associations show that there is no correlation between the two.

The Nurses' Health Study established by the Harvard School of Public Health (published in 2010) and the Women's Health Observation Cohort Study established by the National Institutes of Health (published in 2014) are two widely recognized large-scale cohort studies. According to the research reports published by these two cohorts, no association was found between talc and ovarian cancer.

In 2015, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Committee (CIR) of the United States published a safety evaluation report on talc raw materials for cosmetics in the International Journal of Toxicology, evaluating the safety of talc that does not contain asbestos in cosmetics. Some cosmetics are composed entirely of talc, and most epidemiological studies have not found any necessary connection between increasing the contact time, frequency, or cumulative number of contacts with talc and the incidence of ovarian cancer.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also supports the safety of talcum powder. The above view was expressed in the content published on the official website of the agency on March 19, 2014. In April 2014, the FDA also rejected the application for "warning that the use of talcum powder can cause ovarian cancer", believing that after reviewing the relevant data research on talcum powder from the perspectives of chemistry, toxicology, epidemiology and etiology, no causal relationship was found between the use of talcum powder in the female perineum and ovarian cancer.

The responsibility of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is to identify potential risk factors for diseases, but the center has not identified talcum powder as a potential risk factor for ovarian cancer so far.

In addition to the United States, industry associations in the United Kingdom, China, Singapore and other countries have stated that there is no correlation between cosmetic talcum powder and cancer. On February 24 this year, the British Beauty, Cosmetics and Perfume Association (CTPA) issued a statement saying that the association believes that long-term research has proved that there is no correlation between cosmetic talcum powder and cancer. The industry association in Singapore also expressed the same view.

Question 3

Can infants and young children use talcum powder?

Relevant regulations state that it can be used, but it should be kept away from the nose and mouth

In China, a large proportion of the users of talcum powder are infants, and whether it is safe for infants to use talcum powder is also a focus of parents' attention.

According to the "Cosmetic Hygiene Standards" (2007 edition) and the "Cosmetic Safety Technical Standards" (2015 edition) to be implemented, "talc: hydrated magnesium silicate" is a restricted component of cosmetics and can be used in "powdered products and other products for children under 3 years old", and it is stipulated that when it is used in "powdered products for children under 3 years old", it is necessary to mark on the label "keep the powder away from the nose and mouth of children". The Beijing News reporter searched for "baby talcum powder" on Taobao and found that many brands such as Johnson & Johnson, Pigeon, Snoopy, and Jingrun Pearl all made relevant reminders in the "Precautions".

Zheng Guixiang, chief nurse of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Beijing Tongren Hospital, pointed out that since newborns have thin and tender skin and sweat a lot, it is necessary to apply an appropriate amount of baby powder to the wrinkles of their skin, such as under the neck, armpits and thigh roots, to avoid skin damage caused by friction. With their more than 20 years of clinical experience, baby powder has been used clinically for newborn skin care and has never had an abnormal reaction. In educating new mothers on the correct way to use talcum powder, it is recommended to first pour an appropriate amount of talcum powder into the mother's palm, and then evenly apply it to the baby's skin wrinkles. It is not advisable to smear it to prevent the talcum powder from getting into the baby's eyes, ears, mouth, and nose.

This edition was written by Beijing News reporter Wang Kara

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