Johnson & Johnson to end sales of talc-based powder

Johnson & Johnson is saying goodbye to talc-based baby powder. The company announced it will end sales of the substance worldwide next year and will replace the key ingredient with cornstarch.

Anyone living in America won’t notice a change. The company made the switch in the United States back in 2020.

Talcum powder, which is still found in dozens of other products like cosmetics, medications, gum and deodorant, has had a controversial health history. Though Johnson & Johnson said its talc-based powder is safe, there have been tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging the substance can cause cancer, CNN reported. And those health concerns are not completely unfounded.

For decades, talc has been applied to all sorts of consumer products. In the 1990s, the Food and Drug Administration ordered condom makers to stop using talc on their products over health worries for women, according to the New York Times. There have been significant scientific literature and studies about the possible links between the use of talc-based powders in the genital area and ovarian cancer. However, the FDA said, “These studies have not conclusively demonstrated such a link, or if such a link existed, what risk factors might be involved.”

And the Journal of the American Medical Association, which conducted the largest study on the matter to date, said in a 2020 report that “there was not a statistically significant association between use of powder in the genital area and ovarian cancer.”

Despite ongoing reports from the government and JAMA, there are ongoing lawsuits — and advertisements for lawsuits — based on the claim of a connection between talc and cancer. And the health concerns have been significant enough to turn a lot of people off the Johnson & Johnson product. The company said its decision to drop talc altogether will simplify product selection and meet global demand.