WITH the voluntary cessation of talc-based baby powder sales globally by Johnson & Johnson in 2023, the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) calls on the Health Ministry (MoH) to ban other imported and locally-produced talc-based baby powders.
MoH should institute the ban with immediate effect rather than to wait till next year. The existing stock of products containing talc should be returned to the respective manufacturers for a refund.
Johnson & Johnson will stop selling talc-based baby powder globally after facing thousands of consumer safety suits. In fact, it stopped selling the product in the United States more than two years ago.
The Food and Drug Administration found in recent studies that talc contains traces of asbestos-like fibres that are known to cause cancer and tumour. It has recently been considered carcinogenic. These should have been reasons to ban the use of talc at the earliest opportunity.
The ban on the use of talc in products should also be applied to other products as well such as blushes, foundations, concealers, eye shadows, face powders, mascaras, eyeliners, eyebrow pencils, and lipsticks containing carcinogen substances.
It was found that talc particles are capable of travelling up the reproductive system and embedding themselves in the lining of the ovaries.
Researchers have found talc particles in ovarian cancers and they have also found that women with ovarian cancer have used talcum powder in their genital area more frequently than healthy women.
CAP advises consumers to refrain from using products containing talc that might be labelled as talc or talcum powder, cosmetic talc or magnesium silicate in their ingredients. Cornstarch-based baby powder, rice powder (bedak sejuk), and aloe vera are safer alternatives. – The Vibes, August 19, 2022
Mohideen Abdul Kader is president of the Consumers Association of Penang.
