Talc - Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

WHAT IS TALC? Talc is a mineral substance used in a variety of cosmetic and personal care products from baby powders to eye shadows. It is added to absorb ... GettheFacts ChemicalsofConcern Health&Science Regulations Reports SaferCosmeticsCompanies TakeAction ActionAlerts AboutUs ContactUs NewsCoverage PressReleases Donate HomeGettheFactsTalc Talc Sometalcmaycontaintheknowncarcinogenasbestos,thereforeitshouldbeavoidedinpowdersandotherpersonalcareproducts,unlessitisknowntobeasbestos-free.Evenasbestos-freetalcshouldbeavoidedinthepelvicareas. FOUNDIN:Babypowder,bodyandshowerproducts,lotions,femininehygieneproducts,eyeshadow,foundation,lipstick,deodorantsandfacemasks. WHATTOLOOKFORONTHELABEL:Talcumpowder,cosmetictalc WHATISTALC?Talcisamineralsubstanceusedinavarietyofcosmeticandpersonalcareproductsfrombabypowderstoeyeshadows.Itisaddedtoabsorbmoisture,smoothorsoftenproducts,preventcaking,andmakemakeupopaque.[1]MORE...Talcisalsousedasananti-stickingsubstanceinfoodproductsanddispersingagentinanimalfeedandfertilizers.[2]Talc-containingfemininehygieneproductsarewidelydistributedandcommonlyusedintheUnitedStates.[3] Talccanbeminedfromtheearthorproducedindustrially.[4]Sometalciscontaminatedwithasbestos,amineralsubstancelinkedtocancer,[5],[6] asaresultofitscloseproximityintheearth.Testingtalcsamplesforasbestosistheonlywaytoidentifycontamination.[7]Two-thirdsofbabypowderstestedinKoreacontainedasbestos.[8] Generally,theonlywayforconsumerstoknowifproductsarefreeofasbestosisifmanufacturersusetalcthatistestedandcertifiedasasbestos-free.However,onetypeofasbestosknownastremolitewasfoundincosmetictalcumpowderslabeled“tremolite-free,”suggestingthatthisapproachisnotfoolproof.[9],[10] Itisimportanttonotethattalccontainingasbestosdiffersfromasbestiformtalc,astheterm“asbestiform”describespatternsofmineralgrowthandnotthepresenceofasbestosorotherminerals.[11]However,therearesomeconcernsaboutoccupationalexposuretoasbestiformtalc,specificallylungdiseaseamongminersandindustrialworkers.[12] HEALTHCONCERNS:Irritation,cancer,organsystemtoxicityMORE... Irritation:Casestudiesofinfantsinhalingtalc-containingbabypowdershowedsevererespiratorydistress.[13],[14] Cancer:TheInternationalAgencyforResearchonCancerliststalccontainingasbestosascarcinogenictohumanswhileperinealuseoftalcisclassifiedaspossiblycarcinogenic.[15],[16]Talcuseislinkedtoendometrialandovariancancer.[17],[18]Cosmetictalcappliedtothepelvicarea,fromfemininehygieneproductsordiaperchanges,entersthebodyandcanreachdistantorgans.Thismayexplainwhytalchasbeenfoundinwomen’sovariesandpelviclymphnodes.[19],[20] Genitaltalcuseincreasesriskofendometrialcanceramongpostmenopausalwomen.[21],[22,],[23]  Forallwomen,riskmayincreasewithfrequencyofuse,althoughthisremainscontended.[24],[25],[26] Talcexposureisassociatedwithmesothelioma,atumoroftissueliningorganssuchasthelungs,stomach,andheart.Previoustalcumexposureisinvolvedinthedevelopmentandpathogenesisoflungcancer.WorkersintheNewYorktalcindustryweremorelikelytodevelopmesothelioma,whichwasattributedtoinhalationofdust.[27] Organsystemtoxicity:Talcelevateslungburden.Talcinhalationcaninterferewithmechanismsthatcleanlungsandmitigateinflammationtherebydamagingcellsandpotentiallyleadingtocancer.[28]Inhumanlungepithelialcells,nanoscaletalcparticlesdamagedandkilledcellswhileinducingoxidativestress,whichisthebuildupofharmfulmolecularagentsinthebody.[29]Asbestoswasfoundinthelungtissueandlymphnodesofwomenusingcosmeticpowderscontainingtalc.[30]Talcexposure,especiallyviapersonalcareproducts,canalsoleadtoadiseasedrespiratorytractascharacterizedbylaboredbreathingandcoughing.[31],[32],[33] Talcadverselyaffectsthefemalegenitalsystemresultingininfectionandinflammation.[34]Talcumpowderistoxictoovariantissueinrats.[35] VULNERBALEPOPULATIONS:Women,infants,children,miners,millers,andprocessorsoftalc REGULATIONS:TalcisrestrictedintheEuropeanUnion.[36] HOWTOAVOID:Avoidpersonalcareandcosmeticproductsthatcontaintalcifusedinthepelvicarea.Choosecompaniesthatcertifytheirtalcisfreeofasbestos. References [1]FDA.Talc.U.S.DepartmentofHealthandHumanServices,2014.Availableonline:http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductsIngredients/Ingredients/ucm293184.htm [2]InternationalAgencyforResearchonCancer.Carbonblack,titaniumdioxide,talc. IARCMonographsontheEvaluationofCarcinogenicRiskstoHumans,vol.93,pp1-419,2010.Availableonline:http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol93/mono93.pdf [3] InternationalAgencyforResearchonCancer.Carbonblack,titaniumdioxide,talc. IARCMonographsontheEvaluationofCarcinogenicRiskstoHumans,vol.93,pp1-419,2010.Availableonline:http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol93/mono93.pdf [4]InternationalAgencyforResearchonCancer.Carbonblack,titaniumdioxide,talc. IARCMonographsontheEvaluationofCarcinogenicRiskstoHumans,vol.93,pp1-419,2010.Availableonline:http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol93/mono93.pdf [5]FDA.Talc.U.S.DepartmentofHealthandHumanServices,2014.Availableonline:http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductsIngredients/Ingredients/ucm293184.htm [6][6]InternationalAgencyforResearchonCancer.Asbestos(chrysotile,amosite,crocidolite,tremolite,actinolite,andanthophyllite).IARCMonographs,vol.100C,pp219-309,2012.Availableonline:http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol100C/mono100C-11.pdf [7]FinleyB,PierceJ,PhelkaA,AdamsR,PaustenbahcD,ThuettK,BarlowC.Evaluationoftremoliteasbestosexposuresassociatedwiththeuseofcommercialproducts.CriticalReviewsinToxicology,vol.42,no.2,pp119-146,2012. [8]MoonM,etal.Riskassessmentofbabypowderexposurethroughinhalation.Toxicol.Res.,vol.27,no.3,pp137-141,2011.Availableonline: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3834382/. [9]Lopez-GalindoA,ViserasC,CerezoP.Compositional,technical,andsafetyspecificationsofclaystobeusedaspharmaceuticalsandcosmeticproducts.AppliedClayScience,vol.36,pp51-63,2007. [10]FinleyB,PierceJ,PhelkaA,AdamsR,PaustenbahcD,ThuettK,BarlowC.Evaluationoftremoliteasbestosexposuresassociatedwiththeuseofcommercialproducts.CriticalReviewsinToxicology,vol.42,no.2,pp119-146,2012. [11]BaanR.Carcinogenichazardsfrominhaledcarbonblack,titaniumdioxide,andtalcnotcontainingasbestosorasbestiformfibers:recentevaluationsbyanIARCMonographsworkinggroup.InhalationToxicology,vol.19,no.Suppl.1,pp213-228,2007. [12]ShakoorA,RahatullahA,ShahA,ZubairiA.Pulmonarytalcosis10yearsafterbriefteenageexposuretocosmetictalcumpowder.BMJCaseReports,pp1-5,2011.Availableonline: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3185388/ [13]GarlichF,NelsonL.Inhalationofbabypowder.EmergencyMedicine,vol.43,no.1,pp17-20,2013.Availableonline: https://mdedge-files-live.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/files/s3fs-public/Document/September-2017/043010017.pdf [14]MatinaF,ColluraM,MaggioM,VituloP,PiparoC,CorselloG.Inhaledsurfactantinthetreatmentofaccidentaltalcpowderinhalation:anewcasereport.ItalianJournalofPediatrics,vol.37,pp47,2011.Availableonline: https://ijponline.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1824-7288-37-47 [15]IARC.AgentsclassifiedbytheIARCMonographs,Volumes1-112,2015.Availableonline:http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Classification/ClassificationsAlphaOrder.pdf [16]InternationalAgencyforResearchonCancer.Carbonblack,titaniumdioxide,talc. IARCMonographsontheEvaluationofCarcinogenicRiskstoHumans,vol.93,pp1-419,2010.Availableonline:http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol93/mono93.pdf [17]MerrittM,GreenA,NagleC,WebbP,AustralianCancerStudy(OvarianCancer),AustralianOvarianCancerStudyGroup.Talcumpowder,chronicpelvicinflammationandNSAIDSinrelationtoriskofepithelialovariancancer.Int.J.Cancer,vol.122,pp170-176,2008. [18]RosenblattK,WeissN,Cushing-HaugenK,WicklundK,RossingM.Genitalpowderexposureandtheriskofepithelialovariancancer.CancerCausesControl,vol.22,pp737-742,2011.Availableonline: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21516319/ [19]HellerD,WesthoffC,GordonR,KatzN.Therelationshipbetweenperinealcosmetictalcusageandovariantalcparticleburden.AmJObstetGynecol,vol.174,pp1507-1510,1996. [20]CramerD,WelchW,BerkowitzR,GodleskiJ.Presenceoftalcinpelviclymphnodesofawomanwithovariancancerandlong-termgenitalexposuretocosmetictalc.ObstretricsandGynecology,vol.110,no.2,pp498-501,2007.Availableonline: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17666642/ [21]KarageorgiS,GatesM,HankinsonS,DeVivoI.Perinealuseoftalcumpowderandendometrialcancer.CancerEpidemiology,Biomarkers&Prevention,vol.19,no.5,pp1269-1275,2010.Availableonline: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2866017/ [22]WebbP.Environmental(nongenetic)factorsingynecologicalcancers:updateandfutureperspectives.FutureOncology,vol.11,no.2,pp295-307,2015. [23]CrawfordL,ReevesK,LuisiN,BalasubramanianR,SturgeonS.Perinealpowderuseandriskofendometrialcancerinpostmenopausalwomen.CancerCausesControl,vol.23,pp1673-1680,2012.Availableonline: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22875750/ [24]KarageorgiS,GatesM,HankinsonS,DeVivoI.Perinealuseoftalcumpowderandendometrialcancer.CancerEpidemiology,Biomarkers&Prevention,vol.19,no.5,pp1269-1275,2010. Availableonline: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2866017/ [25]TerryK,etal.Genitalpowderuseandriskofovariancancer:apooledanalysisof8,525casesand9,859control.CancerPreventionResearch,vol.6,no.8,pp811-821,2013. [26]RosenblattK,WeissN,Cushing-HaugenK,WicklundK,RossingM.Genitalpowderexposureandtheriskofepithelialovariancancer.CancerCausesControl,vol.22,pp737-742,2011. Availableonline: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21516319/ [27]FinkelsteinM.MalignantmesotheliomaincidenceamongtalcminersandmillersinNewYorkState.AmericanJournalofIndustrialMedicine,vol.55,pp863-868,2012.Availableonline: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ajim.22063 [28]BaanR.Carcinogenichazardsfrominhaledcarbonblack,titaniumdioxide,andtalcnotcontainingasbestosorasbestiformfibers:recentevaluationsbyanIARCMonographsworkinggroup.InhalationToxicology,vol.19,no.Suppl.1,pp213-228,2007. [29]AkhtarM,AhamedM,KhanM,AlrokayanS,AhmadI,KumarS.Cytotoxicityandapoptosisinductionbynanoscaletalcparticlesfromtwodifferentgeographicalregionsinhumanlungepithelialcells.EnvironmentalToxicology. [30]GordonR,FitzgeraldS,MilletteJ.Asbestosincommercialcosmetictalcumpowderasacauseofmesotheliomainwomen.InternationalJournalofOccupationalandEnvironmentalHealth,vol.20,no.4,318-332,2014.Availableonline: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4164883/ [31]ShakoorA,RahatullahA,ShahA,ZubairiA.Pulmonarytalcosis10yearsafterbriefteenageexposuretocosmetictalcumpowder.BMJCaseReports,pp1-5,2011.Availableonline: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3185388/ [32]VanHuisstedeA,HegtV,Otte-HollerI,Looijen-SalamonM,RudolphusA.Talcosisduetoabundantuseofcosmetictalcumpowder.EuropeanRespiratoryReview,vol.19,no.116,pp165-168,2010.Availableonline: https://err.ersjournals.com/content/19/116/165 [33]MagonP.Reversiblelungdiseaseduetoabundantuseoftalcumpowder.IndianJPediatr,vol.79,no.10,pp1383,2012. [34]KeskinN,TeksenY,OngunE,OzayY,SaygihH.Doeslong-termtalcexposurehaveacarcinogeniceffectonthefemalegenticalsystemofrats?Anexperimentalpilotstudy.ArchGynecolObstet,vol.280,pp925-931,2009.Availableonline: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19301023/ [35]YumrutasO,KaraM,AtilganR,KavakS,BozgeyikI,SapmazE.Applicationoftalcumpowdertrichloroaceticacidandsilvernitrateinfemaleratsfornon-surgicalsterilization:evaluationoftheapoptoticpathwaymRNAandmiRNAgenes.Int.J.Exp.Path.,vol.96,pp111-115,2015.Availableonline: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4459804/ [36]EuropeanCommission.AnnexIII.Availableonline: https://echa.europa.eu/cosmetics-restricted-substances/-/legislationlist/substance/100.035.328 SHARETHIS