Should You Use Talc-Free Beauty Products?

But while that's sometimes the case, it's not always true. Just look at talc, which is used in beauty products from foundation to dry shampoo. Search ShopBAZAAR Subscribe CleanBeauty Fashion AllFashionShows StreetStyle Trends&ShoppingGuides FashionPhotography FashionDesigners FashionModels SpringFashion SummerFashion FallFashion WinterFashion Beauty HairstylesandColors Makeup Skincare Nails Diet&Fitness Mind&Body Celebrity RedCarpetDresses Parties CelebrityNews CoverStories Culture Film&TV Art,Books&Music Interiors&Entertaining Features TheEdit Fashion Beauty Sales&Deals BazaarBride WeddingFashion WeddingPlanning RealWeddings WeddingBeauty Relationships Travel&Food Politics Newsletter Giveaways UnitedStates US UK España Italia Nederland 台灣 Japan DoNotSellMyPersonalInformation Editions: US UK España Italia Nederland 台灣 Japan Fashion Beauty Celebrity Culture TheEdit Subscribe SignIn MyAccount SignOut Typekeyword(s)tosearch Today'sTopStories 1 TessaThompsonTakesHerTime 2 TheVeryBestPrimeDayFashionDealsof2022 3 The13BestSandals,AccordingtoOurEditors 4 In'TheBear,'FoodIstheLanguageofLove 5 25Can't-MissNordstromAnniversarySaleDeals JevgenijaZukova-Cernova/EyeEmGettyImages There’sacommonmisconceptionincleanbeautythatnaturalingredientsarehealthieringredients.Butwhilethat’ssometimesthecase,it’snotalwaystrue.Justlookattalc,whichisusedinbeautyproductsfromfoundationtodryshampoo.It'sanaturallyoccurringclaymineralfoundaroundtheworld—anditcouldbedangeroustothepointofcarcinogenic.It’sanissuethat’sgonebackdecades,butiscurrentlygarneringattentionduetothereleaseoftheHBOMaxdocuseriesNotSoPretty,directedbyAmyZieringandKirbyDick,andnarratedbyKekePalmer.Thefour-partseriesinvestigatessomeofthepotentialdangersofthe(largelyunregulated)beautyindustry.Thefirstepisodeinvestigatestheprevalenceoftalcinmakeupandbodyproducts,despiteaconnectionbetweentheingredientandcancer-causingasbestos.NotSoPrettyprimarilyfocusesonthelinkbetweenproductscontainingtalcandmesothelioma,adeadlyformofcancerfoundinthelungsandabdomen.Butthatmaynotbetheonlyrisk.“Therehavebeenseveralstudiesthathaveshownapossiblepositiveassociationbetweentalcpowderandovariancancer,”explainsboard-certifieddermatologistNaanaBoakye,whonotesthat“thesestudiesweresmallandtheirstatisticalsignificancewasweak.”However,thelinknotablyprompteda$2billionlawsuitagainstJohnson&Johnson,whichwasaccusedofnotwarningcustomersofthedangersofasbestosinitstalc-basedbabypowder,aproductthatisnolongeronthemarketintheUnitedStates.Inaddition,Boakyenotesthattalc“canalsobefoundinaerosols,whichcancauserespiratorydiseasesuchasfibrosisandpossiblymalignancy.”Theriskofdangeroussideeffectsmayberelativelylow,butBoakyesays,“Iwouldencourageallindividualstolookattheiringredientslistandnotuseproductswithtalc.Again,thestudieshadsmallsamplesizes,butIwouldnotwanttotakethatriskpersonally.”Yetmanybrandscontinuetousetalcintheirproducts,oftenclaimingthatit’sbatch-testedforasbestos.Butaccordingtosomeexperts(andNotSoPretty),wherethereistalc,thereisasbestos.“Eventalcthatclaimstobeasbestosfreeisnotsafeforuse,astestingmethodsusedtodetecttheabsenceofasbestosareflawedandinaccurate,”cofounderofCrunchiCosmeticsandboard-certifiedfamilynursepractitionerMelaniePetschkesays.“ThisexplainswhystudiesperformedbytheNationalToxicologyPanelhaveshownevidencethatevenasbestos-freetalccanbecarcinogenic.”Still,thereissomedisputeaboutthepresenceofasbestosinalltalc.CleancosmeticchemistandfounderofKKTConsultantsKrupaKoestlinesaysthattheingredientcanbesafetouse,“providedthebrandhassourcedwiththatmindsetandsetchecksandbalancesinthesupplychain.”Sephora,whichdistinguishes“clean”productswithits“CleanatSephora”seal,evenallows“restricteduse”oftalcunderitscurrentguidelines,withthecaveatthat“onlytalcwithnodetectionofasbestosaccordingtotherawmaterialspecificationcanbeused.”Thereisalsothequestionofwhatingredientstouseinlieuoftalc,whichhasavarietyofapplicationsacrossproductcategories.“Itmaybeusedasabulkingagent,toenhanceskinfeel,helpfillinlines,ortoalteradhesionorcolorexpression,”saysKoestline,whosaysafewoptionsthatareusedinsteadincludesilica,kaolin,arrowroot,ricepowder,andzincoxide.Buttheymaycomewiththeirownissues.“Thealternativesaremuchhardertoformulatewith,especiallyifthebrandisnotreadytocompromiseontheskinfeel,”Koestlinesays.Theyalsocostmore.“Ingredientsthathavehighersafetyprofilesaremoreexpensivethantheirconventionalalternatives,”Petschkesays.Ifyou’reatallconcernedabouttheeffectsoftalc,thebestthingtodoisuseproductsthatdon’tcontaintheingredient.Luckily,manybrandshavemadetheinvestmentinusingalternatives,andtheirproductsarenotonlypleasanttoapply,they’reavailableateverybudget.Hereare15ofourfavorite,talc-freebeautyproductstotry. Advertisement-ContinueReadingBelow 1 TranslucentFinishingPowder Crunchi $34ATCRUNCHI.COM Ratherthantalc,thissettingpowderismadefromnaturallyderivedsilicaamorphous.AlthoughCrunchicofounderPetschkeadmitstalcalternativesaremoreexpensive,shesays,“Thisisafinancialinvestmentweareproudtocommittoforthesafetyofourclients.” 2 Loves-You-Back3-in-1MineralPowderFoundation THEGOODMINERAL $39ATAMAZON Idealforacne-proneskin,thismineralpowderfoundationisnotonlytalcfree,butalsoveganandcrueltyfree. 3 SkinMeltLoosePowder RikkyFernandes AmiColé $22ATAMICOLE.COM Behold:asuper-luxeloosepowderwithavelvety,mattefinishthatskipsthetalcinfavorofhydratinghyaluronicacidandbaobabseedextract,aswellasrosequartz,forasubtleglow. 4 PerkUpTalc-FreeDryShampoo amika $26ATSEPHORA Talchelpsabsorbexcessoil,soit'salsocommonlyfoundindryshampoos.Thisformulareliesonricestarchinstead,andworkswithallhairtypesandtextures. 5 NightLiteBronzerPowder Sephora ILIA $34ATSEPHORA $26ATWALMART $34ATNORDSTROM ILIA’ssilkybronzerisshimmerfree,buthasnoncomedogenicjojobaoiltohelpkeepskinfeelingnourished.Plus,itcomesinfourshadesforeverylevelofglow. 6 BronzinoIlluminatingBronzer Tower28 $20ATCREDOBEAUTY Forabronzeroptionthatdoeshavealittleshimmer,trythisbalmformula.Infusedwithmangobutterandgreenteaextract,ithelpsmoisturizeskinasitlendsasun-kissedlook. 7 RevealerSkinImprovingFoundationSPF25 Kosas $42ATCREDOBEAUTY Truestory:Liquidfoundationscancontaintalctoo.ButnotthisonefromKosas,whichcomesin36shadesandfeaturesmineralSPFrightinsidetheformula. 8 MattePowderFoundationBroadSpectrumSPF15 Nordstrom bareMinerals $33ATNORDSTROM $20ATWALMART $35ATULTABEAUTY Fansoftheoriginal,cult-favoritemineralfoundationwillbehappytoknowit'sfreeoftalcinadditiontohavinganatural-finishbuilt-inSPF. 9 StayWokeLuminousBrighteningConcealer Nordstrom UOMABeauty $15ATULTABEAUTY $25ATWALMART Full-coveragebutstilllightweight,thiscreamyconcealercoversupunder-eyecirclesandspotswithoutcakingorlookingunnatural. 10 DesertSunsetPalette AthrBeauty $48ATCREDOBEAUTY Athr’seyeshadowpaletteisaboutasprettyasitgets,andit'sformulatedwithouttalc,parabens,orfragrance. 11 BlushPowder CredoBeauty Vapour $32ATCREDOBEAUTY Thisbuildablepowderblushcomesinfourprettyshadesandisinfusedwithsqualanetohelpmoisturizeskin. 12 BodyDustTop-to-ToePowder megababe $20ATULTABEAUTY $34ATWALMART Megababe’sgeniusbodypowder—madewithingredientslikecornstarch,bakingsoda,andarrowrootpowder—absorbssweatandimpartsalightlavender-and-chamomilefragrance. 13 IcedOutHighlighter AnastasiaBeverlyHills $34ATNORDSTROM $34ATULTABEAUTY $34ATSAKSFIFTHAVENUE Thistalc-freehighlighterimpartstheperfectamountofbling-yglimmer,whetheryouuseitalloverorjustwherethelighthits(cheekbones,tipofthenose,collarbone). 14 CleanFreakTapiocaDryShampoo NotYourMother's $7ATULTABEAUTY Anothergreatdryshampoooption,thisaffordableformulaismadewithoil-absorbingtapiocastarchthatwon’tleaveanywhiteresidue. 15 (Re)setting100%MineralPowderFoundationSPF35 Supergoop $30ATNORDSTROM $29ATWALMART $30ATULTABEAUTY Withpowdersunscreen,youdon’thavetoworryaboutmessingupyourmakeupwhenyoureapply.Andwiththismineral,brush-onoption,youdon’thavetoworryabouttalceither. Thiscontentiscreatedandmaintainedbyathirdparty,andimportedontothispagetohelpusersprovidetheiremailaddresses.Youmaybeabletofindmoreinformationaboutthisandsimilarcontentatpiano.io Advertisement-ContinueReadingBelow MoreFrom BAZAAR'sGuidetoCleanBeauty TheBestAluminum-FreeDeodorants WhyYouNeedNaturalToothpasteandDeodorant Advertisement-ContinueReadingBelow TheBestNaturalMakeuptoUpgradeYourCollection AddTheseBelovedCleanPerfumestoYourRotation The15BestNaturalLipBalms The10BestNaturalFoundationsforAllSkinTypes TheBestNaturalFaceMoisturizers Presentedby Biossance TheBestOrganicandNaturalFaceWashes Presentedby Biossance 8TopDealsFromPipette'sFriendsandFamilySale The10BestNaturalMakeupRemovers