Panicking / talc /asbestos found in beauty products. How do we know what's toxic? My blusher has talc. Avon /este lauder and clinique being talent to court

[Ithoughtsummerwascoming]

Insomnia and of all the articles I could read I saw this one.

Hundreds possibly thousands of women are taking Avon and above to court over developing cancer directly from asbestos in talc. Face powders.
How do we know if our ones are toxic?

Isn’t that just in the US? We have different regulations, and I’ve not heard of any cases here. Absolutely disgusting though, these manufacturers intentionally harmed women, It’s evil.

Sorry, just re googled after typing that and have seen it has impacted women here too. I can’t even put into words right now just how outrageous the whole thing is.

What the hell!?

I use Estée Lauder foundation and powder but can’t see anywhere which products are affected just about the court case and brand names

Woah really? I use Estée Lauder foundation and blush and lipstick. Will stop using till we find out which products are toxic.

Please be reassured that it is very unlikely that any talc or other products currently on sale in the UK contain asbestos. This would be against consumer safety legislation.

Having googled, it seems to be more historical and in the US, I can't see many UK based official/independent websites on this.

One Asbestos Consultancy says:

'But the reality is that asbestos in talc is very rare and, even when there, it is in extremely low quantities. Even so, and to be on the safe side, don’t overuse talc and make sure you don’t breath it in'

https://www.asbestosspecialist.co.uk/how-dangerous-is-asbestos-in-talc/

This is what the US FDA says:

https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredients/talc

It links to the results of some testing last year, where tests on a good few products were negative, and no positive results found.

It's also important to remember that cancer is an unfortunately common disease and correlation does not necessarily equal causation. The women taking Avon etc to caught may have developed cancer due to historical use of asbestos containing products, but equally, may not have. It is virtually impossible to prove either way without detailed good quality scientific analysis.

Which is something that the lawyers use to their advantage, because they can make a lot of money working for either side by spending a lot of time arguing about the whys and wherefores.

I remember Johnson's being sued years ago for millions and hadn't heard much after. Just did a quick google, they're sneaky bastards.

This is why I only use cosmetic products made in the UK by small makers who can prove a cosmetic assessment ,not big companies who get things made in China and shipped here.
The regulations for UK made products is very strict

Simple solution, dont use beauty products at all, they are all based on smearing chemicals across your skin, none of them are ever going to do you any good, are they. And there is no reason to use them, it is just a form of oppression that women impose on themselves and other women. If everyone stopped using them, it would no longer be seen as the "norm" to plaster yourself with chemicals to conform

Could you suggest some brands you use? I'd be interested in looking into this

@Nimbostratus100 completely agree.

How can anyone be shocked that putting unnecessary chemicals on your face might be a bad idea? Companies only want to make money from your vanity/ stupidity.

Thanks Barbara good post.

Unfortunately there is no safe exposure level to talc..

I'd also like to know which brands are soley UK regulated.

Or women can have the option to do what they like with their faces and it should be safe for them to do so 🙄

do what you like, but dont complain about the consequences! It is never ever going to be a better health outcome smearing yourself with random chemicals compare to NOT smearing yourself with random chemicals, is it?

Yes.
I don't feel oppressed putting make up on. I wear it because I like it. I also often don't wear it. Depends on my mood not how oppressed or how liberated I feel 🙄

I don't know that that's true. It better to smear spf that has random chemicals in it than not.

You do realise people are largely quite stupid?!

People buy things under the idea that because they bought something it must be safe because they wouldn't be able to legally buy something if it was bad for you. Same way people naively believe doctors know best etc etc.

A lot of what we put on our skin is absorbed into our bodies rather than just having a surface effect.

I rarely use body lotions/moisturisers/serums and especially sunscreens as I don't want these chemicals being absorbed transdermally. There is little or no research on how easily they pass through and the long term effects.

I can foresee many more cases like this in the future.

that is not random, is it

There is apparently a woman in Devon who eats a tub of talc every day.

Yes, eats, not a typo.

Do you wear sunscreen?

There are tons of independent clean beauty apps designed to tell you whether products contain nasties, and if so which ones. Just scan the barcode on your product and bingo.

thegoodfaceproject.com/articles/7_apps_that_check_the_ingredients_in_your_beauty_products

LOL

To be honest so many things carry a risk of increasing your risk to cancer that we can't avoid them all. I wouldn't worry about it.

How are you defining 'random'?