Asbestos in j&j powder

[RealReginaPhalange]

I am so so upset. i have heard of that powder causing some types of cancers. I used it a lot on my first baby, before i knew about this. Fucking thing has asbestos in it? My dad died from mesothelioma few months ago. Mesothelioma is causef by asbestos, it was unhuman, slow death. What if i infected my own child with it. I am broken into pieces

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c797wv928g8o.amp

This was my DF too, he never wore deodorant just J&J baby powder every day. He also died of lung cancer, but he was a heavy smoker so I think he was screwed either way.

Ive always hated j&j products, I was once hospitalised after getting blood poisoning from applying a cream I hadn’t know was made by J&J.

I don’t get how it’s so widely used here and why so many people believe it’s ok for their babies when Americans have been suing the coma company for decades.

I'm very sorry to hear that - hope you are doing okay

l knew of it as well when my daughter was born 27 years ago. I don’t remember who told me or if it was general knowledge at the time.

I can remember reading something from Cancer Research UK saying there is no proven link between talcum powder in the UK and cancer.
I've been using J&J for years and have no plans to stop.

My friend has developed it and he has never worked in an industrial setting, had office jobs in modern offices etc. his dad died of it a long time ago too and has a similar work history. I guess in those instances the possibility of exposure elsewhere is vastly reduced and so the J&J talc theory becomes more of a possibility?

Talc was very much the thing when I was a baby and young child and I was smothered in the stuff. I still love it and use it.

No issues so far here.

In a way it's scare mongering. Not all their talc contains asbestos and they've changed the mines so they aren't adjacent to asbestos deposits.

But isn’t that like an 80 year old saying they have smoked for 60+ years and not developed lung cancer and therefore concluding that smoking is not a cause of lung cancer? Asbestos exposure or use of talc or whatever doesn’t mean everyone will develop cancer and the fact that an individual hasn’t isn’t conclusive that all is fine?!

Talc used to be given for free in new born baby packs. I remember being called a conspiracy theorist (or whatever phrase people were shamed with back then) for binning every bottle of Talc that I was given. I was told I was paranoid as I was honest about it and said I had read there was a link with ovarian cancer and I wasn’t prepared to take the risk. I also warned other parents. This was in the 90s.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/07/johnson-johnson-ordered-to-pay-966-million-after-jury-finds-company-liable-in-talc-cancer-case.html

https://www.bmj.com/content/378/bmj.o2046

extract from next link

Internal memos have revealed concerns within the company about the possible presence of asbestos in its talc

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/business/johnson-johnson-talc-lawsuit.html

Leaked Memo link from NYT 2018 article

www.nytimes.com/2018/12/14/business/baby-powder-asbestos-johnson-johnson.html

For everyone so shocked some people dont/didnt know until recently. I am not british (although 16 yrs here), in my country people do not know, it wasn’t widely on the news, it is not said by midwifes and doctors. When i gave birth here 5 yrs ago no one also mentioned in the hospital or while visiting at home about it, and i had it with me since day 1. So i dont know why people are so shocked. It is still in the shops so who would think something like asbestos is in it.

I am nearly 50. It wasn't till all of the older women in my family developed cancers that we were asked if we wanted our genes tested. In no way was my mother irresponsible as at the time there was no information to suggest any risk

I think that the asbestos risk is negligible because so few containers would be contaminated. The risk of powders, especially fine powders, entering your body is risky. Baby powder used sparingly shouldn’t be much of a risk just like sifting flour isn’t a high risk. However, if you are using it liberally every day it would. Just like in a flour mill, employees need to wear masks and have mechanical ventilation.

Crazy as it is... I work in an asbestos testing lab. Have done since 2007. Not once has anyone sent talc in for testing.

We have looked at various amounts of J&J baby powder with talc in it as we use it as a matrix to mix asbestos with, for monthly QC testing. Using our stereo microscope, we've seen nothing that we've not added in ourselves. Unless the naturally there fibres are so tiny, a higher powered scope is needed.

I'm not saying there's no asbestos in talc by the way. But asbestos is in your house possibly, work place, hospital, school, shops.
I believe smoking/vaping/alcohol/junk food is far more hazardous than talc.

I get how asbestos can get in the lungs (breathing) but the ovaries?

My DM died of ovarian cancer and liberally used talc - in the genital area. Although my DGM also died of it we have been told that there is no proven link between their cases - very different ages and progressions. I think it is at least possible that it was a factor in my DM’s death.

What is sold now is not talcum powder but powder made from corn starch.

My mum died from ovarian cancer and was asked by her medical team if she ever used talc. She did in the 1960s and 70s.

I presume people mean historical baby powder not the modern version, same as pencils and paint had lead years ago unless that is an urban myth

Some of our talc samples are fairly old. Say 10 yrs at least. All testing done in fume cabinet with a filter. Gloves available.

I've no idea if my mum used J&J baby powder on me, but I do remember Avon talc (I'm 50 soon) and I used to love it as a teenager! All the different fragrances like Soft Musk etc..

Very sorry for the ladies who are suffering with ovarian cancer. But still don't see how fibres can go upwards to the ovaries. Gravity? Plus we have a monthly uterine clear out for about 40 years on average if we have normal periods.

I have name changed for obvious reasons.

I was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma at age 19 and it wasn't that long ago.
i 'won' a case against J&J.

yes hundreds and thousands of people used it, there was a specific country that it was mined in, in a specific location, where it was contaminated with asbestos and up to 1 in 16 bottles had asbestos in.

it is VERY different to building asbestos and a lot more rare than 'normal asbestos cancer in lungs.'

I can't say too much about the case or how we know or the ifs and buts, but coming from someone who has this diagnosis now, for life, and it will kill me one day, it makes me really angry to see people saying 'but I used it there's no harm.'

not all bottles made were contaminated, and only a specific period of time in the 90s it was worse.
asbestos from talc causing cancer takes 15-20 years on average to come out. And most of the people diagnosed with it are a similar age to me, meaning their parents used it on them as a child like all parents used to.

with regards to the law suit and how to prove it. Asbestos cancer caused by talc presents very differently than pleural mesothelioma. The tumours are different. It isn't only in J&J talc, but cosmetic companies too.

And to people questioning how breathing it in would impact the ovaries and peritoneum, it's because it isn't inhaled. It can either be digested or it can be entered vaginally with infant diaper changes.