Johnson & Johnson's distinctive talcum powder has been the epitome of freshness since the late 19th century. But when the powder’s alleged link to ovarian cancer surfaced, it has dogged the pharmaceutical giant ever since. Photo / 123rf
Johnson & Johnson's distinctive talcum powder has been the epitome of freshness since the late 19th century. But when the powder’s alleged link to ovarian cancer surfaced, it has dogged the pharmaceutical giant ever since. Photo / 123rf
As one of the biggest pharma companies goes to court over alleged links between talcum and cancer, we look at other controversial ingredients.
Sprinkling the fine, sweet-smelling white powder over their freshly bathed baby’s bottom was, for many mothers, one of the more satisfying parts of a bedtime routine. Since Johnson & Johnson (J&J) created their distinctive talcum powder in the late 19th century, it’s been the epitome of “freshness”.
That is, until the 1960s when talcum powder’s alleged link to ovarian cancer first surfaced – and has dogged the pharmaceutical giant ever since. There are long-running legal cases in the US, and last month, for the first time, the company has been taken to court in the UK.
The talc controversy explained
Setting aside the legal case (which focuses on whether the company knew about the apparent dangers and tried to suppress them), Dr Ashley Howkins, the lead scientific officer at Brunel University explains: “There’s a growing concern that mineral talc may be a carcinogen and in addition, talc can be contaminated with asbestos fibres because of how the minerals are formed in the earth.”
Asbestos causes a cancer known as mesothelioma, an incurable malignant cancer with just a 5% five-year survival rate. Because mesothelioma can take over 30 years from the initial exposure to develop, there are difficulties linking asbestos exposure to talc. “People who used talc-based cosmetics in the latter part of the 20th century are only now presenting with mesothelioma,” says Howkins. He says that he and his family “actively avoid talc-based products”.
Talc isn’t just limited to baby powder though: as an anti-caking agent it makes cosmetic products – including eye shadows, blushers and setting powders – easier to apply.
Since 2022, J&J replaced mineral talc in its UK baby powder with a safer alternative (cornstarch) in the UK.
Clean beauty promotes the use of products that do not contain ingredients that could be harmful to your body. Photo / 123rf
What really is ‘clean’ beauty?
Worryingly, there are other commonly used cosmetic ingredients that have caused controversy in recent times. Hence the rise of “clean beauty” promoting the use of products that do not contain ingredients that could be harmful to your body. Yet this in itself is confusing for consumers, as it’s so often misused and bandied around social media to sell products.
Professor Oliver Jones is a professor of chemistry at RMIT University in Melbourne who researches chemicals in the environment and their effects on the environment and biological systems. “Clean beauty is not really a thing, it’s just branding,” he says.
Believing that anything natural is good for you is a mistake, he warns. “Lead is natural, as is uranium, asbestos and snake venom – I would not want them in cosmetics. Plenty of natural things are harmful, and plenty of synthetic chemicals are fine,” he adds.
The ingredients to look out for
While all bathroom products are strictly regulated, here Jones gives a run down of five of the main cosmetic ingredients that have caused controversy.
1. Phthalates
Phthalates can be found in products like cleansers, shampoos, tampons and other sanitary products. Photo / 123rf
Phthalates (pronounced thal-eights) is a catch-all term for a diverse group of chemicals developed in the last century to soften and improve the flexibility and durability of plastics.
Found in
Cleansers, shampoos, tampons and other sanitary products, nail polishes, hair sprays, aftershave lotions.
Why the concern?
In a study from Mexico, exposures to higher levels of diethyl phthalate (DEP) and its metabolite (breakdown product) mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP) were associated with increased risk for developing breast cancer, especially in pre-menopausal women.
As an endocrine disruptor, chronic exposure has been linked to negative impacts on developmental issues, obesity and asthma.
According to Jones, not at all. “Historically, there have been three main phthalates used in cosmetics, but the only one still in use worldwide is diethyl phthalate (DEP), which is commonly used as a solvent or carrier, for example, in a fragrance,” he explains.
Jones believes it has “an exceedingly good safety profile” and the concerns over endocrine disruption aren’t the kind used in cosmetics. “People tend to tar all phthalates with the same brush – a good analogy is mushrooms: some are lethal, but we don’t need to ban all mushrooms.”
Our largest exposure to phthalates is from food (often from the packaging), says Jones, followed by indoor air, then water and soil. “Cosmetics are way down the list.”
2. Aluminium compounds
Aluminium compounds are used mostly in deodorant and antiperspirants. Photo / 123rf
Aluminium based compounds (such as aluminium chlorohydrate) are used in various cosmetics, mostly deodorant and antiperspirants. How they work, says Jones, is by reacting with water to block the pores to stop sweat coming out and keep armpits dry, “the products fall out of the pore naturally so don’t permanently block it”.
Found in
Antiperspirants and deodorants, some lipsticks and toothpastes.
Aluminium is known to have a genotoxic profile, capable of causing both DNA alterations and epigenetic effects, and this would be consistent with a potential role in breast cancer if such effects occurred in breast cells.
“Aluminium-based compounds, not the same thing as aluminium, have, like almost every other chemical, been alleged to cause breast cancer,” says Jones. He believes an email hoax originally started this scare, “the logic being that breast cancers are generally found near the armpit, and you spray deodorant near the armpit, so they must be linked,” he adds.
How worried should we be?
Jones insists the scientific consensus is clear: “There is no good evidence that aluminium in deodorants increases the risk of cancer.”
The European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety reviewed the evidence on aluminium ingredients in 2019 and concluded that they were safe in the amounts allowed in cosmetics (6.25% in non-spray antiperspirants and 10.6% in spray antiperspirants).
It’s all about the dose when it comes to toxicology, says Jones, using the example of paracetamol: “Two tablets will cure your headache – 20 taken at once can kill.
“We should not ask whether a chemical causes cancer or acts as an endocrine disruptor, but whether it does so at the levels to which we are exposed to it at? The answer is nearly always no.”
3. Triclosan
Studies have linked triclosan to liver fibrosis, cancer, hormone disruption and the development of antimicrobial resistance. Photo / 123rf
Triclosan is another antimicrobial compound which has been used in a large variety of products for over 50 years. Customer pressure meant a lot of cosmetic companies removed triclosan from their products, but Jones says this was a result of customer demand, not any proven safety concerns about the products.
Several studies have linked triclosan to liver fibrosis, cancer, and hormone disruption, as well as to the development of antimicrobial resistance. Most of these studies have been done on animals, not humans, but triclosan is known to be absorbed into the body and is traceable in human urine samples.
How worried should we be?
Triclosan, says Jones, has been the subject of a “lot of misinformation online” because the concentrations suggested cause such effects and the length of exposure are far higher than those found in cosmetics.
“Some of the health claims about triclosan are because it has been found in the urine of some people, but this means your body has filtered it out effectively and it is being excreted!” says Jones.
4. Parabens
Parabens are known to mimic oestrogen in the body, making them a possible hormone disrupter. Photo / 123rf
Look on the shelves of your local chemist and you’ll notice some products being marketed as “paraben-free,” but Jones believes this is a marketing tool to make people think they are more natural. In essence, he explains that parabens are a group of related molecules added in small amounts (less than 1%, usually lower) to cosmetics (as well as food and drugs) as preservatives to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria to improve product shelf life and safety. On labels they can appear as methyl-, butyl-, and propyl-paraben.
A 2004 study detected parabens in samples of cancerous breast tissue. Parabens are also known to mimic estrogen in the body, making them a possible hormone disrupter.
How worried should we be?
The study was 2004 was often misinterpreted, explains Jones. The same study also found parabens in their blank samples (with no tissue in them at all) so it was likely lab contamination, and even then, correlation is not causation.
“The presence of parabens in a tumour does not mean parabens caused the tumour. Methylparaben, the most frequently used antimicrobial preservative in cosmetics, also occurs naturally in several fruits, particularly in blueberries.”
He insists the parabens used in cosmetics are “in tiny amounts and have a very good safety record”.
“If you remove parabens you need to add other preservatives, which may be less effective and more dangerous, he adds. “Would you rather have a small amount of a well-studied, well-regulated chemicals in your makeup bag, or mould?”
5. PFAS, or ‘forever chemicals’
Regular use of PFAS-containing cosmetics can lead to build-up in your body. Photo / 123rf
PFAS (per and polyfluoro alkyl substances) are sometimes called “forever chemicals” because they are resistant to breakdown, and can be found in mainstream cosmetics because of their grease, dirt, and water-repellent properties.
Found in
Waterproof and “long-lasting” mascara, foundation, eye makeup, and lipsticks.
Studies have shown that regular use of PFAS-containing cosmetics can lead to build-up in your body, which can take up to 15 years to break down. High levels may increase cancer risk, but more commonly, PFAS can affect your immune system, cholesterol, liver, and thyroid and disrupt hormones.
How worried should we be?
Jones says that while PFAS can be present in some brands of cosmetics (at very low concentrations), and agrees that some PFAS are harmful at certain concentrations, not all PFAS are the same. “The ones that have been potentially linked to negative effects are likely only a problem at very high exposure levels, such as at an industrial manufacturing plant or getting covered by PFAS-containing firefighting foams for years at a fire training site, for example.”
Jones says that in terms of cosmetics, “there is no need to worry – there are far less than you get from dust in the air, food and water.” Plus the term “forever chemical” is misleading. “PFAS are not forever; they do break down in the body, just very slowly.”
