These were the lawsuits that rocked the beauty industry: Hundreds of people sued giant beauty conglomerate, Johnson & Johnson, over asbestos contamination in its beloved baby powder.
Johnson’s White Baby Powder has been a staple in beauty and cleansing regimens for decades. You most likely have grown up with it in your home, or at the very least, seen it everywhere in drugstores. The ingredient in its formula that many people have claimed caused serious illness is talc.
Talc, a natural mineral that is composed of magnesium, silicon, oxygen, and hydrogen, can be found in many cosmetic and personal care products. According to the FDA, talc may be used in cosmetics to absorb moisture, prevent makeup from caking, make facial makeup opaque, or improve the feel of a product.
But the use of talc in makeup has been questionable since the 1960s when some studies linked its use to cancer. Recent studies, however, dispute those claims and the FDA is continuously researching whether links to cancer are conclusive. It also has been testing talc for asbestos in cosmetics, with questions about possible contamination ongoing since the 1970s.
This all came to a head in 2018 when Reuters reported that the beauty company was aware that its baby powder sometimes tested positive for small amounts of asbestos from 1971 to the early 2000s. Executives along with doctors, lawyers, and scientists failed to disclose these findings to the public and continued selling it. More beauty lovers are now aware, thanks to HBO Max’s Not So Pretty docuseries that debuted in April 2022.
After multiple lawsuits, it was then reported by NPR that Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay $4.7 billion to 22 women (and their families) who claimed the powder contributed to their ovarian cancer. In 2019, NPR also reported that the company had to pay a woman in California $29 million after she claimed that the baby powder caused her mesothelioma. The company has denied any link and still faces thousands of other similar lawsuits. In 2021, the company announced that the White Baby Powder will no longer be made with talc in the U.S. and Canada (though it may still be found in products sold globally).
If this has given you some pause on using makeup products containing talc, you’re not alone. Many brands have been going the talc-free route to ensure cleaner formulations and safer use. (Though it is important to note, there is no FDA regulation on “clean” beauty. Most brands are conducting their own research and setting these clean standards for themselves.)
Interested in learning more about alternatives? See below for the best talc-free makeup brands to shop right now.
1
Glossier
Earlier in 2023, Glossier landed in Sephora — and its powdered formulas are made all the more perfect for any makeup minimalist as they are made sans talc.
2
Kosas
Kosas was made with sensitive skin in mind. It bans over 2,700 ingredients for its clean standards, which include talc, parabens, sulfates, aluminum, and formaldehyde, and it aims to use as few ingredients as possible.
3
LAWLESS
From plumping lip products to powders that create the look of an IRL filter, LAWLESS is free of countless potentially harmful ingredients, such as parabens, phthalates, sulfates, silicones, fragrance, talc, and much more.
4
Saie
Saie has its own clean beauty standards and it’s one of the most rigorous out there. It promises to never use talc and other known harmful ingredients like alcohol-based preservative phenoxyethanol, sulfates, synthetic fragrance, parabens, and more. What’s most impressive is that its products don’t sacrifice efficacy in exchange for being “clean.”
5
ILIA
ILIA has been a favorite clean beauty option among makeup lovers for years. Along with talc, its products are also not formulated with gluten, parabens, phthalates, petroleum, and mineral oil.
6
Honest Beauty
Including talc, Honest Beauty bans over 2,500 ingredients in its products to ensure safe use for its consumers. The list is also always growing as everyone continues to learn the different effects ingredients have on our skin and overall health.
7
Haus Labs
Lady Gaga has seriously struck gold with her (often TikTok-viral) brand, Haus Labs. As for the formulas? They are science-backed and made without over 2,700 questionable ingredients (which, of course, includes talc).
8
Physicians Formula
A tried and true drugstore go-to, Physicians Formula has some of the most buttery, talc-free powders (that even Sofia Richie is a major fan of).
9
100% Pure
Aptly named, 100% Pure has one of — if not the most — pure formulations in the market. Its products are only made with ingredients and formulas composed of plant, mineral, and marine vegetation that will only go through chemical changes due to biological processes (i.e. fermentation, distillation, and cold processing). Even its color pigments are sourced from only fruit, vegetables, tea, and cocoa.
10
CoverFX
CoverFX reformulated its products a few years ago to go completely talc-free. It also does not use parabens, fragrance, gluten, mineral oil, and coal tar. It uses ethically-sourced mica, a clean alternative to talc, in its powder products.
11
Rituel de Fille
One of the most fun and magical makeup brands, Rituel de Fille gives you fun shimmery finishes and bold colors in products while also using natural ingredients. Each ingredient is never tested on animals and comes from sources that use ethical labor practices.
12
caliray
Infused with the nostalgic essence of sunny California — along with the state’s culture of sunrise surfing, afternoon green juices, and late-night mindful meditation — caliray is an as-clean-as-possible brand that actually performs.
13
Pacifica
Pacifica is 100% vegan and cruelty-free. It offers an array of talc-free eyeshadows that still have the intense color payoff and glittery finishes you look for in traditional eye makeup products.
14
Milk Makeup
Milk Makeup values transparency and lays out a comprehensive list of all the ingredients it will not use in its products. Its “blacklist” includes talc, hydroquinone, and synthetic fragrances.
15
Vapour Beauty
Vapour Beauty’s products leave out over 1,400 ingredients that it deems harmful. (It also abides by the same standards set by the European Union.) The brand also ensures that it is using responsibly sourced ingredients that will have the lowest environmental impact.
16
Tower 28
Made with sensitive skin in mind, Tower 28 has an extensive blacklist of ingredients it will not use in its products. Along with talc, you will not find other potentially harmful ingredients such as hydroquinone, propylene glycol, and petrolatum.
17
RMS Beauty
Founded by makeup artist Rose-Marie Swift, RMS Beauty only uses ingredients that are organic, food grade, and naturally derived. Its bronzers, blushes, eyebrow powders, eyeshadows, and face powders are free of talc and natural preservatives.
18
MOB Beauty
With an “earth-first” approach, MOB Beauty creates products that are good for the skin and for the environment. Ingredients are ethically sourced and its long “no list” includes talc, silicone, and beeswax.
19
Jurlique
Jurlique’s beloved Rose Silk Finishing Powder uses corn and rice starch instead of talc to absorb excess oil and give the skin a natural-looking matte finish. It also has natural silica that adds a nice glow.
20
theBalm Cosmetics
While their vintage-inspired packaging serves as an adorable addition to any makeup bag, theBalm prioritizes eco-friendly solutions and formulas that are cruelty-free, paraben-free, and talc-free.
21
Jane Iredale
Jane Iredale’s makeup is known for nourishing the complexion, but its also got one of the best talc-free formulations in the game.
22
Juice Beauty
All Juice Beauty products are plant-based, vegan, cruelty-free, and sustainable. Products like its Phyto-Pigments Flawless Finishing Powder are talc-free and use plant-derived phyto-pigments that disguise imperfections without settling into lines.
23
Ami Colé
This top-tier setting powder sets makeup for hours and reduces the appearance of excess oil. It’s also talc-free and infused with nourishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid and baobab seed extract.
24
ATHR Beauty
Sustainability is at the heart of ATHR Beauty’s ethos. All its packaging is made from recycled materials and is 100% recyclable through PACT Collective. As far as ingredients go, the brand bans over 3,000 harmful ingredients, such as talc, and opts to make its products 100% organic, biodegradable, and ethically-sourced.
25
Megababe
Megababe effectively addresses common body care needs (sweat, thigh chafing, body odor, etc.) while also keeping formulations as clean as possible. Not only are products talc-free, but they are also free of aluminum, parabens, and sulfates.
26
Burt’s Bees
Burt’s Bees is a big favorite among natural beauty lovers. All its products are at least 95% natural in their formulations (some have even reached 100%) and made without phthalates, parabens, petrolatum, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), and other harmful ingredients. Its powdered products, such as the Mattifying Powder Foundation, is 100% natural.
27
Han Skincare Cosmetics
Banning 2,700 ingredients from its formulations (you won’t find parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, and more), Han Skincare Cosmetics focuses on clean nourishing like argan oil, shea butter, green tea, and rice powder to replace talc in its products.
28
PYT Beauty
Offering colorful and shimmery eyeshadows and classic bare and pink lipsticks, PYT Beauty is a clean, vegan, and cruelty-free makeup brand. It has a list of 28 ingredients it will never use, including talc, sulfates, silicones, and more.
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This article was originally published on May 11, 2022
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