Talc

The Basics On Talc

What is Talc?

Naturally occurring silicate mineral.

What are other names for Talc?

COSMETIC TALC, FRENCH CHALK, MAGNESIUM SILICATE TALC, TALC, and TALC (MG3H2(SIO3)4)

What is Talc used for?

Today, talc is a common ingredient in blush, eyeshadow, foundation and numerous other beauty products. The soft mineral gives makeup a silky texture that makes it easier to apply. Talc also absorbs oil, prevents caking and makes facial makeup more translucent.

How Talc is classified

Miscellaneous

Recommendations for using Talc during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Is talc safe during pregnancy? Limited data suggests no known risk

Talc During Pregnancy

What we know about using Talc while pregnant or breastfeeding

Is talc powder safe during pregnancy? Limited information available.

OralOrally administered talc was not a developmental toxicant in mice, rats, hamsters,119 or rabbits. 120 Chemical characterization of the talc was not provided in any of these studies.Groups of 20-22 gravid albino CD-1 mice and groups of 20-24 gravid Wistar rats were dosed by gavage with 0, 16, 74, 350, or 1600 mg/kg bw talc as an anhydrous corn oil suspension on days 6-15 of gestation.119 Aspirin was used as a positive con-trol in both species. The mice were killed on day 17 and the rats on day 20 of gestation and the number of implantation sites, resorptions sites, and live and dead fetuses, and the live pup body weights were recorded. In both mice and rats, the admini-stration of up to 1600 mg/kg bw talc in corn oil had no effect on reproductive or developmental parameters and had no effect on maternal or fetal survival. 10 In hamsters, groups of 20-23 gravid female golden hamsters were dosed by gavage with 0, 12, 56, 260, or 1200 mg/kg bw talc as an anhydrous corn oil suspension on days 6-10 of gestation.119. The animals were killed on day 14 of gestation and examined as described previously. The administration of up to 1200 mg/kg bw talc in corn oil had no reproductive or devel-opmental effects and had no effect on maternal or fetal survival. Groups of 12-15 gravid Dutch-belted female rabbits were dosed orally with 9, 42, 195, or 900 mg/kg bw talc in corn oil on days 6-18 of gestation.120 Eight gravid negative controls were given only vehicle and 9 gravid positive controls were dosed with 2.5 mg/kg bw of 6-aminonicotinamide on day 9 of gestation. The dams were killed on day 29 of gestation. A total of 1/8, 4/15, 2/12, 5/15, and 2/13 dams of the negative control, 9, 42, 195, and 900 mg/kg bw dose groups, respectively, died or aborted before day 29 of gestation, and the number of live litters for these groups was 6/7, 10/11, 8/10, 10/10, and 7/11, respectively. The researchers concluded that administration of up to 900 mg/kg bw talc on days 6-18 of gestation “had no discernible effect on nidation or on maternal or fetal survival.” The researchers also stated the number of abnormalities did not differ between test and control animals.In a dominant-lethal study, groups of 10 male rats were dosed by gavage with a single dose or once daily for 5 days with 30, 300, 3000, or 5000 mg/kg bw talc.65 Saline was used as the negative control and 0.1 μg/ml triethyl melamine (i.p.) was the positive control. (The results of the reproductive portion of the study are presented here; the genotoxicity results are pre-sented in that section of the safety assessment). Each treated rat was mated with two previously unmated females, and 2 wksafter mating, the female rats were killed and the effects on fertility and preimplantation loss were determined. In the single-dose study, significant dose-related decreases in average corpora lutea and preimplantation losses were reported in the test groups at wks 4 and 5. In the repeated dose study, significant increases in average implantations and corpora lutea were re-ported in the test groups at wk 6, as were significant differences in the proportions of females with 1+ or 2+ dead implants. However, the results observed at the highest dose did not vary significantly from the negative control, and no dose-response or time-trend patterns were indicated.

General safety info about Talc from CIR

The CIR Expert Panel assessed the safety of talc for use in cosmetics and concluded that it is safe in the present practices of use and concentration; talc is reported to be used at up to 100% in cosmetics. Talc should not be applied to the skin when the epidermal barrier is missing or significantly disrupted. Industry specifications state that cosmetic-grade talc must contain no detectable fibrous, asbestos minerals. Therefore, the large amount of available animal and clinical data the Panel relied on in assessing the safety of talc only included those studies on talc that did not contain asbestos. The Discussion of this safety assessment addressed a number of points that were deliberated.

Use this, not that!

Products where you might find Talc

TULA Skincare 24/7 Moisture Hydrating Day & Night Cream (1.5 fl. oz.); TULA Skincare The Cult Classic Purifying Face Cleanser (6.7 fl. oz.); TULA Skincare Glow Hour Brightening & Neutralizing Eye Balm (0.14 oz.); amika Perk Up Talc-Free Dry Shampoo; LAWLESS Make Me Blush Talc-Free Velvet Blush; bareMinerals Original Loose Powder Mineral Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15