Baby powder and talcum powder are not the same thing, but they used to be. For decades, “baby powder” was essentially a brand name for talcum powder, and the two terms were interchangeable. Today, most baby powders sold in the U.S. and Canada are made from cornstarch instead of talc, which means the product on store shelves no longer matches the name many people grew up with.
What Talcum Powder Actually Is
Talc is a naturally occurring mineral made up mainly of magnesium, silicon, and oxygen. When ground into a fine powder, it feels silky, reduces friction, and absorbs moisture, which made it a go-to ingredient for keeping skin dry and comfortable. For most of the 20th century, Johnson’s Baby Powder and similar products listed talc as the primary ingredient. So when people said “baby powder,” they meant talcum powder, and vice versa.
That changed in 2020, when Johnson & Johnson announced it would permanently discontinue its talc-based baby powder in the U.S. and Canada. The company switched to a cornstarch-based version for those markets, though talc-based formulas continued to be sold in other countries where demand remained higher.
Why the Switch Away From Talc
The concern with talc centers on asbestos, a known carcinogen. Talc and asbestos form in similar geological conditions, and depending on where talc is mined, asbestos fibers can naturally occur alongside it. Research from the U.S. Geological Survey has found that talc deposits created through certain types of geological processes consistently contain amphibole minerals, which can include asbestos. Talc formed by a different process, involving hot silica-rich fluids deep underground, consistently lacks those minerals. The problem is that consumers have no way to know which geological source produced the talc in a given product.
The FDA has been testing talc-containing cosmetics for asbestos contamination. In its most recent round of testing in 2023, asbestos was not detected in any of the 50 samples tested. But past recalls of talc-based baby powders did find asbestos contamination, which is part of what drove the shift toward talc-free alternatives.
Health Risks of Talcum Powder
The most immediate risk, particularly for infants, is inhalation. Breathing in talc dust can cause serious lung problems including chest pain, coughing, difficulty breathing, and rapid shallow breathing. In severe cases, such as a container spilling near a baby’s face, inhaling talcum powder can be fatal. The fine particles irritate and damage delicate lung tissue, and infants are especially vulnerable because of their small airways and rapid breathing rate.
The longer-term concern involves cancer. Retrospective studies looking at women who used talc-based powder in the genital area found a 24 to 35 percent increase in ovarian cancer risk compared to women who never used it. Prospective studies, which follow people forward in time and are generally considered more reliable, showed a weaker but still statistically significant association: about a 13 percent increased risk among women with intact reproductive tracts. Because ovarian cancer is relatively rare to begin with, that small increase in relative risk translates to a very low increase in absolute risk. Still, it was enough to drive regulatory scrutiny and major product reformulations.
What Pediatricians Recommend
The American Academy of Pediatrics is straightforward: avoid using baby powder. Their guidance notes that talc-based baby powder can contain asbestos fibers, and current labeling rules don’t require manufacturers to disclose whether asbestos-like fibers are present. Cornstarch-based powders don’t carry the asbestos risk, but the AAP still cautions that inhaling cornstarch powder can irritate a baby’s respiratory tract. The safest approach is to skip powder altogether when caring for an infant’s skin.
How to Tell What’s in Your Powder
If you have a container of baby powder at home and aren’t sure what’s in it, check the ingredient list for “talc,” “talcum powder,” or “magnesium silicate.” Any of those terms means the product contains talc. Cornstarch-based powders will list cornstarch (or sometimes arrowroot powder) as the main ingredient instead.
Keep in mind that talc shows up in more than just baby powder. It’s a common ingredient in eye shadows, blushes, foundations, and other cosmetic products. The same label-checking approach works for any product you want to verify.
Cornstarch vs. Talc as a Powder
Cornstarch absorbs moisture quickly at first, but it behaves differently than talc once it gets damp. In warm, sweaty areas it can swell, clump, and form a paste that holds odor and transfers to clothing. Talc, on the other hand, feels smoother and doesn’t clump the same way, but it throws visible dust more easily and can leave white marks on dark fabric. Neither is a perfect product, which is one reason newer body powders increasingly use alternatives like arrowroot or tapioca starch.
For anyone still using powder for moisture control or comfort, cornstarch-based options are the widely available default in the U.S. and Canada. Talc-based powders can still be found in some international markets and in certain cosmetic products, so checking labels remains the most reliable way to know what you’re actually applying.