Originally Posted by frost

Speaking of talc powder, I found this while doing some reading on different brands:

Many people use talc after bathing or to soothe irritated or inflamed skin. What most people don't know is that there is an inextricable link between tacl and asbestos, which virtually everyone knows causes cancer. In fact, the two are virtually chemically identical.

As a consequence, talc manufacturers have played down the link, whilst doing there best to ensure that their powders contain no asbestos fibres. Unfortunately, this isn't enough.

A 1993 US National Toxicology Program report found that comsetic grade talc, even though it contained no asbestos-like fibres, caused tumours in animals. It would therefore appear that, whether asbestos-like fibres are present or not, cosmetic grade talcum powder is a carcinogen (causes cancer).