Photo: Adobe StockSave this storySave this story
In the current political climate, it can be hard to divorce feelings and fear from facts. So when it was announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had withdrawn a rule it had previously proposed for testing and identifying potential asbestos contamination in cosmetic products that contain talc, social media inevitably erupted with misinterpretations suggesting the FDA had outright ended testing for asbestos in talc. And that would be very concerning—if it were true.
The mineral talc has been a historically common ingredient in cosmetics and personal care products, but it’s faced a lot of scrutiny in recent years. “Talc has been a workhorse ingredient for decades because of its softness, translucency, especially in pressed powders,” cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos tells Allure. However, “Talc and asbestos often occur near each other in the earth, so contamination can happen if mining and testing aren’t rigorous.”
You may recall the slew of lawsuits issued against Johnson & Johnson in recent years regarding its baby powder and its alleged link to ovarian cancer. (Despite the brand’s insistence that thousands of tests show no presence of asbestos and no proven causation between their product and cancer, Johnson & Johnson no longer formulates its baby powders with talc.) You might even remember when some Claire’s cosmetics products, like the JoJo Siwa Makeup Set, were recalled for alleged asbestos contamination.
In response to the concern these examples caused, numerous companies have reformulated their products to remove talc. “Many brands include it on their ‘clean’ list or ‘no no’ list as it has a negative consumer reputation,” cosmetic chemist Julian Sass says, and that reputation has contributed to the sometimes misinformed reaction to this testing rule withdrawal. So let’s get the facts straight.
Is the FDA ending talc testing for asbestos?
In a word, no. That’s because the FDA never mandated this kind of testing to begin with. “Currently, there is no mandatory federal requirement for asbestos testing in talc-based cosmetics,” Dobos clarifies. “The proposed rule aimed to close this gap by making testing mandatory and uniform.”
Mandatory, uniform asbestos testing in talc-containing products certainly sounds like a good idea. However, it appears that the idea may not be a feasible reality yet.
Why did the proposed testing rule get withdrawn?
“The proposed FDA rule, published in late 2024, would have required manufacturers of talc-containing cosmetics to test each batch of talc or finished product for asbestos contamination using two methods, Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM),” Dobos says. These are imaging techniques that allow for a clearer look at the structure of a specimen under a microscope.
The FDA withdrew this proposal, citing public comments that brought up scientific, technical, and legal complexities of asbestos testing, including unintended impacts on other products like over-the-counter drugs containing talc. “Some of the public comments noted the potential for false positives that could lead to recalls and lawsuits as well as increased testing costs that would especially impact small manufacturers,” Dobos adds.
And those aren’t the only potential issues with the now-withdrawn proposed testing rules. “The problem with these tests is that there is no standardized way of detecting asbestos in talc,” Sass says. “The U.S. government did not seem prepared for the technical line of questioning around these particular analytical methods. It's important that any new testing methods put in place are standardized and agreed upon with both the government and industry scientists. Otherwise, we're just throwing an ineffective solution at a problem.”
Why are people so concerned about talc?
As Dobos mentioned, talc and asbestos often naturally occur near each other, so contamination is a concern, as asbestos is classified as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Although asbestos contamination is the primary concern, and asbestos-free talc is a thing, the European Union isn’t taking any chances with it. “Because of the lack of standardization around how to detect asbestos in talc, the EU is temporarily banning all talc until standardized methods are in place,” Sass says.
Should you avoid cosmetic products with talc?
While Sass says he doesn’t believe talc poses much of a threat, it’s understandable that its public reputation has become so closely tied to the threat of cancer. And brands are well aware of that. “Many brands, including J&J, have reformulated to remove talc from their products, and new formulations are being designed without talc,” Dobos says. “We have substitutes like sericite mica, starch derivatives, and kaolin clay, though none are perfect replacements for talc’s unique properties and can add significant cost.”
If a product you already use and love has talc, you don’t need to toss it or stop buying it. “All reputable brands that are using talc are already testing for asbestos in their talc, and the level of asbestos is included in their COA (certificate of analysis) for each batch,” Sass says. But he reiterates that there is no standardized testing method across all manufacturers and ingredient suppliers.
Does this mean there will be no asbestos testing for cosmetics?
This withdrawal is not the end of the line for future asbestos testing in talc products. Under the Modernization of Cosmetic Regulations Act (MoCRA), the FDA is legally required to issue this rule. That said, the administration will eventually propose another and hopefully better one—that’s the good news. The bad news? “The timeline is totally unclear,” Dobos says.
In the meantime, there’s no need to panic because nothing has changed. This isn’t a withdrawal of a pre-existing regulation. But if you’re truly concerned about the presence of talc—and, by extension, the potential presence of asbestos—in your cosmetics, Dobos recommends waiting to buy talc-based products (patiently) until we have mandatory, standardized testing. “Cautious consumers may want to shop for talc-free options, especially in loose powders where inhalation risk is higher.” With so many products that already fit that bill, it’s easy to find what you need without any seemingly worrisome ingredients.
