As tens of thousands of lawsuits related to Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder flood US courts, many women are coming forward claiming that talc-based makeup gave them asbestos-related mesothelioma. Why is talc still present in almost all cosmetics?
Almost all of the big brands use talc in their cosmetics, and they reject any suggestion that they may be tainted. The Estée Lauder Companies group, which includes Clinique and Bobbi Brown as well as Estée Lauder itself, said: “We only use talc that is tested and certified as asbestos free.
She sued. “I wanted justice and to raise awareness,” she says. “Some of the things I’ve had to do as a mother, like write letters to my children before the operation because there was a high possibility that I wouldn’t survive. I’ve missed so many family occasions because I’ve just been too ill to attend, and I feel like my children’s childhood was stolen from them.”
In 2020, Jade Jenkins – another woman from the UK who is suing cosmetics companies in the US – was in her mid-30s when she started having stomach pains that felt like heartburn. A scan revealed peritoneal mesothelioma. The lawsuit is only the latest in a long history of attempts, often ad hominem, to discredit or undermine the scientists and lawyers who cast doubt on cosmetic talc’s safety. The most persistent line of attack is that they’re motivated by money – the fees they get for representing or testifying on behalf of plaintiffs suing for compensation.