ALERT: Do you know what’s in your body powder?! The same one you use on your baby’s bum?!
For years I’ve been applying “baby powder” (body powder) to my skin after showering in order to soak up the extra moisture my towel didn’t catch. I especially like to pat my underarms with it before applying deodorant because it gives me a dry base. As I was dusting powder on myself the other day, I decided to see what ingredients were in it. What I found was pretty basic… talc & fragrance. Wow for once there isn’t a giant list of ingredients with Latin names I can’t pronounce. It seemed pretty simple… Except for when I started having flashbacks to chemistry science class. Isn’t talc what chalk is made of? The mineral listed on the Periodic Table? It’s a mineral which means it’s natural, so who cares right?
Well it turns out that white mineral rock we love to draw on the sidewalk with isn’t so nice when it comes to us using it on our bodies. Did you know that several studies have established preliminary links between talc and pulmonary issues, lung cancer, skin cancer, and ovarian cancer?! OMG talc powder has been going on my body since I was a baby! I even heard talc can contain traces of asbestos. Gross. This is a major concern considering talc’s widespread commercial use. Talc powder is often used in cosmetics which have been reported to cause tumors in rats forced to inhale talc, even though it contained no asbestos-like fibers.
Talc is a lot more scary than I thought! It’s time everyone should consider an all natural healthy alternative. There is a small company based in Wisconsin called Bath and Body Naturals that recently caught my attention because of their philosophy to go all natural. Bath and Body Naturals only uses the finest quality natural ingredients in their products, never tests them on animals, and they are affordable.
They offer a talc free 6oz natural body powder ($4.30) in a variety of fragrances. This silky, talc free powder works just as well at eliminating friction while keeping your skin cool and comfortable.
There are a variety of powder fragrances Bath and Body Naturals offers:
Unscented - This blend is well suited for infants, kids & adults.
Gardenia – light & sweet floral aroma
Rose – floral rose aroma
Jasmine – a beautiful, rich sweet aroma
Lavender – light, sweet floral aroma
The base for all of the blends includes corn starch, arrowroot powder, clay & oat starch. Want to know a little more about why these natural ingredients work so well?
Cornstarch: Is a healthy alternative to talc because it’s absorbent, soft & gentle. Cornstarch is produced through the milling of corn to extract the starch, which is then processed & dried to a fine powder.
Arrow Root Powder: Its natural qualities are almost identical to talcum – it has an absorbent, fine texture. Arrowroot is starch flour made from the root of the manoic plant. It’s fine texture and pure white color makes it a natural additive for body powder.
Kaolin Clay: Has a high mineral content which lightly draws out impurities & toxins. It’s good for sensitive, dry or mature skin & for children.
Oat starch: Has the combined attributes of talc & anti-irritating attributes of oats. It soothes the skin & gives the powder a good flow.
You might want to think twice before rubbing something into your skin. What you think is safe may not really be.
xoxo,
Mia
Do you know what’s in your deodorant? It may be harmful too if you’re using the wrong kind! Learn more by visiting Sexy Sustainable Style.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
The author of theecodiva.com has written an excellent article. You have made your point and there is not much to argue about. It is like the following universal truth that you can not argue with: Ketchup makes everything taste better. Except Ketchup Thanks for the info.
You must log in to post a comment.