This Is Why Johnson & Johnson Will Stop Selling its Baby Powder

In recent years, the pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson has been in the eye of the storm over lawsuits against its popular baby powder. Learn why it's scheduled to stop selling this popular product here.

Pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson (J&J) announced that it will discontinue worldwide sales of its popular baby powder from 2023. The decision was taken two years after ending sales of this product in the United States and Canada after receiving multiple lawsuits for suspicions about its safety.

Through a brief statement, the company informed that it made the “business decision” to replace its talcum powder products with corn starch. Even so, it withdrew its position on the safety of its cosmetic talc, arguing that scientific analyses have proven that it doesn’t contain asbestos and doesn’t cause cancer.

Why is Johnson & Johnson suspending the sale of its talcum powder?

As reported in a publication of the British newspaper The Guardian, the pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has been facing thousands of lawsuits for years from women who have developed ovarian cancer after using its talcum powder products on a regular basis.

And while their stance on the safety of the product remains firm, they reported in a brief note that they intend to “transition” from the talc base for their powders to corn starch. They point to purely commercial reasons, but the announcement puts them back in the eye of the storm, especially among those who point out that the company was aware of the harmful effects of the product.

J&J assures there’s nothing to fear

Despite multiple lawsuits, and the penalties it has faced over the issue, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) stands by the idea that its talcum powder-including the famous Johnson’s Baby Powder is safe for consumers.

Johnson & Johnson and the controversial lawsuits against its talcum powder

For several years now, Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder has been in the midst of controversy over its possible link to the development of ovarian cancer. In 2017, a Los Angeles court in California (United States) ordered the company to pay $417 million to a 63-year-old woman who developed ovarian cancer from applying baby powder to her intimate area for several years.

According to the jury’s argument, the company failed to adequately warn about the potential risks of the product and its link to this disease. It further noted that J&J had been aware of these dangers for several years. Subsequently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found small amounts of asbestos in J&J talcum powder, forcing the company to recall a batch of more than 33,000 bottles of the product from the market.

In 2020 – and amid thousands upon thousands of lawsuits – the company decided to suspend sales of talcum powder in North America, given the drop in sales it had as a result of what they termed “misinformation.”

What does science say about talcum powder and ovarian cancer?

Scientific opinions on the use of talcum powder and its relationship to ovarian cancer are divided. While some doubt the involvement of this product in the development of the disease, others warn that there are potential risks and enough evidence to suspect the link.

In fact, a review shared in 2021 in New Solutions points out that for many years the misconception has been spread that cosmetic talc has been free of asbestos – the carcinogenic compound-since 1976. However, the experts caution that “no detectable asbestos” is not the same as “asbestos-free.”

They suggest, among other things, that industry has been responsible for influencing the spread of that false belief. For this reason, they point out that researchers should maintain their efforts to demonstrate the damage they can cause to human and environmental health with concrete evidence.

For its part, a publication in the National Center for Health Research states that studies involving women who use talcum powder link the use of this product with a 30% increase in the probability of contracting ovarian cancer compared to those who don’t use it.

And while it points out that there are still questions to be answered, the article concludes that scientific evidence has shown a consistent link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer. Thus, it suggests that it’s best to avoid talcum powder to avoid the risk.