Talc
- This ingredient’s score is higher if used in products that are inhalable (e.g., sprays, powders) because of respiratory concerns.
Other Concerns
Use restrictions (high), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate), and Contamination concerns (high)SYNONYMS
Restricted - Unaccpetable
The score of this ingredient can vary from Restricted to Unacceptable based on the method of product consumption. For instance, when used in aerosol-based products, this ingredient may pose a risk to respiratory health, leading to a higher score
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Talc is a powdered native, hydrous magnesium silicate sometimes containing a small portion of aluminum silicate. Talc can be contaminated with asbestos fibers, posing risks for respiratory toxicity and cancer. Studies by the National Toxicology Panel demonstrated that cosmetic-grade talc free of asbestos is a form of magnesium silicate that also can be toxic and carcinogenic.
Common concerns
See how this product scores for common concerns.
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HIGHCancer
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LOWAllergies & Immunotoxicity
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LOWDevelopmental and Reproductive Toxicity
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HIGHUse Restrictions
Ingredient concerns
- CONCERNS
- DATA SOURCES
Products with this Ingredient
foundation | 687 products |
eye shadow | 657 products |
concealer | 322 products |
blush | 301 products |
bronzer/highlighter | 275 products |
facial powder | 263 products |
lipstick | 165 products |
setting powder/spray | 135 products |
brow liner | 99 products |
antiperspirant/deodorant | 87 products |
eye liner | 86 products |
mascara | 55 products |
makeup primer | 45 products |
antiperspirant/deodorant (men's) | 42 products |
lip liner | 40 products |
daily use with SPF | 40 products |
BB cream | 33 products |
bar soap | 16 products |
facial cleanser | 14 products |
mask | 14 products |
exfoliant/scrub | 11 products |
anti-aging | 11 products |
lip gloss | 10 products |
recreational sunscreen | 8 products |
hair color and bleaching | 8 products |
nail polish | 8 products |
shampoo | 8 products |
8 products | |
CC cream | 6 products |
facial moisturizer/treatment | 4 products |
glitter | 4 products |
other eye makeup | 3 products |
body powder | 3 products |
diaper cream | 3 products |
foot odor control | 2 products |
oil controller | 2 products |
around-eye cream | 2 products |
nail treatment | 2 products |
hair styling aide | 2 products |
bath oil/salts/soak | 1 products |
serums & essences | 1 products |
moisturizer | 1 products |
hand cream | 1 products |
lip balm | 1 products |
toners/astringents | 1 products |
makeup remover | 1 products |
baby powder | 1 products |
body wash/cleanser | 1 products |
shaving cream | 1 products |
sunless tanning | 1 products |
hair treatment/serum | 1 products |
beard cleanser | 1 products |
Contamination concerns
Chemical |
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ASBESTIFORM FIBERS |
Cancer
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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Known human carcinogen | Open scientific literature |
Use restrictions
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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Violation of government restrictions - Restricted in cosmetics; use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - any | CosIng |
Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - any | Open scientific literature |
Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Use is restricted in Canadian cosmetics | Canada - Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetics Ingredients |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Classified as medium human health priority | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Limited evidence of respiratory toxicity | Scorecard.org Toxicity Information |
Multiple, additive exposure sources
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | FDA Food Additive Status |
Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | FDA Everything Added to Food |
Informational
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - any | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Data gaps
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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23653 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical | NLM PubMed |
Ecotoxicology
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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Not suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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Not suspected to be bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
- Open scientific/peer reviewed literature
- European Commission. 2013. Cosing, the European Commission database with information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. Accessed on March 1, 2013 at http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/ .
- Health Canada. 2007. List of Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients. Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. March 2007.
- EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
- ED (Environmental Defense). 2006. Scorecard _ The Pollution Information Site. http://www.scorecard.org.
- FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) 2006. Food Additive Status List. Downloaded from http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/opa-appa.html, Oct 16, 2006.
- FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2008. EAFUS [Everything Added to Food]: A Food Additive Database. FDA Office of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
- CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC.
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov.
Understanding scores
Cosmetics and personal care products are not required to be tested for safety before being allowed on the market. The Skin Deep® scoring system was designed to help the public understand whether a product is safe to use or whether it contains ingredients of concern.
Every product and ingredient in Skin Deep gets a two-part score – one for hazard and one for data availability. The safest products score well by both measures, with a low hazard rating and a fair or better data availability rating.
HOW WE DETERMINE SCORESHazard score
The Skin Deep ingredient hazard score, from 1 to 10, reflects known and suspected hazards linked to the ingredients. The EWG VERIFIED™ mark means a product meets EWG’s strictest criteria for transparency and health.
Data availability
The Skin Deep data availability rating reflects the number of scientific studies about the product or ingredient in the published scientific literature.