Your Bikini Wax- A Cautionary Tale

At my last bikini wax, as I lay on the paper-covered table wearing my underwear at my local salon,  I found myself once again dreading this awkward summertime procedure. Worried that something was exposed, I looked down and saw the beautician waxer lady about to shake Johnson’s Baby Powder on my groin area! This is definitely toxic and not cool! Talc-based powder used in the genital area is classified as a “possible carcinogen to humans” because studies have linked its use to ovarian and even uterine cancer. Another study said that women who did not have Fallopian tubes and used talcum powder in their genital areas had lower ovarian cancer rates which makes sense as you can visualize talc making its way to the ovaries via that female anatomy.

The good news is no talc touched my body (and I did not think this compromised my bikini wax) and for future waxes, corn starch is a safe alternative to talcum powder. But users of sanitary napkins, diaphragms and condoms beware as apparently these can also contain talcum powder. The other good news is while talc is a mineral that is often mined along side asbestos in places like Vermont and South Africa  (a completely scary thought because asbestos is a known carcinogen), talc used in personal care products has had strict “no asbestos” safety standards since the 1970s.

Still, no one knows why talc is linked to female reproductive organ cancers (it is the inflammation that comes from talc irritation?) so it’s important to share this news with women AND men because talc “down there” could lead to a serious future health scare.

 

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