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Aftershave Talc & Asbestos

Spider

Spider

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This is a topic I've long been interested in, since I do enjoy collecting vintage shaving items, which frequently include talcs. Recently I've thought of putting this thread together as I've noticed @HandleBarberDave using talc as a part of his post shave routine. Now I have not done extensive or thorough research on this, but I have plucked out some tidbits form various sources that I find interesting. I welcome comments or corrections from anyone who knows more on the subject.


Talc Products have been on the market since the 1800s. But in recent history, heath concerns arose because talc from certain sources were found to be contaminated with Asbestos.

Geologically, talc and asbestos can naturally form alongside each other. Not every talc deposit is contaminated with asbestos.

In 1973, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) developed new standards that specifically stating that the mineral should be thoroughly tested to ensure it is asbestos-free talc, a law which remains in place today.

In 1976, researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital examined 19 samples of American talcum powder products and found asbestos in 10 of them, with the asbestos content ranging from 2 percent to as much as 20 percent, depending on the brand.

Also in 1976, the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association (now the Personal Care Products Council) asked its members and the cosmetic industry at large to use only asbestos-free talc moving forward.


Talcum powder brands associated with past asbestos contamination include:

Cashmere Bouquet Body Talc
Clubman Talcum Powder
English Leather After Shave Talc
Faberge Brut Talc
Kings Men After Shave Talc
Mennen Shave Talc
Old Spice Talcum Powder
Pinaud Clubman Talc Powder
Yardley Invisible Talc

So, my advice is to just be cautions when using any vintage bottles of the above brands, especially anything from the 1970s or earlier.


Now, standards and testing these days are far superior and the danger of Asbestos contamination is pretty much non-existent.

Medical-grade talc is around 99 percent talc and is used in a procedure called talc pleurodesis to treat pleural effusion caused by mesothelioma. Talc used in medicine is a special grade of talc, reportedly asbestos-free, that is sterilized before use. Cosmetic-grade talc is approximately 98 percent pure talc.
 
I've often thought about this but know nothing about it and resigned myself to just error on the side of caution and not use it. Dave makes it look fun but I've done fine without all these years so........Good information and thanks for sharing.
 
I like to use talc, particularly when its hot. Talc has a wonderful ability to reduce the discomfort during those hot sticky summer days. I do have vintage talc of various varieties but they are used much because I have plenty of clubman talc.

My mom had talc injected/dusted between her lungs about 6 years ago. It does/did a wonderful job of making the lungs stick to the chest wall, reducing the amount of pleural fluid build up. It was an interesting process.

Just this year the courts decided a case against J&J regarding their talc products possibly being linked to cervical cancer in women (not men). I have no background on the subject but i thought the weird that one would think to consider talc as having any relationship with a cervical cancer. Lung cancer would surprise me less but I have yet to hear anything about talc and lung cancer. I don't know if the talc/cervical cancer link is attributed to asbestos contamination to to the talc itself but I'm sure that information is made clear somewhere.
 
August West said:
On a lighter note...

A man walks into a Department Store and asks the clerk to direct him to the talcum powder.

The clerk happily obliges, "Walk this way, Sir!".

The man replies, "If I could walk that way I wouldn't need any talcum powder!".
Click to expand...
Literal LOL from that one Tony!
 
It sounds like one of those risk vs. rewards things. I personally wouldn't trust that testing today is any more thorough than it was in the 70's. I think the technology is there to do superior testing, but companies profit margins could push them to look the other way. It would be interesting to know if companies test their own product and submit the results or does the council randomly test products.

On occasion I carve soapstone pipes or do reproduction soapstone bowls. Soapstone has asbestos in the formation and there is not avoiding it. I always wear a vapor respirator when working with it. I'm thinking that if the asbestos is in the talc formation or nearby, it would be pretty difficult not to have some in the talc, just like the problem with soapstone.
 
Here is my take since I was mentioned. Bollocks. This is a time honored tradition that barbers and home shavers have used for centuries and can be traced back to the Egyptians. As to government testing now Vs. then, again follow the money. As to the Cervical Cancer threat. No worries here. And frankly anyone taking that much talc and placing it in any orafice..... Well body beware. As to the asbestos it is in such minute amounts that it is similar to the Saccharin scare. So I guess we would have to shave and talc 14,000 lab rats to see any chances of over usage or death. As to most talcum today they have largely been replaced by Corn Starch, here in the US, and the only quality true talc is coming out of Italy ( BoroTalco ), and even our loved SV Dolomiti has Talc from the Dolomite Mountains. To me talc comes from a mineral source and what we are all lacking today so go eat a rock, LOL So I have smoked , drank, partaken of the Herbage, been shot, stabbed, been a POW, went to school with Ceiling tiles that I am sure were 90% asbestos, Rode a bike sans helmet, Rode in the back of a pickup truck, played Cowboys and Indians with Real BB guns, and put up with Chad ( aka Stewie ) ( just kidding my 2nd son) so a minute amount of asbestos that may or may not be in my Mennen it really not a concern, and have a completely clean bill of health. We as country have become too worried about thing that really are not that big of a deal. Talc is a wonderful finish to a shave, has been used for years. So if you like it use it, if you dont, dont. This is a good discussion, but also shows how we all now worry about everything. As to the Talc dust....... Clean your bathroom, ROFL

Now time for a stiff drink, LOL:ROFLMAO:
 
HandleBarberDave said:
Here is my take since I was mentioned. Bollocks. This is a time honored tradition that barbers and home shavers have used for centuries and can be traced back to the Egyptians. As to government testing now Vs. then, again follow the money. As to the Cervical Cancer threat. No worries here. And frankly anyone taking that much talc and placing it in any orafice..... Well body beware. As to the asbestos it is in such minute amounts that it is similar to the Saccharin scare. So I guess we would have to shave and talc 14,000 lab rats to see any chances of over usage or death. As to most talcum today they have largely been replaced by Corn Starch, here in the US, and the only quality true talc is coming out of Italy ( BoroTalco ), and even our loved SV Dolomiti has Talc from the Dolomite Mountains. To me talc comes from a mineral source and what we are all lacking today so go eat a rock, LOL So I have smoked , drank, partaken of the Herbage, been shot, stabbed, been a POW, went to school with Ceiling tiles that I am sure were 90% asbestos, Rode a bike sans helmet, Rode in the back of a pickup truck, played Cowboys and Indians with Real BB guns, and put up with Chad ( aka Stewie ) ( just kidding my 2nd son) so a minute amount of asbestos that may or may not be in my Mennen it really not a concern, and have a completely clean bill of health. We as country have become too worried about thing that really are not that big of a deal. Talc is a wonderful finish to a shave, has been used for years. So if you like it use it, if you dont, dont. This is a good discussion, but also shows how we all now worry about everything. As to the Talc dust....... Clean your bathroom, ROFL

Now time for a stiff drink, LOL:ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...

I think I smoked some talc once. I hate it when they step on perfectly good Peruvian cocaine like that.
 
HandleBarberDave said:
Here is my take since I was mentioned. Bollocks. This is a time honored tradition that barbers and home shavers have used for centuries and can be traced back to the Egyptians. As to government testing now Vs. then, again follow the money. As to the Cervical Cancer threat. No worries here. And frankly anyone taking that much talc and placing it in any orafice..... Well body beware. As to the asbestos it is in such minute amounts that it is similar to the Saccharin scare. So I guess we would have to shave and talc 14,000 lab rats to see any chances of over usage or death. As to most talcum today they have largely been replaced by Corn Starch, here in the US, and the only quality true talc is coming out of Italy ( BoroTalco ), and even our loved SV Dolomiti has Talc from the Dolomite Mountains. To me talc comes from a mineral source and what we are all lacking today so go eat a rock, LOL So I have smoked , drank, partaken of the Herbage, been shot, stabbed, been a POW, went to school with Ceiling tiles that I am sure were 90% asbestos, Rode a bike sans helmet, Rode in the back of a pickup truck, played Cowboys and Indians with Real BB guns, and put up with Chad ( aka Stewie ) ( just kidding my 2nd son) so a minute amount of asbestos that may or may not be in my Mennen it really not a concern, and have a completely clean bill of health. We as country have become too worried about thing that really are not that big of a deal. Talc is a wonderful finish to a shave, has been used for years. So if you like it use it, if you dont, dont. This is a good discussion, but also shows how we all now worry about everything. As to the Talc dust....... Clean your bathroom, ROFL

Now time for a stiff drink, LOL:ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...
So that’s what happened to you! :ROFLMAO:
 
Thanks @HandleBarberDave for that valuable input. I wasn't sure if it was actually a valid concern or not, just sharing what I found. Thanks for alleviating any concerns.
 
Spider said:
Thanks @HandleBarberDave for that valuable input. I wasn't sure if it was actually a valid concern or not, just sharing what I found. Thanks for alleviating any concerns.
Click to expand...
LOL. That was mostly tongue and cheek, although all those things have happened to me, but maybe in the end I was wrong, and the talc will get me, considering now I use it in the morning and all day at the shop. LOL
 
The problem today is that while we have testing eqmt. light years ahead of the 1970's we also have sessile bottom dwelling lawyers who do nothing but sue & sue. As well, there are science "experts" who whore themselves out for a fee and will take any position. This is overwhelming for the layman:

www.scientificamerican.com

Evidence on Talc Cancer Risk Differs for Jurors, Researchers

Despite the $72-million verdict, scientists say the evidence of real danger is inconclusive
www.scientificamerican.com www.scientificamerican.com
 
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