As a mother of two girls, and a sister who battled ovarian twice, I feel very passionate about informing other women about the science that links talcum powder use for feminine hygiene reasons to ovarian cancer. I would never want me or my girls to be one of the 22,000 women who are diagnosed yearly with ovarian cancer. Sadly, 15,000 die annually due to ovarian cancer. Considering these devastating statistics, I want my daughters to be raised with knowledge about their bodies and what they put on them. You would never even know that talcum powder is in so many products that we use daily, and it would never cross your mind unless you carefully read every label on the products that you use on yourself and your kids on a daily basis. As a mother, I feel that it is my duty to educate my daughters at a young age so that they know to check labels on the products that they use so that they can determine what to use (or not use) on their body. I never had a clue how many toxins were put in cosmetics, powders, and personal care products. It truly blows my mind the harmful ingredients placed in products we use every single day, which is why I’m so adamant about this cause.

We get to choose what we put in, and on, our bodies and those of our children. To be honest, I never realized that I was putting harmful products on my children until I took the time to research for myself after hearing a friend voice her concern about talcum powder. I encourage you to do your research as well, so you’ll be able to see first hand that there is proof in the numbers. Talcum powder is harmful to the human body. However, we have the power to put a stop to this and decrease those numbers significantly by eliminating the use of these harmful products. Jonhson & Johnson baby powder is one of the products that is still used in so many homes to this day that is filled with harmful ingredients. Even after asbestos was found in their baby powder a mere 33k bottles were recalled- this stuff is still on the market with the same ingredients, and that to me, is absolutely mind-blowing. In addition, Johnson & Jonhson knew about all of the harmful side effects in the 1970s (internal documentation was found). This is absolutely unacceptable, which is why I urge you to do your own research and to get informed. Together we can stop this by making the decision to #tossthetalc.

As a teenager, I remember my oldest sister being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. My heart was shattered. I was extremely afraid for her and what the future might hold. The word cancer is so frightening, especially at a young age. Luckily, she had the cancerous growths removed and went on to live a healthy life for many years. Fast forward to 3 years later, we found out that the cancer had returned, and this time with a vengeance. Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer was such a grim diagnosis and was much worse than we ever thought it would be. This resulted in a full hysterectomy and her lymphoid & thyroid being removed. It was a very invasive surgery with a long and difficult recovery. By the grace of God, my sister was cancer-free within a few weeks post-surgery. Thankfully, there was no radiation or chemotherapy needed to cure her. I’m sharing this with you because, unexpectedly, I lost my sister a few weeks ago by unforeseen circumstances, and I feel that her story needs to be told. She would want you to be informed and to know the truth with talc as well as the determinants it can cause to your health. My sister was such a strong and beautiful person both inside and out. She overcame ovarian cancer and went on to live a beautiful cancer-free life until she left this earth on March 2, 2020, in a car accident.

It’s no surprise that there are more than 12,000 lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson taking place right now. This number is shocking, knowing that there are so many people who have fought for their life or lost someone they loved to ovarian cancer- and their baby powder is still being sold worldwide. Information is key and has so much power to educate us. Together we can slow the number of these heartbreaking diagnoses down.

Note: not all cases of ovarian cancer are caused by talcum powder; however; statistics show increased risk for ovarian cancer across the board when talcum powder-based products are used for feminine hygiene. 2,500 cases yearly are due to talcum powder alone, and 1,500 women die every year due to talcum powder use. In 1992, Harlow’s study found that women who use talcum powder in their genital areas were at a 50% more risk than those who didi not.

Before using any product or powder, READ your labels. Stay informed. It could literally save your life.