California To Sue Cosmetic Manufacturers and Retailers

A California law has been cited that requires companies to be transparent when selling products that contain cancer causing chemicals

Friday, January 31, 2020 - The State of California is taking aggressive steps to enforce Proposition 65 of the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, and have filed suit against several multinational corporations for violating its guidelines. Prop 65 states "businesses must provide consumers with a clear and reasonable warning before exposing individuals to chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or reproductive harm." The lawsuit alleges that not only is talc contaminated with asbestos but those talc-based cosmetics sold in the state may also contain arsenic, lead and hexavalent chromium. Big-name retailers CVS, Walmart and Walgreen, Dollar General, and of course Johnson & Johnson are all named in the lawsuit. The lawsuit is one of over 17,000 and rising that is pending against Johnson & Johnson for failing to warn consumers that their talcum powder may contain cancer-causing asbestos. The state already includes asbestos in their official Prop 65 list of chemicals or substances that cause cancer and the FDA recently concluded that they found asbestos in bottles of Johnson's Baby Powder from years ago procured from collectors over the internet. Talcum powder cancer lawsuits are handled by top national attorneys with vast experience and a winning track record against pharmaceuticals and big corporations, and offer a free consultation with no obligation to file a claim.

The science behind whether or not Johnson's Baby Powder contributes to ovarian cancer and mesothelioma is confusing and there have been mixed results. Most recently, the Journal of American Medicine published the results of a study that claims there is not a sufficient link between using Johnson's Baby Powder and Shower to Shower for hygiene and instances of ovarian cancer. Other studies such as the African American Cancer Epidemiology Study reported that African American women who have used Johnson's Baby Powder regularly for their entire lives have a 33% greater risk of developing ovarian cancer. Other studies have found particles of talc embedded in the cancerous ovarian tissue of women with ovarian cancer or who have died from the disease. There is an ongoing criminal investigation against Johnson & Johnson for allegedly lying to authorities about their decades-long knowledge that their talc was contaminated with asbestos. Johnson & Johnson is being sued by the state of New Mexico for allegedly targeting African American women with Johnson's Baby Powder and Shower to Shower advertising after the company learned of the talc/asbestos connection.

No amount of exposure to asbestos is considered safe and the FDA is considering requiring cosmetics companies to adopt a more strict method of testing for the presence of asbestos in talc. Expert witnesses for plaintiffs such as Georgia-based microscope researcher Dr. William Longo have testified under oath that their liquid separation method of finding asbestos has done so in bottles of Johnson's Baby Powder. The cosmetics industry under the leadership of ex-employees from Johnson & Johnson cosmetics have fought against the stricter standards and claim that it can produce false-positive results. The cosmetics industry, unlike food and drugs, has been left to be self-regulating and for over 50 years has been exceedingly lax in testing cosmetic products for the presence of cancer-causing substances. It is hoped that other states will follow California's lead and pick up the FDA's slack.