Talc in makeup:
from “is it safe?” to
“give me my talc back”
Every post and comment about talc in Reddit’s main makeup communities, January 2018 to September 2026, next to the documentary, the court cases and the rule changes of those years.
Key findings
Between 2022 and 2026, talc talk moved from whether it is safe to what happens when brands take it out
Through 2021, talc came up at a low, even rate, mostly in posts about skin reactions and how a powder wears. Even in months with court verdicts, recalls or FDA alerts, no month reached twice the usual level.
In April 2022 a documentary aired, and talc talk ran at 4.9 times its usual level. Asbestos and cancer were the most common topics.
From 2024, well-known powders and foundations started coming out in talc-free versions. By 2026 a changed formula is the most common subject, and the usual complaint is that it doesn’t look or wear the same. Hardly any of the accounts that raised safety concerns in 2022 and 2023 later stated a preference for talc.
as much talc talk as a typical 2019-2021 month, in April 2022, when the documentary “Not So Pretty” came out. No month has been higher.
of 2026’s posts and comments about talc are about brands changing their formulas, up from 3% in 2022. No topic comes up more.
of 2026’s posts and comments state a preference for makeup with talc, against 5% for talc-free. Until 2025 it was the other way round.
What people talked about, in three periods
2018-2021
Skin and wear
Talc came up mostly in posts about skin reactions and how a product performs. Through years of court and FDA news, no month reached twice the usual level.
- Skin reactions26%
- How it performs23%
- Asbestos10%
“I thought perhaps the talc in my eyeshadows could be too drying or something else?”
2022-2023
The safety argument
After the documentary, asbestos was the most common topic, and 31% of 2022’s posts raised a safety concern, the most of any year.
- Asbestos20%
- How it performs18%
- Safety in general15%
“I tossed all of my talc products.”
2024-2026
Reformulation
Brands selling talc-free versions became the main subject, with how those versions perform right behind it.
- Reformulation32%
- How it performs28%
- Asbestos15%
“The talc free push has ruined so many great powders 😞 im still grieving”
Share of each period’s posts and comments about talc in makeup that raise the topic. One post can raise several.
How to read this page
Talc is a mineral powder used in face powder, eyeshadow and blush. The FDA says it’s there to absorb moisture, stop caking, make makeup opaque and improve how a product feels. It also says talc can be contaminated with asbestos, since the two minerals can form close together in the ground (FDA on talc).
Reformulation means a brand changing what goes into a product. Here that’s nearly always taking talc out and using other powders instead. “It’s really hard to get a one-to-one replacement for talc,” a cosmetic chemist told NBC News Select.
The posts come from r/MakeupAddiction, r/Makeup, r/BeautyGuruChatter, r/beauty and r/SkincareAddiction. Every percentage counts posts and comments, not people (one person can write several), and only the ones that make a real point about talc in makeup. Passing mentions are left out. Where a figure counts accounts instead, it says so. A comment’s score is its Reddit upvotes minus downvotes.
1× is a typical (median) month from 2019 to 2021. Talc posts are counted relative to mentions of an everyday product, mascara, so a busier Reddit doesn’t read as more talc talk. 4.9× means talc came up 4.9 times as often, for the same amount of mascara talk, as in that typical month.
History
How often talc came up, month by month, and what happened around it
Dots mark months with court, regulator or company news. Pick any month to read every post and comment about talc from it, each linked to the original.
Talc talk by month relative to the 2019-2021 monthly median, January 2018 to September 2026. Highest month: April 2022, 4.9 times that level. Use the slider below to read any month.
- “Not So Pretty” premieres (4.9× that month alone), April 2022
- Thread: brands removing talc, September 2024
- Thread: a reported EU talc ban, May 2025
- Thread: a reformulated blush, April 2026
- Thread: talc palettes in the EU, September 2026
On the chart: 3.1× (average of Mar–May, weighted toward April)
Talc came up 4.9× as often as in a typical 2019-2021 month.
Most raised in April: Asbestos 37% · Cancer 28% · Testing and evidence 28%
- Say talc itself is harmful14%
- Say asbestos is the risk21%
- Say how it’s used is the risk14%
- Say the risk is low or overstated23%
- Prefer talc-free5%
- Prefer talc<1%
Share of that month’s posts and comments about talc in makeup. One can hold several views.
HBO Max premieres “Not So Pretty”, a four-part docuseries on possible hidden dangers in beauty products, with episodes on makeup, nails, skin and hair.
Beauty Packaging- “Are you worried about Talc in your makeup?” r/beauty, Apr 22, 2022
- “I try to limit my exposure to talc in makeup, but I don't really aim to completely avoid it.” r/beauty, Apr 22, 2022
- “I tossed all of my talc products.” r/beauty, Apr 22, 2022
One line each, with a link to the original; passing mentions are left out. Oldest first.
Loading the posts…
What the timeline shows
- 2018-2021
- No month reached twice the typical level. That held through court verdicts in talc cases, recalls, and FDA warnings about asbestos in some cosmetics.
- April 2022
- The highest month, at 4.9×. HBO Max premiered the documentary “Not So Pretty” on April 14. More than a third of the month’s posts and comments about talc sat in one r/beauty thread, started by someone who had just watched it: “Are you worried about Talc in your makeup?” Even that month, saying the risk was low or overstated (23% of posts) was more common than the top concern, asbestos contamination (21%).
- September 2024
- 2.7×, the highest month since April 2022 at that point. Its biggest thread, started on September 2, was people complaining that brands were taking talc out of their powders. Most of the month’s posts came before September 20, when a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary filed for bankruptcy to resolve talc claims.
- May 2025
- Hardly anyone here had mentioned the EU until a thread about a reported EU talc ban started on May 24. Its opener had just watched a creator’s video about it. The EU committee’s recommendation to classify talc as a carcinogen had been reported in October 2024. The FDA had held an expert panel on talc on May 20. The EU has come up most months since.
- April and September 2026
- The highest months since 2022, at 3.5× and 3.4×. In April, 61% of the month’s posts and comments about talc were about changed formulas; its biggest thread was a complaint about a reformulated blush.
- 2023-2026 overall
- Most months stayed above the old level. The median month was 1.2× in 2023, 1.4× in 2024, 1.8× in 2025 and 2.1× in 2026 through September, and no month in 2025 or 2026 dropped below 1×.
Wikipedia readers ran on a different clock
Both lines against their own typical 2019-2021 month (dashed line = 1×). Hover a month for both figures.
- Talc talk in the makeup communities
- Views of English Wikipedia’s Talc article, as a share of all English Wikipedia views
The Wikipedia article’s five biggest months all had Johnson & Johnson talc news (each dated and sourced on the chart above). In none of them did the makeup communities go above 1.3×.
- July 2018A $4.69 billion jury verdict, later reduced on appealWikipedia 1.7×, makeup communities 1.2×
- December 2018A Reuters report the company disputedWikipedia 2.3×, makeup communities 1.3×
- October 2019A recall of one lot of baby powderWikipedia 1.5×, makeup communities 1.3×
- May 2020Announced end of talc baby powder sales in the US and CanadaWikipedia 1.4×, makeup communities 0.9×
- August 2022Announced end of talc baby powder worldwideWikipedia 1.8×, makeup communities 1.0×
In April 2022, the makeup communities’ highest month, the article sat at its usual level (1.0×). And in 2025 and 2026, with the makeup communities at their loudest, it has been at its lowest.
| Series | Five highest months |
|---|---|
| Talc talk in the makeup communities | April 2022 4.9×, April 2026 3.46×, September 2026 3.43×, July 2025 2.81×, June 2026 2.75× |
| Views of Wikipedia’s Talc article | December 2018 2.29×, August 2022 1.83×, July 2018 1.67×, October 2019 1.46×, May 2020 1.36× |
Wikipedia figures: Wikimedia pageviews, people only (no bots), monthly.
Was talc banned? Where the rules stood
In the biggest threads, commenters disagree about whether talc is banned at all.
- European Union
- In 2024 a committee of the EU chemicals agency recommended classifying talc as a category 1B carcinogen, the EU’s label for substances presumed able to cause cancer in humans. The UK cosmetics trade association CTPA wrote that talc would be banned as a cosmetic ingredient in the EU unless an exemption application succeeded. In October 2026, NBC News Select still described the EU as “moving toward banning talc in cosmetics in 2027”.
- Great Britain
- In January 2026 the Health and Safety Executive’s technical report did not propose classifying talc as a carcinogen, and CTPA said it didn’t expect talc’s use in cosmetics there to change.
- United States
- The FDA proposed mandatory asbestos testing of talc-containing cosmetics in December 2024 and withdrew the proposal in November 2025.
Talc or talc-free
In 2025, stated preference flipped to makeup with talc
Stated formula preference, by year
Share of each year’s posts and comments about talc in makeup
- Prefer formulas with talc
- Prefer talc-free formulas
| Year | Prefers formulas with talc | Prefers talc-free formulas |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2% | 9% |
| 2019 | 3% | 10% |
| 2020 | <1% | 10% |
| 2021 | 4% | 7% |
| 2022 | 2% | 9% |
| 2023 | 3% | 9% |
| 2024 | 7% | 8% |
| 2025 | 18% | 6% |
| 2026 | 21% | 5% |
Preference here means how a product looks, wears and feels, as the writer describes it. Across all years 7% state a talc-free preference and 10% a talc one; fewer than 1% say it depends on the use; the rest state none. Talc leads across all years because 2025 and 2026, when it led, have the most posts.
Who is talking
The accounts asking for talc back mostly hadn’t posted about talc before 2024
Counted by accounts instead of posts, the flip looks the same. Of the accounts that posted about talc in 2026, 24% stated a preference for it and 6% for talc-free.
That’s true of nearly everyone posting about talc lately: only 4% of the accounts posting about it in 2025-2026 had done so before 2024, and the accounts preferring talc are no different. Of the accounts that raised a safety concern in 2022-2023, 0.7% later stated a preference for talc. (One person can have more than one account, and some accounts are deleted.)
The talc-free side hasn’t left, either. Its overall share fell from 9% of posts in 2022 to 5% in 2026, but outside reformulation posts it’s 8%, against 9% in 2022.
of the accounts that preferred talc in 2025-2026 had posted about talc in these communities before 2024. For all accounts posting about talc in 2025-2026 it was 4%.
of the accounts that raised a safety concern in 2022-2023 later stated a preference for talc, in 2025-2026.
of comments preferring talc reached a score of ten or more in 2025-2026. For comments preferring talc-free it was 2%.
Stated formula preference, counted by accounts
Share of the accounts posting about talc in makeup each year that stated each preference
- Prefer formulas with talc
- Prefer talc-free formulas
| Year | Accounts preferring formulas with talc | Accounts preferring talc-free formulas |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2% | 11% |
| 2019 | 2% | 12% |
| 2020 | 1% | 11% |
| 2021 | 5% | 8% |
| 2022 | 2% | 9% |
| 2023 | 4% | 10% |
| 2024 | 8% | 10% |
| 2025 | 21% | 7% |
| 2026 | 24% | 6% |
Which comments score highest
Share of comments reaching a Reddit score of ten or more (upvotes minus downvotes), 2025-2026, by what the comment does
- Brings up lawsuits37%
- Brings up regulation31%
- Complains about a shade30%
- Criticizes a reformulation29%
- Says they stocked up29%
- Raises asbestos contamination26%
- Prefers the talc formula23%
- Says talc itself may be harmful20%
- All comments about talc18%
- Praises how a product performs12%
- Says they avoid a product6.0%
- Mentions a skin reaction3.4%
- Prefers the talc-free formula2.4%
Comments that bring up lawsuits or regulation, or complain about a change, get there most often. Comments about avoiding a product or a skin reaction seldom do.
Reformulation
What the reformulation posts say
Reformulation is the most common topic of 2026, in 46% of posts. It took the place skin reactions held in 2018 (34% of posts then, 7% in 2026). When these posts state a preference, it’s almost always for the formula with talc.
Regulation comes up in more of them each year: 3% in 2024, 18% in 2025 and 23% in 2026.
reformulation posts preferring the talc formula, for each one preferring the talc-free version, 2025-2026.
of posts from 2025-2026 that judge a new talc-free formula criticize something about it. Of those that judge the old talc formula, 94% praise something.
of posts from 2025-2026 that judge a shade criticize it, against 34% in 2018-2024.
Inside the reformulation posts
Share of posts and comments about reformulation, 2025-2026
What they say
- Talk about how it performs42%
- Prefer the talc formula33%
- Bring up regulation20%
- Raise a safety concern11%
- Say the risk is low8.0%
- Bring up lawsuits5.8%
- Prefer the talc-free formula1.4%
Which products they name
- Face powder27%
- Blush18%
- Foundation17%
- Eyeshadow3.6%
Bring up regulation, by year
- 20243.4%
- 202518%
- 202623%
Brand by brand
The four brands named most in reformulation posts, 2025-2026
| Brand | Share of posts | Busiest month |
|---|---|---|
| MAC | 11% | April 2025 |
| NARS | 8% | July 2025 |
| Fenty Beauty | 4% | June 2026 |
| Givenchy | 4% | – |
46% of reformulation posts in those years name a brand. These count how often a brand is named, nothing more. A client study goes further and sets the client’s own products beside them. A dash means no single month stood out.
Topics raised, by year
Share of each year’s posts and comments about talc in makeup raising the topic, for or against. Brighter cells mean more.
| Topic | 2018 | 2022 | 2026 | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How it performs | 26% | 16% | 33% | 25% |
| Reformulation | 1% | 3% | 46% | 19% |
| Asbestos | 4% | 22% | 14% | 15% |
| Skin reactions | 34% | 11% | 7% | 14% |
| Safety in general | 8% | 18% | 8% | 11% |
| Testing and evidence | 7% | 15% | 8% | 11% |
| Cancer | 7% | 15% | 10% | 10% |
| Regulation | 2% | 9% | 16% | 9% |
| Breathing it in | 3% | 7% | 3% | 5% |
| Price | 5% | 5% | 4% | 4% |
| Lawsuits | 2% | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Ingredient labels | 3% | 4% | 3% | 4% |
| Sourcing | 1% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Topic | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | All years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How it performs | 26% | 19% | 21% | 23% | 16% | 20% | 20% | 31% | 33% | 25% |
| Reformulation | 1% | 2% | 4% | 2% | 3% | 9% | 18% | 31% | 46% | 19% |
| Asbestos | 4% | 16% | 12% | 10% | 22% | 19% | 16% | 17% | 14% | 15% |
| Skin reactions | 34% | 26% | 20% | 21% | 11% | 13% | 16% | 8% | 7% | 14% |
| Safety in general | 8% | 10% | 8% | 7% | 18% | 12% | 11% | 12% | 8% | 11% |
| Testing and evidence | 7% | 10% | 10% | 7% | 15% | 11% | 11% | 13% | 8% | 11% |
| Cancer | 7% | 12% | 8% | 9% | 15% | 9% | 11% | 9% | 10% | 10% |
| Regulation | 2% | 7% | 4% | 3% | 9% | 3% | 5% | 13% | 16% | 9% |
| Breathing it in | 3% | 8% | 7% | 3% | 7% | 6% | 6% | 4% | 3% | 5% |
| Price | 5% | 5% | 4% | 4% | 5% | 3% | 2% | 5% | 4% | 4% |
| Lawsuits | 2% | 5% | 2% | 2% | 4% | 3% | 5% | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Ingredient labels | 3% | 5% | 2% | 5% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 3% | 3% | 4% |
| Sourcing | 1% | 3% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 2% | <1% | 1% | 2% | 2% |
A topic counts only when the text ties it to talc. One post or comment can raise several topics.
Biggest threads
Inside the biggest threads
A reported EU talc banMay 2025
What it was about
The thread discussed a reported EU talc ban by 2027 and the poster’s fear that powder reformulations would perform worse.
Where people landed
- Many commenters preferred talc’s finish and blending, with several favoring contamination testing over removal; others welcomed talc-free options, citing asbestos concerns, possible cancer risks, and trust in EU regulation.
- A few emphasized uncertain evidence and exposure differences, while one commenter said the ban and timing were not settled.
Tired of brands removing talcSep 2024
What it was about
The poster complained that removing talc worsened powders’ shades, blurring and oil control, blaming clean-beauty marketing.
Where people landed
- Several commenters agreed, preferred talc’s performance and reported stockpiling favorites; others defended removal over asbestos concerns and distrust of testing.
- Commenters disputed whether talc itself was harmful or contamination was the issue, with some attributing reformulation to lawsuit avoidance rather than safety.
- A few recommended talc-free alternatives, while others wanted better substitutes and continued choice.
Worried about talc after a documentaryApr 2022
What it was about
The thread was about the poster’s alarm over talc in makeup after watching a documentary and whether to discard their products.
Where people landed
- Many commenters favored avoiding talc over possible asbestos contamination, with several discarding makeup or seeking talc-free alternatives.
- Others considered cosmetic exposure low-risk or cancer evidence inconclusive, citing studies and regulations; a few planned to keep existing products while avoiding future talc purchases or minimizing powder inhalation.
Will US products follow EU rules?Jul 2025
What it was about
The poster asked whether EU regulations would drive US talc-free reformulations, saying mica looked silvery rather than matte.
Where people landed
- Several commenters expected global reformulation for cost reasons, while others disputed that talc was banned.
- Most discussing performance preferred talc for blending, oil control and wear, criticizing substitutes.
- Safety views split: some warned about asbestos contamination and inadequate testing, while others disputed universal contamination or argued talc itself was safe.
A complaint about a blush reformulationApr 2026
What it was about
The thread discussed the poster’s complaint that a reformulated blush had changed shade, shimmer, and texture while keeping its name.
Where people landed
- Most commenters discussing performance preferred the old talc-containing formula, and several attributed removal to regulations or anticipated bans.
- A few supported removal over possible asbestos contamination, while others dismissed talc fears.
- Several argued that removing talc did not justify the shade change and said a better talc-free version was possible.
A shopper questions a skin tint’s ingredient listsJun 2026
What it was about
The poster questioned an apparent undisclosed skin-tint reformulation, saying their bottle omitted talc while online ingredient lists still included it.
Where people landed
- Several commenters valued talc’s blurring, oil control and texture, criticized poor disclosure, and favored better contamination testing over removal.
- Others welcomed removal over asbestos concerns and disputed safety reassurances, while some defenders distinguished pure talc from contaminated talc.
- Several attributed reformulations to EU rules or testing costs and liability.
“Give me my talc back!”Mar 2025
What it was about
The thread discussed the poster’s frustration that talc-free powder reformulations set makeup poorly and add shine.
Where people landed
- Several commenters preferred talc and advocated better sourcing, testing, and consumer choice, while others argued contamination and cancer concerns justified removing it and questioned whether testing could ensure safety.
- A few praised talc-free alternatives, and several attributed reformulations to litigation or liability concerns rather than clean-beauty marketing alone.
A complaint about a blush’s color payoffJul 2025
What it was about
The poster asked why an expensive blush gave almost no color.
Where people landed
- Most commenters blamed talc-free reformulation, praised talc’s pigment payoff and finish, and suggested returns or finding older formulas.
- A few prioritized possible asbestos contamination risks and supported removing talc, while others questioned those risks or favored tested talc.
- Several said talc-free blushes can perform well, and one reported that a newer reformulation improved pigmentation.
How careful are you about talc?Jun 2022
What it was about
The thread asked whether shoppers avoid talc in makeup and how practical avoidance is.
Where people landed
- Several commenters dismissed concerns as clean-beauty marketing, saying cosmetic talc is safe when asbestos-free, while several others avoided it over contamination fears and distrust of sourcing and oversight.
- Some distinguished loose powders from creams or pressed powders, considering airborne powder riskier.
- The poster sought safer future purchases without discarding existing makeup; others cited cost, ingredient uncertainty, or label-checking as practical considerations.
Safety views
Safety claims, on both sides, peaked in 2022
median score in 2022 of comments saying the risk is low, against comments raising a concern. The “risk is low” comments scored higher in every period (2018-2021, 2022-2023, 2024 and 2025-2026).
of replies to a “risk is low” post or comment raised a safety concern in 2022-2023, and 44% in 2025-2026.
Safety views, by year
Share of each year’s posts and comments about talc in makeup; figures beside the key are all years. One post can hold more than one view.
- Says or suspects talc itself is harmful 9%
- Points to asbestos contamination as the risk 10%
- Points to how it is used (inhaling loose powder, body use) 5%
- Says the risk is low or overstated 10%
| Year | Says or suspects talc itself is harmful | Points to asbestos contamination as the risk | Points to how it is used (inhaling loose powder, body use) | Says the risk is low or overstated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 9% | 2% | 1% | 7% |
| 2019 | 9% | 10% | 7% | 10% |
| 2020 | 10% | 8% | 5% | 5% |
| 2021 | 11% | 8% | 3% | 4% |
| 2022 | 12% | 13% | 7% | 16% |
| 2023 | 10% | 12% | 6% | 11% |
| 2024 | 11% | 11% | 5% | 11% |
| 2025 | 7% | 9% | 4% | 10% |
| 2026 | 7% | 10% | 3% | 8% |
What people did
What people say they did, ask and want
What people say they did
Share of posts and comments about talc in makeup, all years
- Mentions using or buying a product21%
- Avoids talc7.4%
- Checked the label3.2%
- Switched products2.2%
- Keeps using talc1.3%
- Threw products out0.8%
- Stocked up on a talc formula0.7%
Avoiding talc counts talc itself or products the post says contain it, not people skipping talc-free ones.
Avoiding talc and stocking up on it, by year
Share of each year’s posts and comments about talc in makeup
- Say they avoid talc
- Say they stocked up on a talc formula
| Year | Say they avoid talc | Say they stocked up on a talc formula |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 11% | 0% |
| 2019 | 9% | 0% |
| 2020 | 9% | 0% |
| 2021 | 9% | 0% |
| 2022 | 8% | 0% |
| 2023 | 10% | <1% |
| 2024 | 8% | <1% |
| 2025 | 5% | <1% |
| 2026 | 4% | 3% |
In posts that say the writer avoids talc, skin reactions come up more than asbestos or cancer in every period (32% of those posts in 2025 and 2026, against 14% for asbestos and 9% for cancer).
What people ask about
Share of posts and comments about talc in makeup, all years
- Which product to buy9.6%
- Whether talc is safe3.2%
- How a formula performs2.4%
- Whether a product has talc1.9%
- Whether a product changed1.2%
- What the rules are0.4%
- Other3.6%
Asking whether a product changed went from almost never before 2022 to 2% of posts in 2025-2026. Asking whether talc is safe went from 4.5% in 2022-2023 to 2.1%.
What people ask brands for
Share of posts and comments about talc in makeup, all years
- Comparable performance2.9%
- The same shade2.3%
- A fair price1.5%
- Quality control or testing0.9%
- Availability0.6%
- Clear ingredient lists0.5%
- A clear explanation<0.1%
- Other5.9%
Sources and products
Who people cite, and which products come up
Documentaries, the FDA and EU regulators, by year
Share of each year’s posts and comments about talc in makeup citing each
- Documentaries
- The FDA
- EU regulators
| Year | Documentaries | The FDA | EU regulators |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 0% | 1% | 0% |
| 2019 | 0% | 3% | 0% |
| 2020 | 0% | 2% | 0% |
| 2021 | 0% | 2% | <1% |
| 2022 | 8% | 5% | <1% |
| 2023 | 2% | 2% | <1% |
| 2024 | 1% | <1% | <1% |
| 2025 | <1% | 2% | 2% |
| 2026 | <1% | 2% | 4% |
Sources cited
Share of all posts and comments citing each; then, of those, how many lean on it or argue with it
| Source | Share | Of those | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support | Dispute | ||
| Creators and influencers | 3.1% | 41% | 30% |
| The FDA | 2.0% | 53% | 9% |
| Studies | 1.8% | 70% | 11% |
| Brand statements | 1.6% | 21% | 32% |
| Documentaries | 1.4% | 48% | 34% |
| News | 1.3% | 71% | 7% |
| EU regulators | 1.1% | 25% | 12% |
| Doctors and dermatologists | 0.5% | 65% | 4% |
| Friends and family | 0.4% | 57% | 0% |
| WHO cancer agency (IARC) | 0.2% | 60% | 10% |
| Other | 5.9% | 65% | 10% |
A post can back one source and dispute another, or mention a source without taking a side, so the last two columns don’t have to add up to 100%. Grey figures rest on too few posts to read closely.
Products mentioned
Share of all posts and comments mentioning each type; then, of those, whether they say it has talc
| Product | Share | Of those | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talc | No talc | ||
| Face powder | 28% | 45% | 54% |
| Eyeshadow | 8.1% | 44% | 42% |
| Foundation | 8.0% | 48% | 46% |
| Blush | 5.7% | 45% | 58% |
| Baby or body powder | 4.2% | 60% | 37% |
| Bronzer | 2.1% | 29% | 62% |
| Primer | 0.9% | 63% | 25% |
| Concealer | 0.6% | 42% | 23% |
| Dry shampoo | 0.1% | 33% | 50% |
For brand teams
What a brand team could take from this
“I wish brands were more upfront about reformulating, especially when the shade changes as well”
What do people want from a new formula?
When people say what they want from a reformulated product, it’s most often comparable performance or the same shade. A safety concern comes up in about one reformulation post in nine.
Who explains the change?
Commenters supply their own reasons (EU rules, lawsuits, clean-beauty marketing), and those comments score well. 37% of comments that bring up lawsuits reach a score of ten or more, and 31% of those that bring up regulation, against 18% of all comments. Brand statements are the one kind of source people dispute more often than they rely on.
Has the safety worry gone?
No. Nearly one post in five still raises a safety concern in 2026, more often about asbestos contamination than about talc itself, and most of the big reformulation threads have commenters who support taking talc out.
Are the 2022 worriers the ones asking for talc back?
Very few are. Under 1% of the accounts that raised a safety concern in 2022-2023 later stated a preference for talc, and most accounts asking for talc back hadn’t posted about talc here before 2024. The talc-free side is still there (outside reformulation posts its share is about where it was in 2022), but comments preferring talc-free formulas now seldom reach a score of ten.
How long does a thread stay live?
About a day. In the nine biggest, 82% of the posts and comments about talc were written within a day of the first one.
What do the big months have in common?
The highest months coincide with a documentary and with big threads about changed products. Months of Johnson & Johnson news were the biggest for Wikipedia’s Talc article and ordinary ones here.
This is what was said in Reddit’s makeup communities. It isn’t a survey of all shoppers.
Common questions
Questions people ask about talc in makeup
Is talc banned in makeup?
- As of the newest source on this page (October 2026), the EU had a proposed classification, not a ban in force. In 2024 an EU chemicals agency committee recommended classifying talc as a category 1B carcinogen, and the UK trade association CTPA wrote that talc would be banned in EU cosmetics unless an exemption succeeded. In Great Britain the regulator did not propose that classification. In the US the FDA proposed asbestos testing in 2024 and withdrew it in 2025.CTPA on the EUCTPA on Great BritainFDA on talc
Why are makeup brands removing talc?
- NBC News Select, which interviewed cosmetic chemists and dermatologists, wrote that “regulation and consumer concern both appear to be driving the change”. In the Reddit threads on this page, commenters put it down to EU rules, lawsuits or clean-beauty marketing, and argue about which.NBC News Select
Which makeup brands have gone talc-free?
- The sources on this page date changes to particular products, not whole brands. Laura Mercier promoted its Ultra-Blur setting powder in two talc-free formats in April 2024. NBC News Select reports that Givenchy reformulated its Prisme Libre loose powder without talc in August 2024, NARS its powder blush line in 2024 and MAC its Studio Fix powder foundation in 2025.Laura MercierNBC News Select
Do people prefer talc or talc-free makeup?
- In Reddit’s makeup communities, more posts preferred talc-free formulas every year through 2024. In 2025 that reversed, and in 2026 21% of posts and comments about talc state a preference for makeup with talc against 5% for talc-free. Most posts state no preference.
What do people say about talc-free reformulations?
- Mostly that the new formula doesn’t look or wear the same. Of posts from 2025 and 2026 that judge a new talc-free formula, 86% criticize something about it, and 57% of posts that judge a shade criticize it. What people ask for most is comparable performance and the same shade. About one reformulation post in nine raises a safety concern.
Does talc-free makeup perform as well?
- In these threads, mostly not. Of posts from 2025 and 2026 that judge a new talc-free formula, 86% criticize something about it and 13% praise something. A cosmetic chemist told NBC News Select that “it’s really hard to get a one-to-one replacement for talc”: mica “won’t produce the same finish as talc”, and starches “can be cakey”.NBC News Select
Is talc in makeup safe?
- This page doesn’t answer that. It reports what people said about talc and when. The FDA’s page on talc sets out what the agency says about talc and asbestos in cosmetics.FDA on talc
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