Before the 1970s, some baby powders may have contained cancer-causing asbestos.
Baby powder, AKA talcum powder, is made from talc, a naturally-occurring mineral that can, in its natural form, contain asbestos. Asbestos is another natural substance found in rock mines and structures built before the 1970s, when asbestos's danger was first realized.
Research suggests asbestos appears to raise the risk of lung cancer when inhaled, with the greatest risk to construction and mine workers who are regularly exposed to it, according to the American Cancer Society. FWIW, asbestos is no longer permitted in personal care products, nor is it found in talcum powders currently sold in stores.
Today's baby powder is still made from talc, which is independently associated with a slightly greater risk of ovarian cancer.
"Studies suggest that genital talc use itself may increase a person’s risk of ovarian cancer," says Dr. Ana Tergas, MD, a gynecologist oncologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. The research dates back to the early '80s, when an ovarian cancer study that collected information on talc use reported an increased risk of developing the disease with "perineal dusting," i.e., any sort of application in the genital area. (Some women use it on sanitary pads or diaphragms to promote dryness, or apply it generously to prevent chaffing and promote dryness in the crotch area.)