• Posted December 1, 2025

FDA Pulls Plan to Require Asbestos Testing in Talc-Based Cosmetics

Talc-based makeup and powders will not go through new asbestos testing requirements after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chose to pull back a proposed rule last week.

The decision surprised health advocates, who have pushed for stronger oversight because asbestos is a dangerous contaminant that can appear in talc and is linked to deadly cancers.

The agency says it plans to craft a broader proposal in the future.

Talc is still used in a wide range of consumer items. Makeup like foundation, blush, mascara and eye shadow often contain it, as well as some candies, gums, dietary supplements and tablets, according to research by former FDA director Dr. George Tidmarsh.

While the International Agency for Research on Cancer labels talc that may contain asbestos as “probably carcinogenic,” the mineral continues to fall under the FDA’s Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) category for foods because it has been used for so long.

The FDA’s move comes years after Johnson & Johnson took its talc-based baby powder off the North American market following lawsuits and reports suggesting the company was aware of the risk of asbestos contamination.

Advocates say stronger oversight is needed in general.

"It puts the onus on Americans to have to try to identify consumer products that might be contaminated, and the average person can’t do that because you can’t know without testing," Linda Reinstein, president of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, told The New York Times.

"People should be outraged," she said.

The National Association of Manufacturers said companies could face added expenses and lawsuits if batches of talc were mistakenly flagged for asbestos with false positive results.

Still, the FDA says it intends to update its approach.

"FDA will submit a new proposed rule that offers a more comprehensive approach to reducing exposure to asbestos and reducing asbestos related illness, including identifying safer additives as alternatives, especially when they are less costly," a spokesperson told The Times.

Meanwhile, companies selling goods in Europe will soon face stricter standards. The European Union plans to ban talc in cosmetics by 2027.

The American Cancer Society recommends consumers choose talc-free or cornstarch-based alternatives if they are concerned about potential asbestos in cosmetics.

More information

OSHA has more on asbestos.

SOURCE: The New York Times, Nov. 26, 2025