Most people consider baby powder among the safest household products on the market. But one type of baby powder has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, resulting in a baby powder class action lawsuit.

There are two main formulations of baby powder. One is based on cornstarch, and is generally considered safe. The other is comprised of talc, a naturally-occurring inorganic mineral. Talc-based baby powder is of special concern, and the focus of talc baby powder class action lawsuits.

Talc is chemically related to asbestos, and often occurs in the same mineral deposits. Because of this, many talc based products often contained varying amounts of asbestos up until the 1970s, when regulations tightened and any consumer-grade talc was forbidden from having detectable levels of asbestos. However, concerns remained that talc itself was able to cause cancer, independent of asbestos.

Several studies have examined this. One study in the 1970s found talc granules in roughly a quarter of ovarian tumors. While these results certainly warranted further inquiry, this study alone was not enough to confirm the link. Without knowing the percentage of healthy ovarian tissue, it is not certain that this link was significant. But additional research strengthened this evidence.

In 1993, the National Toxicology Program, a group within the National Institutes of Health, reviewed the evidence up to that point, and determined that talc, even in the absence of asbestos fibers, can cause cancer. Other government agencies, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), either responded in kind or reached similar conclusions and classified talc as a possible/probable carcinogen.

However, a new baby powder class action lawsuit has been brought against Johnson & Johnson, the makers of several talc-based hygiene products, including Shower-to-Shower powder. The baby powder class action lawsuit alleges that these products are dangerous and can cause cancer. The baby powder lawsuit further alleges that Johnson & Johnson was aware of this risk and marketed talc-based products anyway, including some specifically for feminine hygiene. The lawsuit seek to recoup medical costs, legal fees, and related costs to the plaintiffs.

The legal action against Johnson & Johnson has taken the form of a class action lawsuit, a group lawsuit in which a group of plaintiffs allege that they have suffered similar harm at the hands of the same defendants. Group lawsuits are designed to help streamline the legal process by combining tens, hundreds, or even thousands, of potential individual lawsuits into a single class action lawsuit.

The Baby Powder Class Action Lawsuit is Mona Estrada v. Johnson & Johnson, et al., Case No. 2:14-cv-01051, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.