The other day, my wife Celeste saw me sprinkling after-shower powder and warned me of the dangers they've found. She was referring to the Johnson & Johnson talc-based powder that back a couple of years ago was said to have caused ovarian cancer in a 63-year old California woman.

Eva Echeverria was awarded $417 million in damages after developing ovarian cancer after decades of using Johnson & Johnson talc-based baby powder. Like everyone, she was unaware of the potential link between ovarian cancer and talc, a mineral used in some types of baby powder.

It wasn't the first time that company lost in a lawsuit over its powder. A Reuters investigation found Johnson & Johnson knew for decades its baby powder could be contaminated with asbestos, a carcinogen that sometimes occurs naturally in talc. Johnson & Johnson says its product is not dangerous, but all this has me wondering if using baby powder with talc is dangerous?

At best, all the studies I've looked at show it's unclear at best. But that doesn't help answer the question and in fact it creeps me out to just think about it. So, I've switched over to options that don't contain any talc.

From here on out, I'll only use powders that contain cornstarch because there's no evidence linking cornstarch to any kind of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.

If you use powder after bathing or just to keep down the chaffing down there, take some time and look into the claims about asbestos in Johnson & Johnson talc-based products.

Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

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