On May 2, a jury in St. Louis ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $55 million to a woman who alleged that the company’s baby powder caused her to develop ovarian cancer.

Following this decision, parents began questioning the safety of using baby powder on their small children, says a boutique baby store owner in Summerville, South Carolina.

Kelly Hartzell is the owner of Eat/Sleep/Play, a quaint shop that stocks cloth diapers and all-natural baby products. She opened the store after having her own baby and realizing natural options were not available locally.

Alternative to Talcum-Based Baby Powder

Moms and dads are increasingly turning to more natural products and healthful living practices after having more access to information about conventional products. Many are more than willing to pay a premium to use natural alternatives on their infants and children.

Actress Jessica Alba’s Honest Company has been a nationwide success, selling $10 million in products the first year they were released.

Local parent-owned skin care lines fill the shelves of Eat/Sleep/Play, including Green + Lovely, a brand that offers a natural alternative to mainstream choices such as Johnson & Johnson baby products.

The Green + Lovely line carries an alternative to baby powder that uses arrowroot powder to avoid any talcum powder dangers.

Talc is the main ingredient in Johnson’s Baby Powder and has been the main link between Johnson & Johnson baby products and ovarian cancer. A mineral that occurs naturally and is mined from soil, talc is widely used in cosmetics and personal care products because of its ability to absorb moisture and prevent rashes.

Johnson & Johnson has been the target of several hundred lawsuits across the country alleging that its talc-containing baby powder can lead to the development of ovarian cancer.

The women in these lawsuits allege that the genital application of talc allows the fine particles to be absorbed in the body and eventually reside in the ovaries.

A lawsuit alleging a woman died from ovarian cancer after the use of Johnson’s Baby Powder concluded in February, with the jury awarding $72 million to the family of the deceased woman.

Scientists have been studying the link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer for decades, and the results of the research has shown mixed outcomes.

Some studies have reported that women who apply baby powder daily to their genital area have up to a 40 percent higher risk of facing ovarian cancer. Another study looked at ovarian cysts and found talc embedded in all of them.

However, other studies show that talcum powder dangers do not exist from baby powder use.

While science still has not made a definitive conclusion on talcum powder dangers, consumers who are concerned about any possible cancer risk do have product alternatives.

Arrowroot powder and cornstarch based baby powders are a little trickier to find in large retail stores, but are easily found in health food stores and natural baby boutiques, as well as online from retailers who have purposely chosen to sell products that are not having their safety questioned.