Ingredient
TALC
Name / description
Talc (a clay mineral; hydrated magnesium silicate)
Function(s) of this ingredient in cosmetic products
ABRASIVE
Removes dental plaque or dirt from the skin surface through a grinding / polishing effect
ABSORBENT
Takes up finely dispersed substances
ANTICAKING
Prevents powdered products from caking / sticking together
BULKING
Reduces the density of cosmetic products by swelling
OPACIFYING
Reduces transparency and translucency by clouding the product
SKIN PROTECTING
Protects the skin from external influences
SLIP MODIFIER
Enhancing the flow properties of ingredients
Origin
mineral
Occurrence in cosmetics
Talcum is used in many different cosmetic products. Examples include: body powder, face powder, eyeshadow, rouge, deodorant powder and powder aerosols
Occurrence in other products
Talcum is used in many different products: in foodstuffs as a release agent and carrier substance, in the pharmaceutical industry as a lubricant in tablet production and as a powder basis, in technical applications as a filler, insulation material and release agent, in medicine, in arts as soapstone etc.
Background information on use in cosmetics
Talcum is a naturally occurring mineral which consists of hydrated magnesium silicate in microscopically small leaflets. Cosmetic talcum is obtained from mines which can supply talcum with a high quality and purity. Pure talcum is a white, light, hydrophobic powder which feels greasy. It has a good adherence on the skin, a high sliding capacity, a good absorption capacity for oils, is inert vis a vis most chemical compounds and has a slightly alkaline pH value. Talcum is frequently found in cosmetics with hydrophobic coatings (eg with silicones). These improve the water-repelling effect, the oil dispersibility and compression characteristics. In body powder talcum has the function of a carrier for the perfume and provides the user with a pleasant soft and cooling skin feeling. In coloured cosmetic products talcum improves the wearing comfort as well as the luminosity and tinting of the colours. In deodorant powder talcum imparts a pleasant and dry skin feeling. In face powder and rouge usually more than 80 % talcum is included. They are often marketed as pressed powder. Low amounts of talcum are used in eyeshadow.
Information on safe use
This substance is expressly approved and / or subject to a restriction as a result of an entry in Annex III of the EC Cosmetics Regulation after an assessment by the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety of the EU Commission (SCCS). Restrictions can relate eg to purity criteria, a maximum concentration or the restriction to certain product categories. Subject to the conditions possibly imposed in Annex III, the use of this substance in cosmetic products is safe.
Belongs to the following substance groups
Regulating cosmetics
Cosmetics Ingredients are subject to regulation. Please note, different regulations may apply to cosmetic ingredients outside the EU.
Database
Cosmetics matter to people and play an important role in our everyday life. On average European consumers use over seven different cosmetics daily. You too? It’s only natural that you want to know more about the ingredients in those products.
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This database will help you understand why certain ingredients are in your cosmetic products; which properties they have and much more. The database is currently available in fourteen languages with more to come.
