talc

Choices of Clubman (not too keen on the smell, but not bad)
Borotalco - sweeter version of Johnsons Baby Powder ($18.95 for 500 gms is a decent price)

Caswell Massey (may be too scented, $9.00 for a small can is high priced)

Yardley sandalwood - found it, very medicinal like, not to my liking

others without being too pricey like Penhaligons?

Whole foods?

Sam, I use Borotalco. I like it. I have also used Maja Talco Perfumado. It's nicely scented and available at CVS for cheap.

I went to Barclay Crocker since they have the best price on the huge 500 g tin, $18.95 and also got some Trumper limes cream. Was gonna order some CM #6 soaps but decided I might start using a shampoo bar and some local Whole Foods bath soaps. 15% DISCOUNT with the code,t h anks

I'd personally use a powder that doesn't contain talc as it is potentially carcinogenic. I use just unscented baby powder made from corn starch.

I thought that all contemporary "talc" powders were actually cornstarch, due to the bad mojo of using real talc. Am I wrong about that?

You mean Gold Bond Extra Strength is no good?

There's some controversy as to whether most talcs are safe or not. The FDA classifies non-asbestiform talc as Generally Recognized as Safe. While cosmetics companies are officially only "recommended" to use non-asbestiform talc in their products, it's thought that most do. If you're really paranoid about it, Balla advertises that their talc is all non-asbestiform.

Yes rats got cancer from non-asbestiform talc in lab studies, but only after inhaling it 6 hours per day, 5 days per week, for nearly two continuous years.

Corn starch powders come with their own drawbacks, particularly when used to fight bad odors in certain parts of the body. The starch is an organic product, meaning it's like a buffet for bacteria, which are the cause of odors in the first place. So while it's still effective at wetness prevention/absorption, it's not as effective for odor control.

Sam said:

Choices of Clubman (not too keen on the smell, but not bad)
Borotalco - sweeter version of Johnsons Baby Powder ($18.95 for 500 gms is a decent price)

Caswell Massey (may be too scented, $9.00 for a small can is high priced)

Yardley sandalwood - found it, very medicinal like, not to my liking

others without being too pricey like Penhaligons?

Whole foods?

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I have realy liked the India stores scented talcs, particularly Mysore sandalwood, which is not all that inexpensive for not all that large a plastic bottle of it. Dabur lavender is for a really big plastic bottle of it, however, and is really nice

Everything can be classed as carcinogenic. I mean really, chewing gum caused cancer in rats.

TheSweep said:

Everything can be classed as carcinogenic. I mean really, chewing gum caused cancer in rats.

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That's like saying that bacon isn't bad for your health, because you can get fat from eating bread. I like to limit my contact to things that can be bad for my health, known and potential carcinogens included. Simply use discretion when weighing the options, and choose what seems most reasonable.

I use talc most days - especially warm days. I really like TOBS talcs - my favorite is the Mr. Taylor scent. I also like the Eton College scent. They also make a Sandalwood scent, but I wasn't too impressed with the scent - it seemed a little too strong and slightly feminine (to my nose at least).

Sam said:

Choices of Clubman (not too keen on the smell, but not bad)
Borotalco - sweeter version of Johnsons Baby Powder ($18.95 for 500 gms is a decent price)

Caswell Massey (may be too scented, $9.00 for a small can is high priced)

Yardley sandalwood - found it, very medicinal like, not to my liking

others without being too pricey like Penhaligons?

Whole foods?

Click to expand...

I too use the TOBS Mr. Taylor talc. Nice scent.

Yeah, there is a carcinogen under every rock. Oxygen is a very nasty oxidant, btw. I think the risks of talcum exposure are probably more serious for the people that process the stuff.

I have heard though that talcum is more likely block the pores and cause zits than cornstarch.

Given the level of risk, I think I'll keep using Gold Bond. I might spend a little less time in the talc cloud, though.

.02
Ian

Take some cornstarch (Maizena works great) or unscented baby powder and put into a plastic bag. Add a few drops of your favourite after shave, close bag and shake and rub for a little while. Shake the bag so that the powder is concentrated in one corner, snip that corner and transfer the powder to your container of choice. Voila, cheap and nicely scented body talc.