Baby powder has gotten a large share of the spotlight in the past few years – albeit not for good reasons. Who has not used baby powder at least once in their life? It has been a practice for a lot of people to use baby powder on their babies and even on themselves. However, the numerous talcum powder lawsuits that were filed against a very popular brand are enough for many people to re-evaluate their use of it.

These lawsuits are filed by women who have used talcum powder and have developed ovarian cancer. The latest high-profile lawsuit resulted to the jury ordering Johnson & Johnson to pay $417 million to the woman – the largest money awarded in any talc lawsuit so far.

Although the link between talcum powder and cancer has yet to be conclusively shown, the American Cancer Society recommends that “until more information is available, people concerned about using talcum powder may want to avoid or limit their use of consumer products that contain it.”

If you’ve been using talcum powder, you might want to consider replacing it in your list of staple products. Here are some alternatives you can look into:

Baking soda.

Baking soda is a common household item because of its many, many uses. You can add ‘baby powder alternative’ to its list of many uses. It can be used as deodorizing powder – apply it on your underarms and feet. It can also be safely used on your baby but make to check a little amount on your baby first to see how his skin would react to it. You may also use it to exfoliate your skin, as a facial mask, or for tooth whitening. Mix baking soda with water to create paste and apply it on your skin, face, or teeth.

Cornstarch.

This is another product that can successfully migrate from your kitchen to your dressing table. Aside from having the same smooth consistency as baby powder, it is great for absorbing moisture. Simply use it just like how you would use your baby powder and you’d be surprised that you’ll barely notice any difference.

Flour.

The best types of flour to use as a baby powder alternative are rice, corn, and oat flours. All of these are slightly coarser than cornstarch and baking soda though, so do not expect it to feel as smooth on your skin. However, these are still safer alternatives to talcum powder.

Non-talc baby powder.

If you are not keen on raiding your kitchen to look for alternatives for your talcum powder, worry not because there are commercial powders that are talc-free! A lot of brands recognize the safety and cancer risks of talcum and have made their baby powders without it. Some of these are Burt’s Bee’s Baby Dusting Powder, Nature’s Baby Dusting Powder, The Honest Company Organic Baby Powder, Honeybee Gardens Deodorant Powder, California Baby Non-Talc Powder, and Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder Cornstarch. Most of these products use cornstarch, kaolin clay, or tapioca starch as their main ingredient.