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Luxurious Body Powders Using Specialty Minerals Talcs

Talc is the softest mineral, with a lovely slippery feeling. It is oleophilic and absorbent, which helps the powder to adhere and leaves the skin dry and smooth. When dusted onto wet skin, its oil-loving property causes the skin oils in perspiration to be absorbed. The talc will then quickly wick off the water, cooling the skin.

Overall, talc is hydrophobic or water-repellant. It is this hydrophobic nature of talcum powder that helps protect a baby's skin from liquids.

With its absorbent surface, talc can carry and retain the fragrance in a dusting or baby powder, or it can carry the antibacterial or fungicide in a medicated body or foot powder.


Talcs in Body Powders
Body powders are mostly talc, typically about 70 percent, of the formulation. Higher levels are used in baby powders. The “dusting powder” designation tends to be assigned to powders that contain less than 50 percent talc, with the “talcum powder” designation reserved for products with more than 50 percent talc.

The best talcs for body powders are finely ground, with high surface areas.

Specialty Minerals Talcs For Body Powders
SMI manufactures three groups of bright, finely ground talc products for the manufacturers of the varieties of body powders:

  • MicroTalc® USP and Bacteria Controlled Talcs—MicroTalc MP 60-30 at 5.5 microns and MP 98-30 at 6.5 microns are for powdered personal care products.  Made at Barretts, Montana using high quality talc (magnesium silicate) from SMI’s mine, these talcs are certified to meet all of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) requirements for chemical and microbiological purity. They also conform to the requirements of the Cosmetic Manufacturers Association (CTFA) for maximum limits on arsenic, lead and heavy metals. 
  • MicroTalc® BP 210 Body Powder Talc is a larger, 12 micron sized particle, also made at Barretts. Its controlled particle size, particle size distribution and high bulk density makes for easier high-speed packaging of body and other loose powders, and minimizes the subsequent settling in the package.  This product also meets the Cosmetic Manufacturers Limits on arsenic, lead and heavy metals.
  • UltraTalc® USP Cosmetic Talcs are a family of four products. The larger products, UltraTalc 3000 (8 microns) and 2000 (16 microns), are for body powders. UltraTalc products are USP certified, and consistently meet strict limits on microbiological counts required by the USP—100 cfu (colony forming units). The UltraTalc products also meet all of the chemical requirements of the Cosmetic Manufacturers Association (CTFA). They are manufactured in Mount Vernon, Indiana. 

 

Precipitated Calcium Carbonates in Body Powders
High-purity precipitated calcium carbonates (PCC) are also used in body powders as a filler or diluent, and as a moisture absorbent. The high surface area Specialty Minerals precipitated calcium carbonates, ViCALity® Extra Light PCC, manufactured in the U.S., and Calopake™ Extra Light PCC, manufactured in the U.K., are the grades used. They have scalenohedral, or star-burst shapes, with open structures. The scalenohedral structure results in high surface area, with best absorption, and low-bulk density, so a given weight of powder will occupy more space.

 

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