It’s March, and although the temperature is still cold in some parts of northern China, it’s time for parents to consider preparing summer supplies for their babies. Xinhua News Agency reporters recently conducted a survey on the baby powder market in the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, France and Germany and found that talcum powder, the traditional raw material of baby powder, still controls the market.

Talc is a common silicate mineral that is widely used in many fields such as medicine, food additives, cosmetics, etc. Traditional Chinese medicine regards talc as an important medicinal material.

In the U.S. market, there are two main types of baby powder: talcum powder based on talcum powder and talcum powder based on plant starch. The former has a market share of over 90%, while the latter mainly uses corn starch as raw material.

Barry Ikeuchi, director of the “Love Love” business of Japan’s non-profit group engaged in educating mentally retarded children, said that similar to the United States, the common baby powders on the market in Japan include mineral and plant-based. The former Talcum powder is used as the main raw material, and the latter is usually made from plant root starch. Some products are a mixture of mineral and plant raw materials.

In the baby products section of a large supermarket in London, the reporter saw that the talcum powder on the shelves was marked as talcum powder. It also stated that the product had been tested by pediatricians and dermatologists and was harmless to babies.

In France, reporters found that most talcum powders sold on the market use talcum powder as the main raw material, and also add spices, almond oil, etc. as auxiliary materials.

In Germany, the reporter saw at the daily necessities chain “Schreck” that there are two kinds of baby powder for sale here: one is the “Benatine” brand, and the other is the “Schreck” self-made brand. There are brands, and the main ingredient in both products is talc.

Although the safety of baby powder made from talc and other raw materials has been recognized, American pediatrician Robert Steele reminded that parents must be cautious when spraying baby powder and avoid Children’s eyes, nose, mouth and other parts to prevent the child from inhaling it into the lungs. For baby girls, avoid applying talcum powder on their inner thighs, vulva, lower abdomen, etc.