Recently scientists said, women who regularly use talcum powder to stay fresh raise their risk of ovarian cancer by almost a quarter.
It is thought that about forty per cent women use talcum powder daily for their intimate personal hygiene. Several previous studies have investigated the link between the powder and tumours.
Some have detected links with ovarian and womb cancer but others have proved inconclusive. In the latest studies, doctors at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, US come up with a definitive answer.
The results, published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, showed regularly applying the powder particles after bathing or showering raised the risk of an ovarian tumour by 24 per cent.
Researchers stressed the results only apply to talcum powder used in the genital area and not the rest of the body.
Talcum powder is made from a soft mineral called hydrous magnesium silicate that is found throughout the world. It is crushed, dried and milled to produce powder used in cosmetic products by millions of people.
Some experts say it shares chemical similarities to asbestos, which can cause a deadly form of lung cancer called mesothelioma.
Tiny particles have been found to travel up through the genital tract and been found deep inside the pelvis. They can also last inside the body for years.
It is estimated that one particle of talc in the lungs, for example, would take eight years to dissolve.
