Review: Neal's Yard Body Powder

I treated myself to this product when I visited the UK in April. Always one of my favourites, it's now become pretty much the only 'talc' I use.

Talcum powder has fallen out of favour generally over the past decade. From once being ubiquitous for babies, fears arose that because it is actually a powdered stone, bits of it can get into your lungs and pass through your skin, causing diseases such as asbestosis and breast cancer. This isn't something I want to risk, so I generally make my own body powder from cornstarch and bicarb, which are understood to not have harmful effects.

Neal's Yard body powder contains no talc at all - it's based entirely on cornstarch. I chose the geranium and orange scent over the lavender and tea tree version, but only because at £5.30 for only 75g, it's a tad too expensive for me to buy both. Besides, the geranium smells delicious.

This body powder goes on very dry, and is less silky than a 'real' talc, but it's lovely stuff - it leaves you feeling extremely fresh and clean, and I wouldn't be without it after a bath.

All Neal's Yard products are worth having. They are based on organic oils and come in beautiful blue glass bottles or jars which are made in Cheshire. You can recycle them but most people I know prefer to keep them and re-use them in the bathroom, where they look gorgeous. I am especially fond of their coconut-based bath oils and their lemon and coriander deodorant, which smells amazing. 

Neal's Yard body powder is available from Neal's Yard Remedies, Covent Garden, the firm's outlets in other shops and its website.