Tuesday, July 14, 2009

What is talcum powder?


When I saw this picture, I remembered a old scene.
When I got out of a bath, my mother used to put Siccarol on my "body", (not feet) to prevent heat rash.
When I was a child, "Siccarol" was a usual thing for kids.
When my kids got out of a bath, I used to put "(Jonson&Jonson) baby powder on their body.
So I thought talcum powder is kind of baby powder.
But it seems not to be right.
Talcum powder can also be used on adults to prevent chafing and rashes.
And the way seems to be different according to countries.
Do you use talcum powder? If you use it when do you use?
Well, when a kid saw this photo, he asked, "Oh, athlete's foot remedy"
Summer, means, for some people (usually men) the season for athlete's foot.

2 comments:

Tim Frost said...

Talcum powder is also commonly used in Britain and some types are scented. I don't use it myself, and I think it is more usually used by women. I imagine that it can be useful to help remain dry in a humid environment after drying oneself following a bath or shower. I suppose whether you need it depends on the effectiveness of your air conditioning.

And what is it? It's a type of powdered rock. I had to look up exactly what type; it is hydrated magnesium silicate, with the formula H2Mg3(SiO3)4 or Mg3Si4O10(OH)2. (I remember you trained in industrial chemistry.) Most talc is produced by China, but there are some mines in Japan.

Anonymous said...

thanks Tim
yes magnesium silicate is also used chalk, isn't it?