Sam Iola Featured in HBO Documentary Highlighting Dangers of Asbestos-Contaminated Talc Cosmetics

When HBO filmmakers took a deep dive into the health risks and controversy associated with cosmetic products for a documentary called “Not So Pretty,” they sought out Iola, Gross & Forbes-King co-founder Sam Iola for perspective on how and why consumers have not been warned about the known dangers.

Excerpt from "Not So Pretty" by HBO Max.

Iola appears in the first episode of “Not So Pretty,” which focuses on how producers, manufacturers and retailers of talc-based cosmetics have long known that talcum powder is contaminated with cancer-causing asbestos yet lobbied the federal Food & Drug Administration to avoid more stringent federal oversight and regulation.

The problem with talcum powder is that both it and asbestos are closely related minerals that often form in the same geological environments. Talc is mined from underground deposits, and in many of these formations, asbestos-bearing minerals are also present. As a result, talc extracted for use in cosmetic and personal care products is frequently contaminated with asbestos. Documents and sworn testimony uncovered through litigation have revealed that segments of the cosmetics industry have long been aware of the health risks yet failed to adequately warn consumers about the dangers.

“The reality is that talc and asbestos grow together, and any product that contains talc is often also contaminated with low levels of asbestos,” Iola explains in the 2022 “Not So Pretty” documentary. “If you’re applying makeup to your face a couple times a day or a couple times a week for decades, you’re getting repeated exposure that is right around the place where asbestos needs to be to cause disease in your body.”

Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of mesothelioma, a rare and deadly form of cancer of the lining of the lungs and other internal organs.

Iola and the attorneys at Iola, Gross & Forbes-King are widely respected for their expertise in obtaining justice for individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer from exposure to talc-based products, including Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder and a wide variety of cosmetics products.