Fascinating facts & Talc Tips:
- Did you know?
Talc is a rock formed over many millions of years. It is water repellent, inert, platy and the softest mineral on Earth. 15,000 years ago, cave dwellers used talc as an ingredient in their paints. The Chinese were already using talc in glazed pottery during the Tang dynasty (618 to 907). Talc has been used in cosmetics for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians and the Vedics of India were using it to lighten their skins as much as five thousand years ago. Around the same time, the Chinese were making face powders from rice powder mixed with ground minerals such as talc and kaolin. There are hundreds of talc deposits of various sizes in activity throughout the world. Each talc deposit has its own features, its own geological signature. Talc can be white, grey, pink, blue, violet, green and even black. Talc is used in the manufacture of a myriad of everyday products including animal feed, automobiles, cables, sweets, ceramic tiles, chewing gum, cosmetics, fertilizers, foundry technology, olive oil processing, paint, paper, pharmaceuticals, plaster, plastics, printing inks, putties, refractories, roofing, sanitaryware, tyres and of course body powder
- Add talcum powder to gloss paint for an excellent matt or eggshell finish.
- If you're a keen motorcyclist or cyclist, put talcum powder in your gloves to prevent blisters.
- To repair chipped wall tiles, make filler by mixing talcum powder with epoxy resin.
- Stop new shoes from rubbing in summer by sprinkling talc onto your feet.
- Don't forget to take some talcum powder with you when you go on a picnic - ants hate it and will keep away if you sprinkle it around your chosen site.
- In icy weather, rub talc on your car door seals to prevent the doors from frosting up.
- For squeaky-clean crystal glasses, wash them in a mixture of water and talc and dry with a clean tea towel.
- If your car engine is leaking oil and you can't find the source, try dusting the clean engine surfaces with talcum powder. The powder will absorb the oil and you'll be able to follow the oil's trail in the talc.
- If you wet the pages of a book accidentally, sprinkle each page with talc and spread it with a soft cloth. Leave the book under a weight for a few days and then brush off the excess talc. The pages of your book will be like new again.
- A sprinkle of talc over your legs before waxing will stop wax sticking to your skin making waxing less painful.