Avon Products, Inc. is one of the world’s most recognized companies. Founded in 1886 by a traveling salesman, today the company is the fourteenth-largest beauty company in the world, selling cosmetics, skincare, perfume, and personal care items. Though Avon’s multi-level-marketing success empowered millions of women, in recent years it has faced numerous legal battles — many of which have been filed by women – over asbestos in its talc-based products and its role in ovarian cancer and mesothelioma.
Avon’s History
Avon was originally called the California Perfume Company. Founded in 1886 by traveling bookseller David H. McConnell, the company immediately began hiring women as sales representatives who would later be known as “Avon ladies.” Its first product was a perfume, and in 1919 it began selling lipstick. By 1926 it was selling non-beauty products, and in 1927 it presented its first skincare collection. In 1929, the name Avon was introduced in connection with a newly introduced cosmetics line, and the company changed its name to Avon in 1939.[1]
In 1942, Avon allocated half of its commercial laboratory space to assist with manufacturing items for the war effort, and by 1947 it was selling sun lotion with insect repellent. The company quickly grew to an international powerhouse expanding into new countries with new product lines and leading to annual sales growth of more than $1 billion.[2] By 1955, it was named to Fortune magazine’s first list of Fortune 500 companies.
By 1971 the company had begun to sell costume jewelry, and in 1979 it purchased the renowned jewelry company Tiffany & Co. Its holding expanded to include acquisitions of retirement and nursing home operations in 1985 and into video sales in 1989. It was the first beauty company to launch an e-commerce website and in 2005 it was the second largest publisher in the United States.[2]
Avon’s History of Asbestos Use
Over the past 135 years, the company has offered many popular products, including several that were made with talcum powder. The ingredient became very popular in cosmetic and other personal care products because it absorbs moisture, prevents caking, makes facial makeup opaque, and improves the feel of a product.[3] Though many companies received industry updates that suggested that the proximity between talc deposits and asbestos deposits might lead to contamination of talc-based products, it wasn’t until the 1960s and 1970s that studies suggesting an association between talc use and cancer began to be published.[3]
Despite growing concerns, Avon continued manufacturing, marketing, and selling talc-based products for years, including:
- Bird of Paradise Perfumed Talc Powder
- Imari Perfumed Talc Powder
- Night Magic Talcum Powder
- Skin So Soft Satin Talc Powder
- Unforgettable Perfumed Talc Powder
- Wild Country Talc Powder
Since 2019, Avon has been named in several personal injury lawsuits that accuse the company of negligence in continuing to sell talc-based products despite knowing of its potential for asbestos contamination. The company has forcefully defended itself against these claims and argued that it only uses the highest-grade cosmetic grade talc which has been tested to confirm that it does not contain asbestos.[4] Despite these assertions, the company discontinued the use of talcum powder in its products over two years ago and has continued being named in mesothelioma and ovarian cancer lawsuits.
Talcum Powder, Ovarian Cancer, & Mesothelioma
In 2018, Reuters published a story on asbestos in Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder products that raised public awareness about talc’s role in ovarian cancer, lung cancer, and malignant mesothelioma.[5] Another report detailing cosmetic companies’ attempts to sway FDA management of talc-based products was published in 2019. While cosmetic companies continue to deny that their products play a role in the development of tumors, researchers continue to find unsettling links between cosmetic talcum powder use and malignancies, including a troubling report published by National Institute of Health scientists in May of 2024 indicating that applying talc powder to the genitals was associated with ovarian cancer — and that the association was greater for people who used the powder frequently or for long periods.[6]
Avon Talcum Powder Lawsuits
Over the last several years, Avon has been named as a defendant in numerous personal injury lawsuits filed by people diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma or ovarian cancer. The victims have accused the company of negligence in failing to warn of the dangers posed by asbestos contamination and of the connection between talc and cancer. Juries hearing these cases have found the testimony presented by these victims convincing, and many have been awarded multi-million dollar awards including:
- A California woman diagnosed with fatal mesothelioma was awarded a $52.1 million verdict, with $40.8 million allocated to actual damages and another $11.3 million to punitive damages. The woman cited her use of Avon’s talc-based body and face powders from the time that she was eight years old.
- An Illinois couple filed suit against Avon after the husband was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma. they blamed his years of working as a janitor at Avon Products for his illness, saying that he was exposed to asbestos-contaminated talc during his employment. They also say that he used the products personally.
- A 61-year-old woman diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma blamed her illness on her use of Skin So Soft, Bird of Paradise, and Unforgettable talcum powders from 1961 through 1999.
Though Avon has continued to argue that its talcum powder has never been contaminated with asbestos and that there is no link between talc and cancer, there are many more cases against the cosmetic giant pending.
What if I Used Avon Talcum Products?
If you used Avon talcum-based products regularly, let your physician know so that they can screen for cancer. Mesothelioma and ovarian cancer both take decades to manifest symptoms. If you have symptoms or have been diagnosed with cancer, consult with an asbestos lawyer who can advise you of your legal options.
