Article updated: April 26, 2023
I recently wrote an article listing the best ball and body powders for men, and while Gold Bond wasn’t on the list, I have been receiving questions from readers asking me if it’s safe to put Gold Bond powder on their balls.
Even though Gold Bond powder didn’t make my best ball and body powders list, it remains one of the most popular body powders for men due to its effectiveness, availability, and affordability.
And although I’m not really a fan of Gold Bond powder — there are much better ball powders available in my opinion — I decided to do a little research on this body powder that has seemingly been around forever. 1882 to be exact.
Here’s what I wanted to find out:
What’s in Gold Bond powder?
And is it safe for men to douse their ball sacks in the stuff?
Since I had a bottle of Gold Bond powder on hand I was able to take a quick look at the ingredient list and see exactly what’s inside.
Gold Bond Powder Ingredients
Talc*
*Update – Gold Bond no longer produces their body powder using talc. They have since switched to cornstarch (zea mays) as the primary ingredient. If you have an older bottle of Gold Bond powder check the ingredient list to verify whether talc or cornstarch was used.
Talc is a clay mineral that’s commonly used in personal hygiene products and cosmetics to help prevent chaffing and absorb excess moisture. Unfortunately talc has developed a reputation as a possible carcinogenic due to the fact that some talc, in its mineral form, is known to contain cancer causing asbestos.
Although studies have found no conclusive evidence that talc causes cancer, Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay $4.7 billion to 22 women and their families that claimed the companies talcum powder products caused them to develop ovarian cancer.
As a precaution it’s generally recommended that women avoid talc based body powders, and stick to cornstarch based alternatives.
While this ultimately shines a negative light on talc based products, including Gold Bond, it’s worth noting that talc is currently recognized as safe by the FDA.
Verdict:
Cornstarch (Zea Mays)*
*Gold Bond no longer produces their body powder using talc as the primary ingredient and has switched to a cornstarch based formula. Newer bottles of Gold Bond will indicate “Talc-Free” on the front of the bottle.
Cornstarch is a carbohydrate that is extracted from, you guessed it, corn. Developed in the 1800’s, cornstarch is extremely versatile and is used extensively for culinary, industrial, and home use. In recent years cornstarch has replaced the use of talc in many skin care products due to the cancer risks and multiple lawsuits surrounding the use of talc.
When applied to the skin, cornstarch works really well at absorbing sweat and moisture and it also creates a slight cooling effect making it a very safe, effective, natural alternative to talc.
Verdict:
Zinc Oxide
An inorganic compound that has deodorizing and antibacterial properties. While zinc oxide occurs naturally as the mineral zincite, most is produced synthetically. Aside from being a main ingredient in Gold Bond, zinc oxide is commonly found in calamine lotion, food packaging, oral care products, baby powder, dandruff shampoos, and sunscreen.
While some consumers have expressed concerns that zinc oxide could theoretically be absorbed into the epidermal layer of the skin with toxic consequences, researchers have concluded that repeat use of zinc oxide is completely safe and doesn’t present any toxicity risks.
Verdict:
Acacia Senegal Gum
A natural fiber that is harvested from the hardened sap of acacia senegal trees. Acacia senegal gum is commonly found in cosmetics, oral care products, skin care products, and dietary supplements. It’s used in Gold Bond powder due to its soothing and conditioning properties.
In regards to safety, acacia senegal gum is non-toxic and generally recognized as safe by the Food and Drug Administration.
Verdict:
Eucalyptol
A colorless organic essential oil that is primarily found in eucalyptus, but is also present in camphor laurel, bay leaves, tea tree, sweet basil, rosemary, wormwood, sage, and cannabis sativa. Its inclusion in Gold Bond gives the powder its distinct fragrance.
Verdict:
Methyl Salicylate
A colorless viscous liquid produced by many species of plants including wintergreens and commonly used as a fragrance due to its sweet odor. It also helps sooth muscle and joint pain, and provides the distinct refreshing chill found in Gold Bond powder.
Although methyl salicylate is generally considered safe when used properly, it can be potentially deadly when ingested orally in large doses. For this reason, it’s highly recommended to keep out of reach of children.
Verdict:
Salicylic Acid
A beta hydroxy acid derived from willow bark thats most common use is to exfoliate and remove the outermost layer of skin. It’s commonly used to treat warts, acne, dandruff and psoriasis. Its inclusion in Gold Bond powder however is likely due to its bactericidal and antiseptic properties that help prevent the growth of odor causing bacteria.
As for the safety of salicylic acid, topical use can cause moderate chemical burns to the skin when used at very high concentrations. Before you cringe at the thought of Gold Bond powder burning a hole in your ball sack, rest assured that Gold Bond uses a completely safe, low concentration level of salicylic acid in their powder.
Verdict:
Thymol
Extracted from the plant thyme, thymol has a pleasant odor that is full of antiseptic properties and is commonly used to treat a wide range of conditions including: ringworm, hookworm, internal parasites, and mold. Aside from its use in Gold Bond powder, It’s also a common ingredient in toothpaste and mouthwash for its bacteria inhibiting properties.
Verdict:
Zinc Stearate
A naturally occurring fatty acid thats primary function in Gold Bond powder is to repel sweat and moisture. It’s also commonly used in the production of rubber, polyurethane, and polyester for its non-stick properties. Magicians have also been known to use it while performing card manipulation to help reduce friction between the playing cards.
Zinc stearate is generally considered safe for topical use although it is known to cause some mild eye irritation.
Verdict:
So, is Gold Bond Powder Safe for Balls?
Basically, yeah.
In regards to safety, there isn’t anything in Gold Bond powder that should prevent you from safely putting it on your ball sack.
The biggest concern of course is the fact that older bottles of Gold Bond powder contain talc which is believed to pose a health risk (ovarian cancer) to women.
New bottles of Gold Bond powder are produced using cornstarch as the primary ingredient, making it completely safe for both men and women.
If you have an older bottle of Gold Bond powder that contains talc, it is technically safe for you to apply to your balls, but it’s definitely worth noting that it can potentially be dangerous for the women in your life.
Do I Recommend Gold Bond Powder for Balls?
Yes and No
Gold Bond powder is safe and does a decent job of keeping balls dry and odor free, but it’s not the best performing body powder for balls out there in my opinion.
My Recommendation?
If you’re interested in an awesome performing, talc-free powder specifically designed for the balls and body, I highly recommend you check out Galaxy Dust Body Powder.
Unlike Gold Bond powder, Galaxy Dust is designed to be applied to the balls. So not only is it formulated with ball-safe ingredients, but it’s also completely free of sketchy ingredients that could pose a risk to loved ones.
That means it is:
- Talc free
- Aluminum free
- Paraben free
Another awesome thing about Galaxy Dust Body Powder is that it works incredibly well at eliminating ball sweat, odor, chafing, skin irritation, and discomfort. It’s also very soft, smooth, and fine meaning it doesn’t feel “gritty” or “sandy” around your ball sack. Trust me, nobody wants that.
Available in 7 scent options for men including their Asteroid (cooling) and Planet X (extra cooling) scents that provide a blast of cooling refreshment right where us guys need it most. I never would’ve thought getting blasted in the balls could feel so good.
Check out the full line of Galaxy Dust Body Powders HERE.
Thanks for reading. If you have any comments or questions be sure to drop me a line in the comment section below.
That settles that then lol. Thanks for answering my question.
Nice. Thanks for reading, Nick.
It will however (at least it did for me) make your balls extremely cold.
Thank you for answering my question. I have a bottle of Gold Bond that I want to put on my balls to help with sweat and odor. Wasn’t sure if I could. Thanks for sharing.
Nice article. But when I can get generic Gold Bond at Wally World at 1/5 the price it shall suffice.
True that Papa Stewskie.
There’s NO talc in Gold Bond. Do a search, it was removed after the 1970s.
Talc is very clearly listed in the ingredient list on a bottle of Gold Bond Powder.
It’s the first ingredient listed on my container.
I’m looking at a bottle right now and the first ingredient is, Talc… They use corn starch in the baby formula but gold bond medicated powder does contain talc. Which should concern men, if women can absorb it and get ovarian cancer, seems logical that rectal or colon or prostate cancer could be a risk for men.
I have a 1990s-era container of Medicated Baby Powder (blue), its label shows “Active Ingredients: Talc and Zinc Oxide”
This is incorrect. I have a bottle of Gold Bond now that was just purchased last year, and it clearly has talc in it.
Not anymore. I just purchased GB from Amazon, and it clearly states No Talc.
Gold Bond says on their very own website that Gold Bond Body Powder contains Talc. Just go to the product page and click on ingredients:
Sounds safe for the balls. How is it for the feet?
It’s perfectly safe for the feet. In fact they make a Gold Bond powder designed specifically for feet. That version of Gold Bond powder I DO NOT recommend you put on your balls ?
Listen up, for the past 2 days I have been irritatingly uncomfortable all because I thought using gold bond original strength powder (red cap) would in fact be safe. Used it right out of the showers to stop perspiration. Let me clear that from doing so has caused a peeling of the skin creating a very irritated rash looking situation and I’m $@&! pissed! After reading the label and warnings that say to only avoid getting in your eyes, I will NEVER again put this supposedly safe “body powder” on anything except my feet! I’m just glad I found your article so I can honestly stop this from happening to everyone. I live in a humid part of the US, but inside at least most of the day in 73-74f temps. I’m gonna try something else like J&J’s aloe & vitamin E cornstarch based powder and hope for the best. No I don’t have any disease other than a lil high blood sugar, but I keep my carb intake below 80 most days. This is NOT COOL what it caused me and from my own bio essay on myself, gold bond medicated powder should NOT EVER be label as a body powder, perhaps only for the feet. Wish me luck and do take my warning seriously, it is no damn joke.
Well that sucks. Sounds like you had a bad reaction to it. Does that mean that everyone will have a bad reaction to it? Well, no. I used Gold Bond Powder (Original) on my balls for years without any issues. So have countless of other men. Before using a new skincare product on a sensitive area like the balls, I highly recommend testing it on a small area first to see how your skin reacts to it.
Skin on the feet is much thicker, tougher, and durable than the skin on the balls. That might explain why you can use it on your feet without issues.
Either way, thanks for the words of warning.
Sure thing. I have no time for this side effect in my life and I sure as hell don’t want any other fellow human to experience what this has done to me. I have never had any bad reactions to ANY other type or form of powder at all, this is a DIRECT cause from the red cap gold bond medicated powder. I can not believe the reaction it has caused my nether region. Gold bond needs to quickly change their product image to read: “NOT FOR USE ON OR AROUND THE GENITALS”..or simply “USE ONLY ON FEET”. I don’t believe it is an allergic reaction at all, just combined ingredients and the breaking of the skin and peeling and pain that it has caused me. So to all readers, it’s probably best to buy a powder that is proven and marketed as specifically safe on the genital region. Thank you for creating this page. I was very lucky to have found it do as to try and help other men and women too to avoid any future issues, sincerely thanks.
How tf did you get it off I’m dealing with the same shit and it literally will not wash tf off and it hurts
Sorry for not responding back sooner, been a heckuvah week. I had to sit in cool bath twice a day washing gently Do Not scrub your slready inflammed Nether region. The gold bond powder actual burned me down there between the inner legs and as a result quickly became a serious case of inflammed jock itch! Go get a spray can of Lotramin Anti Fungal spray immediately, this will provide the relief and keep coo the inflammed area along with the anti fungal anti yeast at bay. Do not put Calsmine on it, do not put anything Other than some jock itch ointment or spray powder.Hope this helps I am almost done with extremely horrible experience!! Sorry for delayed response, do take care!! If it smells yeasty then you have a secondary jock itch infection caused by adverse reaction/gold bond powder burn like I just dealt with!!
Thanks for sharing, Joe.
Joe,
I’m a dude that had this exact same experience. Summer months in my region got WAY hotter the last few years and I had a leather couch, so you can imagine the situation going on downstairs. I decided to try Gold Bond for Men since I wanted my junk to not smell like junk, but maybe a mild cologne.
Within days I had, to the letter, the symptoms you described. My skin peeled off like rubber, the remaining skin beneath was insanely irritated and felt like it had been chemical burned, and I spent my next few days working from home spread-eagle like a Renaissance painting gone wrong. Completely agree here: Avoid Gold Bond powder sprays unless you’re using it on less sensitive skin, such as your feet. I just ordered some Galaxy Dust per this article’s recommendation, so here’s hoping.
Thanks for sharing your experience; this is the ONLY place I’ve found an account of powder use matching mine.
Thanks for sharing. I hope the Galaxy Dust powder works out for you. It’s pretty great stuff in my experience.
Sounds like you have problems..I’ve used it for years with no issues.Evidently so have a ton of other guys
My fucking balls are on fire
Thanks for commenting, Bill.
TrouserSnake ?
See my above comment and do stop using this on your genitals. Only use it on the feet, shit ain’t safe on your balls nor the area between the balls and legs!!
Your heart may be in the right place, but I hate it when people draw general conclusions based on singular personal experience. It’s not all about you! Some people are certainly reactive to Menthol, possibly other things in Gold Bond. No one is saying it’s hypoallergenic. A sudden case of “Jock Itch” specifically requiring an ANTI-FUNGAL because of a reaction to Gold Bond is silly. If you already have Ringworm or related, and an allergic reaction causes damage to your skin, that can cause proliferation and spread, as it lives in the top layer of your dermis and needs access. If you don’t have a fungal infection, but are having a reaction, Lotrimin may still help because it has ingredients that help reduce inflammation and itching! That doesn’t mean it’s the most effective solution to your problem. Washing the stuff off, check, don’t make the reaction worse. If you reacted severely enough to “burn” yourself, to the extent that you’re freaking out about it on here, you might want to check with your Doc, cuz there are other products that might also affect you just as badly. Also, you might have a preexisting Ringworm/fungus problem that is potentially contagious that you haven’t been dealing with effectively. Now, if you’ve reduced your drama level sufficiently and you’ve decided you don’t need an actual medical consultation, you might consider that Gold Bond does just what people says it does, and you’re the rare exception with a problem. Consider calling and talking to them, they might want to know. Gold Bond can’t just give you Jock Itch, but you can spread Athlete’s Foot (fungus) to your crotch if you powder your feet then your balls without washing your hands in between. Lastly, I had a horrible reaction to mentholatum once in a particular preparation, and, yes, it feels like it’s burning.
Thanks for reading, and for your input.
Now that they stopped using talc in Gold Bond powder I decided to give it a try but like many have said here I experienced a bit of burning and stinging when applied to my balls. I have since switched to and unscented body powder for my balls but still use Gold Bond on my feet and armpits.
Thanks for the information!
You’re welcome, Sandra.
I’ve been searching for months for talcum powder with zinc oxide. I can’t find it anywhere at any price. Lawyers must have bought up all the local supply before making it illegal in the courts, so they can scalp their stock to itch sufferers.
The deal is if you already have a fungal infection this shit does hurt and can definitely exacerbate your condition
I had been using Gold Bond Powder Spray for a while on my groin, and had never experienced bad reactions until recently. About two weeks ago, I noticed the skin on me inner thighs started peeling.
I stopped using the Gold Bond right away. There’s no itch or redness, though. The skin just peeled off, and now my balls keep sticking to my inner thighs.
I haven’t tried different brands, since I’m afraid if the same issues will occur. I’m using Lotrimin and body lotion for that area for now. I also wear briefs for now instead of boxer briefs even though I hate wearing briefs. But, that helps to keep my balls from sticking to my inner thighs.
I really don’t know what caused the skin to peel off. I wonder if there’s a change in the formula of that Gold Bond Body spray powder.
I’m unaware of any formula changes with the Gold Bond body spray but it’s possible. It’s also possible that your body has developed a sensitivity to the spray which could explain your reaction to it. Have you considered shifting away from the spray and trying a powder instead? Check out my article covering the best ball and body powders for men. There are some really great spray alternatives on that list that might be more suitable for you. Thanks for sharing your experience, Todd.
Man Menthol in powder scares me. I can’t think I want menthol anywhere near my boys. Maybe I’m wrong??
Menthol can be irritating to the skin for some people, but it is generally considered safe for the skin in low quantities.
Balls are on fire they feel like they’ve been dipped in muriatic acid.
I have been curious about using Gold Bond Powder on my balls for a while now but I’m nervous about its safety. I also worry that it will burn or cause pain since the groin is a pretty sensitive area. Glad I found this article. Thanks for sharing this information.
Thanks for sharing, Rod. Glad this article could be of help to you.
Now that essentially all talcum powders are off the market in America I’ve been buying whatever I can find that is left on the shelf. Today I found Gold Bond Foot Powder with talc. It’s ingredients differ from the body powder. Menthol doesn’t bother me at all but do you happen to know if any of the other ingredients are dangerous for your balls or underarms? I make sure to apply talc away from my wife. I’m in my 40s and used it my whole life. Cornstarch just doesn’t work for me. Thanks in advance.
Hey Ryan, thanks for commenting. As long as the high concentration of menthol doesn’t bother you it should be okay for applying to the balls and underarms. Aside from the menthol % and talc, the ingredients are essentially the same between the Gold Bond foot powder and the standard Gold Bond Body Powder. If corn starch based body powders aren’t doing it for you and you prefer talc, I recommend checking out Duke Cannon body powder. As of right now they are one of the few remaining companies that use talc in their body powder. Duke Cannon made my list of best ball and body powders for men if you want to check it out. Thanks for reading, Ryan.
Ryan, late 2022, gold bond still has talc in many of its powdered. If you don’t see “talc free” on it, look at inactive ingredients on the back and talc is the first one.
I just tried using gold bond powder on my balls right after the shower and it BURNED! Never again! I washed it off immediately. I manscaped the balls yesterday and it feels a bit tender now there. I find johnson’s baby powder is much better for the genitals.
Some guys really like the “cooling” sensation of Gold Bond on the balls while some guys, such as yourself, report more of a burning sensation. It appears to vary from individual to individual. But yeah, baby powder is definitely a safe option for guys who don’t enjoy the effects of Gold Bond on the ball sack. Thanks for sharing your experience, Kyle.
Some baby powders still have talc. Johnson and Johnson still swears up and down that it’s safe (of course). They also just made an LLC (I think it was) and declared bankruptcy (fake) to make them “unable” to pay the lawsuits rolling in (despite billions in profit). Look it up on New Yorker.
I’ve been using Gold Bond for years. It’s like halon for your nads. No doubt , some people have a sensitivity to. Those folks shouldn’t use it. Plain and simple. First, I used the old school can / bottle. Then the aerosol was a bit neater to use. However, the aerosol cans malfunction about 20% of the time. At $8-10 a clip, that gets expensive quickly. I’ve contacted Sanofi, the parent company of Gold Bond, about the malfunctions. I’ll see where they go with it as far as an adjustment is concerned. In the meantime, I’ll be looking for a replacement. That’s all I’ve got to say about that…..
Thanks for sharing
I use Gold Bond medicated full strength menthol foot powder bought this year (2022) and it specifically says on the front label “talc-free” and it does not list talc on the back either. So, I would guess that you guys that have bottles with talc in them could easily swap to this new formulation (it also says “new” on the front and the bottle is blue, not black) and again it’s cheap. So, if the only objection is the talc, well then now you’re good to go. There are a ton of “designed for balls” powders out there, but they really only had one thing going for them, which is being talc-free. Now that GB can be bought talc-free, those ball powders have nothing over GB except maybe flavor, and they all certainly lose out when it comes to price. I toyed with the idea of ball powder but now I’ve verified what I have, I’ll be sticking with GB that I can get at my local supermarket
Thanks for sharing, Bob.
When I put Gold Bond extra strength it burned almost to the point I was going to jump into the shower to wash this crap off me, but as I was turning on the shower waiting for the Hot water to arrive I began to feel better, it still burned but in about 1 minute subsided then I went back to bed and showered in the morning and reapplied and it burned a whole lot less later th a t day I didn’t even notice the burn had left.
This is my 1st 24 hr application.
Hope G B keeps the smell away and keeps dry in that area . Good luck people and I recommend at first put only a little G.B. till your use to it.
Marty!
Gents, adding water (trying to wash it off) to a water absorbing powder on your skin is NOT usually going to go well. Might try wiping off as much as you can with a clean t-shirt or towel, DRY. Spraying other cooling products on top of it also might intensify the menthol “cooling” (which feels like burning for some folks… it’s like cilantro, is it tasty or does it taste like soap? Depends who you ask).
I wish I could post a picture of the container I have. It clearly states talc free and the first ingredient in not talc, but zea mays (corn)starch. Maybe your supplies are older I know previous versions of Gold Bond Ultimate for men did contain talc, however the newer containers are talc free. Those products have worked for me and I’m 72 years old have used them for awhile without any problems that I know of.
Thanks for sharing Dan. You are correct, Gold Bond powder no longer contains talc but instead uses cornstarch as the primary ingredient. I will be updating this article soon to reflect the current info. Thank you for commenting, Dan.
When I was a kid, we always saw Gold Bond advertised on TV to cure “ringworm” and “tether” (whatever the Hell that is). My brother and I found the commercials hilarious.
But now that I moved to Florida, I experienced Prickly Heat for the first time. I get a horrible, itchy, painful rash under my boobs/right where the bottom elastic on my bra hits my chest when I sweat a lot – which was this whole summer when I walked anywhere and now when I work out.
The rash was so bad this summer I thought I was going to have to see a doctor. But I Googled it, bought some Gold Bond spray, and it burned terribly at first but it worked.
I mentioned Gold Bond to my friend and he goes “You DOORKNOB! That’s what guys spray on their balls. You don’t have balls.” But I do have boobs. Same effect. It does work.
Gold Bond is designed to absorb sweat and eliminate odor regardless of gender so yeah, I’m sure it works for boobs the same way it works for balls, haha. Thanks for commenting, Jill.
I have the bottle in front of me right now. It clearly states Talc. I used it some time ago. It has been under my bathroom counter. Applied on balls and creases where torso meets the legs. I ended up with a UTI. Urinary Tract Infection. Apparently Doc said the talc went into my blood stream from the creases being sweaty. Not ever using it with talc again. Thanks for the info all.