Is it Safe to Put Gold Bond Powder on Your Balls?

Is it Safe to Put Gold Bond Powder on Your Balls?

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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.

A bottle of Galaxy Dust Body Powder for balls
Galaxy Dust Body Powder – Hyperdrive

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.

Pleasure face

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.