I always thought using regular baby powder on your latex neck and wrist seals were good for helping get the gear on. Now I've heard that it's bad for the latex; other seemingly inert ingredients cause the problem and something else (probably more expensive) is better. What about regular ceramic grade talc? What else is there? Corn starch? Other commercial products I'm unaware of?
As you've heard, there are popular and effective alternatives to lubricating latex seals with pure, unscented talc.
If you don't mind hearing it from a
seller of pure, unscented talc, I'd like to try to clarify some of the issues raised.
First, although lubricating the latex is probably the primary goal for most drysuit users, preserving the latex is just as important to us extremely
frugal people!
Will some methods or substances preserve the latex better than others?
Most people would say 'yes'.
How much better?
Certainly a little, sometimes a moderate amount. It's not likely to be a stunning difference, though.
What explains the difference?
Reducing the factors that cause latex to deteriorate, such as exposure to oils, ozone and uv light, is the key.
What a lot of divers forget is that skin oil gets deposited on the latex during use. Skin oil is the primary cause of premature deterioration of latex seals, in my humble, although biased and self-serving, opinion.
Want to really extend the life of your latex seals? Before the dive, thoroughly scrub away the skin oil from your wrists and neck. Then, immediately after the dive, wash the inside of the latex seal with soapy water.
And/or, put a barrier between the skin oil and the latex....
That's where pure talc works well. Not only does talc have relatively high oil-absorbing qualities, it lubricates extremely well, yet remains in place as a very thin barrier layer (if it's high quality fine talc). Being able to remain on the surface of the latex and/or skin is why it's able to create a good barrier against the oil and, most likely, other environmental factors, too.
So, personally, I don't go crazy with washing my skin before each dive....but I'll make sure to scrub well that morning, and, if turns out to be a sweaty day, I'll wash the latex that night. And I like to use good talc.
Unfortunately, good talc from the pharmacy or dive shop was awfully expensive for such a cheap guy as me.... That's why I got into this little business.
I use a ball of climbers chalk, it is very easy to apply and doesn't get chalk everywhere.
Isn't climbers chalk magnesium
carbonate, which improves grip? If so, I would think it's substantially different from talc, which is magnesium
silicate, which is usually an excellent lubricant.
Corn starch works great. I have heard there is some link between talc and lung cancer as well. I'm not sure if the science is 100% on it, but cornstarch works just as well.
I heard about that link, too, but I heard about it from a guy on the Internet who heard it from a guy on the Internet who heard it from a guy on the Internet.....
Here's a study that should put your mind at ease:
Lung cancer risk and talc not containing asbestiform fibres: a review of the epidemiological evidence
Non-contaminated talc is fine.
And corn starch doesn't work
quite as well as a high quality talc, IMHO....but I'm clearly biased.
Dave C
During a failure of my gloves, (well crap, THAT'LL never happen 
