For over a century, Borotalco talc has represented not only excellence in personal care, but a true emblem of Italian culture. Its unique and iconic scent evokes childhood memories across entire generations as well as a feeling of cleanliness and freshness, consolidating itself as the olfactory symbol of Italy, comparable to cologne in Germany or Marseille soap in France.
Florence was the cradle of Boro-Talcum, created in 1878 in Henry Roberts' pharmacy in Via Tornabuoni. The invention immediately won the public over with its antiseptic, soothing and refreshing properties, quickly becoming "The best powder for skin". The original recipe, jealously guarded, has been reworked over the years but has maintained its simplicity and uniqueness. For further information visit our History.
Borotalco talc stands out for its purity and 100% Italian origin. The extraction mine, in Val Chisone, in Turin, is globally recognized for its excellence and the mineralogical purity of our talc is continuously demonstrated and controlled to ensure a final product of superior quality, natural, safe and asbestos-free.
For us, ensuring the safety and purity of our talc is a priority. For this reason, the talc used is subject to strict controls by the supplier, periodically verified by external and independent certified laboratories. Furthermore, we subject each batch of talc to further tests, relying on the independent laboratory of the Polytechnic of Turin, certified by the Ministry of Health for the search of asbestos.
Thanks to its absorbent and velvety properties, Borotalco talc is extremely versatile, finding use in a variety of cosmetic and personal hygiene applications.
The iconic scent of Borotalco contains the distinctive ingredients of the Italian territory. This essence, intact since 1904, represents the olfactory heritage of the brand, characterized by impalpable and caressing notes that pamper and make you feel good. The Borotalco olfactory signature is now found in all the brand's products, with more distinctly citrus, floral or aromatic interpretations, always accompanied by the unmistakable olfactory signature that makes it unique and distinctive.
The graphic of the historical green packaging take inspiration from a lithographic print from 1903 which portrayed Princess Jolanda of Savoy. It will perhaps never be possible to prove that the artist of the two lithographic prints is the same, but the self-celebration of H. Roberts & Co. is clear in replacing the image of a Savoy princess with the image of a "little princess ” Roberts.
To make Borotalco talc known, the company decided to engage one of the best-known advertising illustrators of the first half of the Italian twentieth century: Luigi Boccasile, creator of that female image destined to become a myth and model of the pre-war Italian woman. With Boccasile, the act of sprinkling Borotalco talc changes figuratively and significantly over the years: from the initial nineteenth-century style "nurse", it moved on to the modern nanny, then to the young mother portrayed with her child in the foreground, up to the iconic “modern Venus”. Today, the Borotalco posters represent one of the most important summaries of Italian costumes, supporting a message of economic and social development which had the emancipation of women at its basis.
