The American household brand Johnson & Johnson has announced that it's will no longer sell its talc-based baby powder in the U.S. and Canada. 

The company issued a statement today saying that the popularity of its longtime talc-based Johnson's Baby Powder has declined in North America due to "misinformation around the safety of the product and a constant barrage of litigation advertising." 

It will continue to sell its cornstarch-based baby powder — which critics say is a healthier alternative to cancer-causing talc — in Canada and the States.

The brand says it will continue to sell off whatever baby powder is left in its inventory until it stops North American sales completely. 

Johnson & Johnson says that it will continue to "vigorously defend the product", and continue to sell its talc-based powder in other countries. 

The American Cancer Society has stated that talcum powder that contains asbestos is the cause of a number of different types of cancer, though there is not enough evidence to show that asbestos-free talc does the same.