Generally, baby powders are used for external applications on babies. Recently, a US woman disclosed her peculiar habit of eating Johnson's baby powder. Dreka Martin, a 27-year-old woman from New Orleans, Louisiana, revealed her bizarre addiction to eating Johnson's baby powder. She said she eats up to 623g (22oz) bottles of Johnson Aloe and Vitamin E daily. And she had spent an astounding amount of $4000 (Rs. 3 lakh) in a year.
Ms. Dreka said that initially she always enjoyed tasting the baby powder after the shower of her children, and then afterward it developed into an addiction. She also expressed that she chooses to give up normal food instead of stopping baby powder consumption.
Johnson detailed a warning that their baby powder is intended for use on the skin only, not for ingestion. Ms. Dreka said that she had no health or digestive issues due to her peculiar habit of eating Johnson's baby powder. However, she had raised concern that her son might develop this habit, as he noticed her consumption during bath time.
Ms. Dreka confessed that she is suffering from Pica, which is a compulsive eating disorder characterized by eating nonfood items such as chalk or paint that have no nutritional value. She tried to hide her habit from her family and friends, especially from her son. She said to Mirror, “I love eating baby powder. It tastes exactly how it smells. It's just something I do to cope. It drives me to feel good and happy. It's a habit that I try to stop, but I just can't. If I had a choice between eating real food and baby powder, I'd choose baby powder. I would use up my last dollar on it because I need it so much.” She explained, “I kept it a secret from my mom for a month, but she detected the baby powder was being used so fast. Normally, a bottle lasts for two months, but it was used up in one week. So she had a feeling that something was awry. I've tried to hide it from everybody, but I do it so often that I can't talk when my mouth is full. They asked me what was in my mouth, and I told them it was baby powder.”
“Friends and family suggested me to stop, as it was bad for my health. It sometimes disturbs me when they judge me. And when they worry, it makes me want to stop, but it's not that easy. I still sneak in and do it. I can't just stop,” she said.
She also stated that if she is traveling, she always requires baby powder. If she is going out of the country and knows that they don't have the brand, she is going to pack at least three bottles, so she won’t run out of it.
(Input from various media sources)
Rehash/Lavanya Beeraboina