A 27-year-old woman has revealed that she loves eating Johnson's baby powder every day, and this year she has spent a staggering $4,000 on the stuff. Dreka Martin said that she always enjoyed tasting the powder after showering her children, but then found herself craving it, as reported by Mirror.
Mrs. Martin, who lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, confesses that she consumes a daily 623g (22 oz) bottle of Johnson's Aloe & Vitamin E. She also said that she prefers to give up "normal food" instead of stopping. When asked about her favorite thing about eating the white product, she said it melts in the mouth.
She said that she stayed away from addiction during pregnancy. Mrs. Martin now spends $14 on a bottle a day since January, which adds up to approximately $3,780 so far this year. Dreka claims she's never experienced any health or digestive issues.
Johnson's stated that their baby powder is designed "for use on the skin only" and cautioned against ingestion. However, the makeup artist expresses concern that her son might develop a habit, as he requests the powder during bath time after witnessing her consume it.
Mrs. Martin claims that she has pica, an eating disorder marked by compulsions to consume non-food items such as chalk or paint. The mother of one confesses to attempting to conceal her addiction to cornstarch-based powder from friends and family. However, she expresses dismay when they pass judgment on her habit and voice concerns about her health.
"I love eating baby powder. It tastes exactly how it smells. It's just something I do to cope. It just makes me feel good and makes me happy," Mrs. Martin told The Mirror.
"It's an addiction that I try to stop, but I just can't. When I think about it, my mouth waters. It's gotten to the point where I eat baby powder, and I don't even care about eating real food.
"If I had the choice between eating real food and baby powder, I'd choose baby powder. I would spend my last dollar on it because I need it so much."
She continued, "I kept it a secret from my mum for a month, but she asked why the baby powder was being used so fast. Normally we had a bottle for two months, and it was being used in a week, so she had a feeling that something was wrong.
"I've tried to hide it from everybody, but I do it so often, and I won't be able to talk when my mouth is full of it. They ask what's in my mouth, and I tell them it's baby powder.
"Friends and family tell me to stop and that it's bad for my health. It sometimes upsets me when they judge me.
"When they worry, it makes me want to stop, but it's not that easy. I still sneak and do it. I can't just stop.
"If I'm traveling, I always need my baby powder. If I'm going out of the country and I know they don't have that brand, I know to pack at least three bottles so I won't run out."
Despite expressing concern that her son may emulate her behavior, she asserts that she has no plans to discontinue her consumption of baby powder anytime soon.
