Aluminium-Containing Antiperspirants, Parabens, And The Cancer Connection
In most antiperspirants, aluminium chloride is used to block your pores from releasing sweat, which may also contribute to an increased risk of cancer. In addition to causing molecular transformations in cancer cells, aluminium salts can also mimic estrogen, and previous studies have shown that aluminium can be absorbed into breast tissue.
Aluminium
Antiperspirants are one of the main sources of aluminium in our daily lives, as most people use it on a daily basis. One study draws a direct link between the use of antiperspirants and the amount of aluminium absorbed by your body:
“Industrial and medicinal exposure, and… antiperspirant use, can significantly increase absorbed
aluminium.”
According to this review, about .12 percent of the aluminium applied under your arms is absorbed with each application. Multiply that by one or more times a day for a lifetime, and the ultimate amount of aluminium absorbed is massive!
Parabens
Aluminium isn’t the only potentially cancer-causing ingredient in antiperspirants – parabens, another common ingredient, have been linked to a heightened risk of cancer as well, specifically breast cancer. Recent research has determined that concentrations of parabens were found in the upper quadrant of the breast and axillary area, where antiperspirants are generally applied – areas where breast cancer tumours are often found. One or more paraben esters were found in nearly 100% of the tissue samples collected from 40 mastectomies.
Parabens are preservative chemicals used in antiperspirants and other cosmetics. Previous studies have shown that all – not just some – parabens have estrogenic activity in human breast cancer cells. While the study cited here draws no links between antiperspirants and breast cancer, it does draw a clear link between parabens and breast cancer – and most antiperspirants and deodorants which are used daily by women contain parabens.
Bacteria-Containing Lotions: A New Possibility?
Living bacterial skin tonics are the latest trend in eliminating body odour, as recently covered by New York Times writer Julia Scott, who agreed to mist her face, scalp and body with the bacteria twice a day for a month. The working theory is that adding bacteria, rather than eradicating it, might produce better results in terms of dealing with body odour – a theory that seems rational, knowing what we know about the gut microbiome and how the bacterial balance in your armpits affects your body odour.
While Scott ultimately returned to using more traditional hygiene products, cosmetics companies have been taking note of these cutting-edge techniques in personal hygiene. Several bacterial treatments have been patented, and there are countless potential uses in the medical field. For example, scientists have been pondering the possibilities of treating skin disorders like eczema with appropriate skin bacteria.
Bottom Line: Should You Be Using Antiperspirants?
Many medical professionals ultimately recommend that their patients eschew antiperspirants in favour of washing regularly with soap and sticking to a clean diet, with minimal sugar and plenty of fermented vegetables in order to clear up body odour.
For stubborn grease and grime caused by physical labour, a pinch of baking soda mixed into water can be an effective all-day deodorant. UV light can also “sterilize” the area, eliminating body odour not only from your body but from clothes as well.
Science has clearly shown that your body’s microbiome plays a major role in your health – warding of skin diseases, etc – as well as in dramatically altering things like body odour. Ultimately, it’s best to work with your biome rather than against it with products like antiperspirants. Doing so can help you avoid harmful chemical toxins that have many documented health risks, and promote not only a better overall body odour, but overall health as well.