Is aluminum in deodorants and antiperspirants bad for you?
This has become one of the biggest issues of the past decade as concerns about aluminum in antiperspirants have spread around the world and alternative solutions have become more common. We recently launched our own natural deodorant with activated charcoal, which is completely free of the harmful ingredients you might find in your regular deodorant.
So where does this fear come from? Is aluminum safe? Well, the fear came when the media started discussing some tests on aluminum intake and whether aluminum can cause breast cancer (one of the diseases on the list). So let’s explore this topic in more detail.
The link between antiperspirants and breast cancer
The problem is that shaving your armpits can cause small cuts in your skin. When you spray or use an antiperspirant deodorant, aluminum enters your body and is absorbed into your bloodstream. The thing is, it doesn’t take a break in your skin to absorb aluminum. However, the absorption rate is six times higher after a cut.
Scientists’ initial observations showed how they block the body from excreting toxins, and when the toxins are trapped, they travel to the lymph nodes. They may have estrogenic effects, and estrogen is the main female sex hormone that promotes the growth of breast cancer cells.
Breast cancer is one of the leading causes in the UK. In 2016, there were 11,563 deaths there. However, since the 1970s, numbers have fallen by 38% as knowledge and surgical practice have increased significantly. In the UK, more than 55,000 women are diagnosed with the disease each year, with more than half of breast cancers actually starting in the upper outer quadrant of the breast, just next to the armpit.
As this is the main area for cancer development, absorbing a chemical that is thought to be a factor is an understandable fear signal.
Scientists have studied this area and this is their prediction, but there is no 100% proof of this yet and testing is still ongoing.
Why is aluminum used in antiperspirants?
The difference between deodorants and antiperspirants is important. Antiperspirants are designed to block and unclog sweat glands while breaking down sweat. The problem is finding a natural alternative that is just as successful as the traditional method of blocking sweat glands.
What else should I be aware of?
Another ingredient we recommend staying away from is parabens, which are not found in our natural deodorants, obviously. They are preservatives that are commonly found in most of these products, but are more likely to be found in breast tumors. This doesn’t mean there is a direct link, as they say correlation does not mean causation (nerd hat on), but it is another area that scientists are looking into.
