There are over 10,000 toxic and
nasty ingredients, some of them known or suspected carcinogens, in soaps,
shampoos, lotions, make-up and beauty products, and other personal care
products.
Deodorant is a product that
inhibits your body’s natural secretion of toxins. An antiperspirant and deodorant
will clog your skin follicles so that you’re not able to sweat as much as your
body requires. Deodorants and antiperspirants also release tons of harmful
chemicals into our bodies.
We
knowingly or unknowingly apply these chemicals on our skin every day.
When you apply stuff to your
skin, particularly your sweat glands, it absorbs into your body, goes into your
blood stream and filters through your organs.
Nasty chemicals such as
Parabens and Aluminum has been linked to Breast Cancer, Alzheimer's, Bone
Disorders and Kidney Problems.
Americans spend $18 billion a
year on deodorant and antiperspirant in a quest to cover up body odor and
reduce sweating 1. For many, applying deodorant is
a regular part of their morning routine, but it hasn't always been this way.
The first deodorant, which
killed off odor-producing bacteria, wasn't introduced until 1888. The first
antiperspirant, which reduces both bacterial growth and sweat production, came
about 15 years later. Even then, however, most people were wary of applying such
products to their underarms.
The Smithsonian wrote of these
early products, "many people — if they had even heard of the anti-sweat
toiletries — thought they were unnecessary, unhealthy or both." 2.
Our skin, surprisingly, absorbs a great deal of what we put on it. So, if
we’re putting chemicals on our body, it will absorb those chemicals.
Here are a few of the things
you should be aware of that are found in conventional deodorant.
1. Aluminum Chloride Antiperspirant and Cancer
Aluminium chloride (AlCl3) is the main compound of aluminium and chlorine.
It is white, but samples are often contaminated with iron trichloride, giving
it a yellow colour. The solid has a low melting and boiling point. It is mainly
produced and consumed in the production of aluminium metal, but large amounts
are also used in other areas of chemical industry. The compound is often cited
as a Lewis acid. 3
What’s in there for? Aluminum chloride is an ingredient found in
antiperspirants and works to completely stop perspiration.
What’s the problem? Aluminum has been linked to a
number of health issues:
- Seizures
- Breast Cancer
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Bone Formation
Disorders
- Kidney Problems
Aluminum antiperspirants may act as a long-term source of exposure to
aluminum, which research suggests may accumulate in breast tissue in women.
This is problematic for a number of reasons, as aluminum may cause
alterations to DNA as well as epigenetic effects that could potentially support
cancer development. 4
Aluminum (specifically aluminum chloride and aluminum chlorohydrate) is
also known to interfere with estrogen receptors in breast cancer cells, and
estrogen plays a well-known role in breast cancer.
Studies also show a high incidence of breast cancer in the upper outer
quadrant of the breast, nearest to where antiperspirants are applied, together
with "genomic instability." 5 Back in 2005, researchers
concluded:
"Given
the wide exposure of the human population to antiperspirants, it will be
important to establish dermal absorption in the local area of the breast and
whether long term low level absorption could play a role in the increasing
incidence of breast cancer."
In 2013, researchers found increased levels of aluminum in nipple aspirate
fluid from women with breast cancer compared to women without the disease. They
also detected increased levels of inflammation and oxidative stress: 6
"Our results support the possible
involvement of aluminum ions in oxidative and inflammatory status perturbations
of breast cancer microenvironment, suggesting aluminum accumulation in breast
microenvironment as a possible risk factor for oxidative/inflammatory phenotype
of breast cells."
2. Parabens
Parabens in Deodorant May Be Linked to Breast
Cancer.
Parabens are preservatives that are found in many antiperspirants,
deodorants and many personal care items and are used a preservative. These
chemicals have estrogenic activity in human breast cancer cells, and research
published in 2012 found one or more parabens in 99 percent of the 160 tissue
samples collected from 40 mastectomies. 7
Separate research also detected parabens in 18 of 20 tissue samples from
human breast tumors.
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14745841.)
Since that they mimic estrogen in your body. Not good. Parabens can throw
off your body’s hormonal balance. This can cause an early onset of puberty,
increase your risk of hormonal cancers, and even birth defects in your future
children.
You may see parabens listed on the label as: methylparaben,
propylparaben, ethylparaben, or butylparaben.
3. Propylene Glycol
What’s it there for? Propylene glycol is used to increase absorption and
helps keep substances from drying out. Interesting tidbit: this substance was
originally formulated to be used as an anti-freeze.
What’s the problem? Propylene glycol is a neurotoxin and skin irritant. It
could cause damage to your central nervous system, heart, and liver.
Watch out! You often even see propylene glycol in “natural” deodorants
found in the stores.
4. Phthalates
What’s it there for? Phthalates help consistency of personal care products.
What’s the problem? Phthalates increase the likelihood of cell mutation and
disrupt hormone receptors which in turn increases the risk of birth defects.
5. Triclosan
What’s it there for? Triclosan is antimicrobial1—it kills bacteria, fungus,
and other microbes.
What’s the problem? In addition to being classified as a pesticide by the
FDA and a probable carcinogen by the EPA, Triclosan has been linked to a number
of different problems including: disruption of the endocrine system1
(particularly thyroid function), increased risk of cancer, and increased hay
fever and allergy symptoms.
Because of this, some companies have begun to remove triclosan from their
products, but you can still find it in many. The American Medical Association
now recommends that triclosan and other antibacterial products not be used in
the home as they may encourage bacterial resistance.
6. TEA and DEA
Triethanolamine (TEA) and diethanolamine (DEA) are chemicals can seep into
your skin and affect your liver and kidneys. In fact, they’re so harmful that
these two chemicals have already been banned from products in Europe because
they are known carcinogens. 8
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Detox chemicals in your body.
Deodorant and antiperspirant although loaded with lethal toxins is
comfortable to use and makes life easy for us. Most people can’t stop applying
our favorite’s deodorant on our body but can we can limit its impact on our
health with regular body detox.
You have get flash out these
cancerous Triclosan, Phthalates, Aluminum, Parabens and other harmful toxins
from systems since they accumulate to give you cancers and other chronic health
problems.
Because toxins are part of our daily life, both inside and out, it may seem
that they are a natural part of living that is why detoxification is
imperative.
2. Aluminum free deodorant
Deodorants and antiperspirants without aluminum are available from both the
conventional brands, the private labels of drugstores and supermarket chains;
as well as the Natural Cosmetics producers.
The products from the natural cosmetics producers are usually based purely
on herbal ingredients, which are primarily organic and renounce animal testing.
3. A “Truly” Natural Deodorant
· Organic Coconut Oil is a
natural antibacterial and anti-fungal that is also soothing to your skin acts as
a moisturizer.
· Powdered Sugar: When
combined with your perspiration, the sugar helps prevent odor-causing bacterial
growth.
·
Baking Soda: Has long been
used in many different places to fight odor.
·
Beeswax helps with the
consistency of the deodorant.
References
5 surprising hazards
using deodorant solution.'' intoxicatedonlife
intoxicatedonlife.com,
november 05, 2013
1. 2. Sarah Everts. ‘’How Advertisers Convinced Americans They Smelled Bad.’’
Smithsonian.com.
smithsonian.com, August 2, 2012
3. Wikipedia. ''Aluminium chloride''
Accessed January 03, 2017 from
4. 5. Darbre PD., ‘’Aluminium, antiperspirants and breast cancer.’’ Journal
of Inorganic Biochemistry.
Accessed January 03, 2017 from
6. Mannello F1, Ligi D, Canale M.,
''Aluminium, carbonyls and cytokines in human nipple aspirate fluids: Possible
relationship between inflammation, oxidative stress and breast cancer
microenvironment.'' Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry.
Accessed January 03, 2017 from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23916117.
7. Barr L., Metaxas G., Harbach C. A. J., Savoy
L. A., Darbre P. D. ''Measurement of paraben concentrations in human breast
tissue at serial locations across the breast from axilla to sternum’’. Journal
of Applied Toxicology.
accessed January 03,
2017 from
8. Natural News, ‘’Dangerous
Chemicals in Deodorant & Antiperspirant.’’
Accessed January 03,
2017 from
http://www.naturalcosmeticnews.com/toxic-products/dangerous-chemicals-in-deodorant-antiperspirant-a-detailed-review-of-the-chemicals-research-avoidance-tips/.
