What's Lurking in Your Deodorant?

Did you know that Aluminum is common in deodorants and Antiperspirant?  I'm not talking about some of the more natural brands.  I won't name names but you know who you are!

From Natural News,   "The use of antiperspirant deodorant formulas has been subject to a lot of controversy due to the aluminum base and parabens (chemicals used as preservatives) - among other harsh and toxic substances such as solvents and some fragrances - that are used in many commercial products. Aluminum compounds - particularly aluminum chlorohydrate - are easily absorbed through the skin and have, in the only reported trial to date, already been linked with higher risks of Alzheimer's.
- Toxic Overload: A Doctor's Plan for Combating the Illnesses Caused by Chemicals in Our Foods, Our Homes, and Our Medicine Cabinets by Dr. Paula Baillie-Hamilton"


From Global Healing, "Recent research from a growing number of international scientists has indicated that the use of common antiperspirant may be linked to benign breast lumps, a condition which may make women more likely to develop breast cancer in the future.

A study from the Journal of Applied Toxicology conducted research on antiperspirant with high levels of aluminum. The addition of aluminum, a chemical which enters the body through the sensitive underarm tissue works to block our sweat ducts, thus reducing the amount of sweat that the body produces. But is this lack of perspiration and neutralization of body odor worth the constant daily intake of high levels of aluminum?

Similarly, a recent study from Reading University found that cancerous tumors are most likely to appear in the parts of the female breast which is closest to where antiperspirants are applied. Of the women studied, it was found that cysts in the armpit area of the breast had 25x more aluminum than the common amount found in blood.

Furthermore, aluminum acts with an estrogenic effect on the body, known to increase the incidence of breast cancer tumors when in excess. Sadly, this and other studies, show that aluminum exposure is not only related to increased chances of developing breast cancer, but also other diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Studies on the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease found that their brain tissue often held high amounts of the aluminum toxins."

So what other chemicals can be found in regular deodorant or antiperspirant?

"Propylene glycol is as a humectant, which means it keeps substances from drying out, and it was originally developed as an anti-freeze. Today it's used in paint, dog food, floor wax, and you guessed it, many deodorants. Propylene glycol is neurotoxin known to cause contact dermatitis, kidney damage, and liver damage. In the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for propylene glycol, the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety warns workers to avoid skin contact with the toxic chemical, and yet millions of people apply it under their arms everyday. From the MSDS: "May cause eye irritation, skin irritation. Chronic exposure can cause gastro-intestinal disturbances, nausea, headache, vomiting, and central nervous depression." from AchooAllergy.

And last but certainly not least: food coloring, natural and not-so-natural perfume additives!  Not only are many of these ingredients harmful to your health, they are also harmful to the environment.  Between the chemical process to make the ingredient, the pollutants to produce the products and then there's the plastic packaging material.  It is important to reduce our dependence on petroleum-based products and yes, plastic is petroleum-based!

Not to worry...There is still hope!  You can still smell good and be green!  Stay tuned for DIY deodorant recipes and store-bought natural brand reviews.