The Dangers of Parabens & Aluminium In Your Deodorant
WHAT ARE PARABENS?
Parabens are widely used in thousands of personal care products from mascaras, body lotions to deodorants. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they are used as a cheap preservative to stop harmful bacteria and mold growing in the products to extend its shelf life.
However, debates have broken out in the science and beauty world about the harmful effects of using this chemical on our bodies and our health. Dr. Chesahna Kindred, a dermatologist at Howard University in Washington DC told LiveScience that parabens are known as ‘hormone-mimicking chemicals’ which means that our body may treat parabens like hormones. This can have some serious impacts on our health.
One of those impacts is the stimulating of cancer cells.
Phillippa Darbe, an expert in the impact of estrogen on breast cancer claims that when parabens are applied under the arms or near the breast, they may contribute to breast cancer. However, there isn’t enough sufficient evidence to back up these claims.
WHAT IS ALUMINIUM?
Aluminum is used in antiperspirants in the form of salts, which are used to control sweat. Their duty is to reduce the amount of sweat on the skin by clogging the pores in your armpits to inhibit the flow of sweat. It also eliminates that funky body odor smell caused by bacteria. Aerosol and roll-on antiperspirant products typically contain ACH (Aluminum Chlorohydrate), whereas sticks, gels and other solid products are most likely to contain an Aluminum salt referred to as AZAG (Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex GLY).
Many sources claim that traces of aluminium in antiperspirants are ‘harmless’ and not even absorbed by the skin, however, when used excessively, it can irritate the sweat ducts and can lead to infections and sensitivity.
It is particularly harmful to anyone with kidney disease. FDA now requires all antiperspirant products to include a warning statement that advises people with kidney disease to consult a physician before using the product. This is because the kidneys play a large role in eliminating aluminum from the body, and exposure to aluminum from the use of antiperspirants might make the condition worse.
MAKE THE SWITCH TO NATURAL DEODORANT
To avoid all this nastiness from entering your body, consider making the move to a more natural, effective deodorant that is not only better for your body, but also for the environment.
By using a natural deodorant, you aren’t clogging up your sweat pores and allowing your skin to breathe naturally while staying protected from smelly bacteria. Read more about why you should switch to natural deodorant HERE.
Still not feeling convinced and a little confused as to how to use natural deodorant correctly? We got you covered here too. Read more about it HERE.
If you have any questions at all feel free to contact us or check our customer questions & answers.
Josh Spilewski
Founder