Are Conventional Deodorants and Antiperspirants Harmful?
“The noise around conventional deodorants dates back to the early 1990s, with an email chain letter that circulated claiming deodorants block sweating and toxin purging and could swell lymph nodes and cause cancer,” says Jeffrey Fromowitz, MD, dermatologist and medical director of Dermatology of Boca in Boca Raton, Florida. “To date, these risks have not been shown.”
According to the American Cancer Society, no strong human subject clinical studies link breast cancer risk and the use of aluminum-containing antiperspirant, and there’s very little scientific evidence to support such claims. Similarly, no available research establishes a relationship between deodorant use and breast cancer.
“There was also concern about aluminum exposure and Alzheimer’s [disease],” says Dr. Fromowitz. “But as the science of disease has advanced, experts have dismissed this idea.” In other words, conventional deodorants and antiperspirants are safe to use, he says.
Even so, some consumers remain wary of certain chemical ingredients found in conventional deodorants, such as parabens, phthalates, propylene glycol, and triclosan. While no conclusive evidence suggests that exposure to these chemicals in the amounts deodorant contains is harmful, individuals can elect to shop for products that omit them.
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