For a long time now, studies have warned about aluminium salts in deodorant and the harm it has on the body. The question still remains though, can chemicals in antiperspirants really be that bad for you? There have been multiple studies for and against this claim, so it's quite difficult to know what is actually worth taking consideration of.
The difficulty is - where do you draw the line? Deodorants are probably just as safe to use as other products containing chemicals, such as soaps, shower gels, perfumes and moisturisers. There are a lot of mixed opinions as to what you should and shouldn't use when it comes to any skincare product, not just deodorant.
Deodorant: What's The Concern?
It's be a continuous debate for some time now. Aluminium in deodorant has been linked to causing Alzheimer's disease, breast cancer and general health issues. As of now, there is actually no convincing link. Studies haven't been able to find a direct correlation between using an aluminium deodorant and having health issues. It was recently published by the charity 'Cancer Research UK' that the rumours that deodorants and antiperspirants could cause cancer, was actually started by an email hoax. They went on to state that there is still actually no convincing evidence that they cause health issues.
However, recently a new study found that long-term exposure to aluminium chloride can trigger the development of aggressive tumours, which has the ability to spread to different areas of the body. Shortly after the study was released, counter-arguments started pouring in. It was noted that the study was completed on mice, meaning there is no direct correlation to how this will affect humans. Also, as it was done under controlled environments, it's difficult to say how using a deodorant in every day situations will cause health problems.
Is Your Deodorant Dangerous?
From what we've gathered - no. It's difficult to know whether you should omit using any deodorants that have aluminium in or whether it's going to cause no harm at all. Research was conducted to compare bacteria levels with people who wore deodorant containing aluminium, against people who didn't wear any deodorant at all. It actually came back that the highest levels of bacteria belonged to the test group who didn't wear any deodorant! Whilst this bacteria doesn't cause disease, it's interesting to know the outcome of this study. Taking control of your bacteria levels is generally a good idea - there actually isn't enough evidence to completely stop using deodorant, even though it's been linked to illnesses in the past.
Should You Continue To Use Deodorant?
Depending on how much you sweat - yes. It's pretty obvious that some people are smellier than others, and what you eat or drink can eventually show itself in your body odour. Any BO is just a result of your bodies bacteria breaking down the sweat, so if you don't wear a deodorant and you sweat a lot, you'll know about it. To be honest, we'll all know about it. If this is something that you're okay with, then more power to you! Let's not use this above research as an excuse not to wear deodorant though - it won't go down well with the people around you.
If you are concerned, here are some of our favourite aluminium free deodorants for you to try today:
You might also be interested in reading our low down on non-comedogenic skincare!
