YOU STINK!
In the last few years a lot of hype about natural and safe anti-perspirants have become a popular subject. More specifically, the chat around which ones are safe, what ingredients are being used and what they can do to the body has been plastered all over the internet. When this conversation began and the advertisements for ditching your current deodorant popped up, I’ll be the first to say that I tossed mine. Why, you ask? Well, I read a few articles that told me the main ingredient “aluminum” was toxic and that it could cause breast cancer. PUMP THE BREAKS! My mind was spinning. I began wondering exactly what the deodorant I was buying (Dove) could possibly be doing to my body in secrecy and I wanted no part of it! It said that aluminum is the main sweat blocking ingredient. That sounds odd. I was scared. Is this stuff regulated? What else is in this stuff? I switched to the NATIVE brand in the mean time since all of the social media told me it was a better, safer choice.
The switch in brands was costly:
Native – $12.00
Dove – $6.00
But I figured for the wealth of my health, I’ll spend the money. Am I right?
Time passed and the advertisements continued. New articles were telling me that Native was bad now too! WHAT? WHY? Apparently it had synthetic fragrances. So what to do?
Well, I got to researching the topic … here’s the bad stuff that I found along with the myths.
Dangerous ingredients suspected to be linked the breast cancer claim:
- Parabéns (helps to preserve life span)
- Aluminum (thickening agent)
- Triclosan (antibacterial agent)
- Phthalates (chemical to increase longevity)
But is that enough to go running for the hills? No. If there is anything I have learned in the age of social media, it is to keep researching and find reputable studies because anyone can post their thoughts or assumptions online. Don’t believe everything you read at first glance. There may be more than meets the eye..
Myth#1 – Most Popular deodorant ingredients causes breast cancer.
NOPE!! Many studies/videos addressing these ingredients say THERE IS NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE BEHIND THIS! They debunked the claim! YES, most ingredients in popular deodorants are NOT great, that is for sure, BUT, is there proof it is directly linked to causing breast cancer? Nope. Sorry. Breast cancer is still primarily linked to genetics and the many studies of participants who were diagnosed with cancer that used aluminum based deodorants vs. those in other countries who didn’t use deodorant at all were still at an equal risk.
Myth#2 – All natural deodorants are super safe since they removed the aluminum ! (Like Native and Toms for example). NOT TRUE!! Many of them are just holding on to other sneaky ingredients like synthetic fragrances which are not good for us, not regulated by the FDA and have been linked to birth defects, allergies and issues with the nervous system.
Check out this video for the break down of my myth busting research.
What it comes down it is that may be more of a marketing scheme to keep up with the latest “natural” ans vegan fads this generation has grown to worship. While I believe there are many dangers to the things we put in and on our body, we can’t believe everything we see.
Furthermore, I wanted more info on these natural deordants. They are all holding on to some sort of SNEAKY ingredients and seemingly making it seem like they are super safe and friendly. The NATIVE brand that was raging to be the best thing since sliced bread wasn’t much better! It seems I got rid of one evil con to find some in another less evil con.
Check out this quick pic for my point:
Conclusion:
They all have some funky ingredient that’s not great for our bodies.
All in all, choose the all natural product IF you PREFER less ingredients but don’t do it because you think it is 100% safer and will keep you free from breast cancer. It’s not a guarantee. Aluminum based deodorants do not have a direct correlation to this cancer.
I switched back to Dove because they now offer various types, even an aluminum free option and its better on my wallet.
Wow, what an impactful blog post! First. I think it’s important to note how relevant this blog topic is. Using cleaner products that contain less harmful ingredients has been becoming more and more popular across the nation. As a young woman with a family history of breast cancer, I like to do whatever I can to lower my risk of devloping cancer in the future. While the title is the first thing I saw, what influenced my decision to continue reading was the image of the exact deodorant I have regularly been using. After reading the entire article, zi was shocked to read that so many of the media I have been consuming is not only misleading, but completely innacurate! I’m really glad that this blog post helped me learn that even products that are marketed toward our health can be entirely misleading. Going foward, I will be more apt to verifying the information I obtain online, rather than trusting what is being said without any further questions.
Thank you Kelsey. I really enjoyed the topic and learned a lot about the subject myself. It shows us how important it is to do your own research before trusting some of these “natural” brands as advertised.
Hi Kelsey! I really enjoyed reading your blog. I am huge on finding the cleanest products as our skin is vital and absorbs so much into our bodies. I was shocked to see Native brand! I absolutely love their deodorant and have been using them for 3 years now. I order it for my husband and son! I guess it is like eating foods in the US, when looking for organic foods, it is a rare commodity.