Antiperspirant is often taken regarded as causes of developing some disease such as breast cancer or Alzheimer disease. Although antiperspirants doesn’t have obvious connection directly with those diseases, making an evaluation on its ingredients is very important for people to avoid some dangers which are potentially existing.
Generally, in the armpits there happens odors or wetness that the bacteria causes. Thus antiperspirants are applied to rid this situation. Because if using them, the sweat ducts can be blocked, the perspirating amount produced by the body can be reduced, as well as odors and wetness can be decreased. In antiperspirants, aluminium element is a very common ingredient. Usually you can find it in our cookwares even in beer cans. Many people worry about if long term contacting with aluminium zirconium or aluminium chloride and other compounds can threaten to their body health and develop some disease including Alzheimer’s disease or breast cancer. The key issue is to well understand real aluminum dangers and know the way to avoid their dangers if taking use of antiperspirants.
The ingredients in common use of an antiperspirant
The average antiperspirant contains many ingredients such as liquid emollient or wax. As active ingredients. By the effects of these ingredients, antiperspirants is able to prevent body sweat. There are some aluminium compounds contained in the active ingredients of the commercial antiperspirants, for instance, aluminium zirconium trichlorohydrex glycine, aluminium hydroxybromide, aluminium chloride as well as aluminium chlorohydrate. The cells will absorb these aluminium ions and hold back gland ducts of the erricine which located on the top of skin. Thus the cell will sorb water and become swollen accordingly. Under such conditions, the ducts are closed so that the sweat can not flow out.
The negative effects of an Antiperspirant
Usually aluminium ions are looked as a toxic element for human body. If aluminium compound is different,then the effect on body also has difference and thus results in different risks of health. Some risks of diseases will happen if containing these compounds.
- 1. Risk of breast cancer. The properties of a number of aluminium compounds are considered as their properties similar as estrogen such as aluminium zirconium or aluminium chloride etc.. If too much contacting such compounds, the possibility of breast problem will be increased so that the risks of suffering breast cancer will also be increased. According to analysis of some studies, for the patients experiencing breast cancer, the breast region near to the range used antiperspirant have been found aluminium at a high level. But frankly speaking, it is difficult to build a link directly between the risk of breast cancer and antiperspirant, because of no comparison of aluminium levels of healthy breast area.
- 2. Risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Aluminium is usually considered to make a risk of suffering Alzheimer’s disease. The human bodies suffering such disease can often find this kind of metal, however why it occurs and exists is still no confirmed answer. Additionally some brain issues are also connected with the metal such as Alzheimer’s disease, in fact whether over-exposure to aluminium really can cause such disease has not yet conclusive evidence.
- 3. Risk of kidney disease. It’s been proved that aluminium is toxic to your body if overexposure, although maybe these disease has no direct link with this type of metal. The people who has abnormal function of kidney are suggested not to use antiperspirants. As the toxic is dangerous potentially for health of patients with kidney disease, FDA has requested all kinds antiperspirants must hang a warning label to inform patients of kidney disease not to use such products. It’s necessary to consult with your doctor and know the proper one for you if you desire to use antiperspirant.
- 4. The other risks. Some people think the antiperspirant can stop the toxins of lymph nodes not to leave body due to block the sweat glands. But the same as above mentioned, the sweat glands also don’t have direct link with the lymph nodes. To be supposed that if the toxins weren’t released by the sweat, maybe they can be released under the function of kidneys and even released through the urine.
In fact whether the antiperspirants aluminium or the other ingredients has meaningfully threatened to the body health, there still has no convinced proves up to now. These elements don’t have direct link with some diseases such as breast cancer as well as Alzheimer’s disease. The reasons of diseases are diversified and complicated, so not only one antiperspirant can cause them. Regarding the effects of antiperspirants, most rumors are coming from the internet, or scare tactics of different agencies, more than direct researches from science.
You can choose some branded antiperspirants with aluminium-free if you like using natural antiperspirants. In addition, using lemon or tea to spray under the arms can also be helpful for controlling the sweat. You should know that the wet spots or some unpleasant odors will be brought by these substitutes. Therefore, they can not have same effects as standard antiperspirants, although you can have a try.
