The link between parabens (a preservative found in many cosmetics and body wash products) and cancer has long been debated. In particular, concerns have been raised about antiperspirant .
Recently, concerns have elevated to the point that the FDA now requires labels on antiperspirant identifying the product as a “drug” containing “aluminum” ingredients which stop the sweat. The evidence that parabens cause breast cancer is not alarming enough for me to want to stop using deodorant, however, I like to err on the side of caution. And if there’s a natural, preservative product that works just as well as a maybe-risky one, I’ll take the former.
I am a runner and I don’t buy into the theory that women “glisten.” I sweat and sweat hard and it’s kind of important to me that I don’t stink everyone off the pathways. So I picked up a bottle of Burt’s Bees herbal deodorant when I was buying some lip balm the other day. It doesn’t stop the sweat, because as the product description says, that’s the body’s natural cleansing process, but it definitely stops the funk. As a bonus, it didn’t stain my white running shirt. I’ll be avoiding the antiperspirant in future, and I’m now on the hunt for some preservative-free cosmetics, too. I’m hoping they work just as well.
Author by Kristin Darguzas
