Having a good diet and drinking enough water can really cut down the odor, but sometimes you need something else. For sure, conventional deodorants and antiperspirants work great, if you don’t mind those aluminum and other additives infusing your armpit.
Due to the presence of synthetic chemicals, most over-the-counter deo and antiperspirants can cause skin irritation and potential to disrupt hormonal balance, especially if they contain parabens.
How Aluminum Works In Antiperspirants?
According to the Julie Gabriel, The Green Beauty Guide:
“Aluminum is used in anti-perspirants to dry out sweat by injecting aluminum ions in the cells that line the sweat ducts. When the aluminum ions are drawn into the cells, water flows in; the cells begin to swell, squeezing the ducts closed so sweat cannot get out.”
Antiperspirant And Cancer
Aluminum antiperspirant serves as a long-term source of exposure to aluminum, which according to research, may accumulate in breast tissue in women.
Moreover, aluminum (specifically aluminum chloride and aluminum chlorohydrate) may also cause changes in DNA and epigenetic effects that could cause the development of cancer cells. Also, aluminum is known to interfere with estrogen receptors in breast cancer cells. Estrogen plays an important role in breast cancer.
Parabens In Deodorant May Be Linked To Breast Cancer
Parabens in antiperspirants and deodorants have estrogenic effects in human breast cancer.
In a research published in 2012, results found that one or more parabens in 99 percent of the 160 tissue samples collected from 40 mastectomies. Aside from these, a separate study also showed that there were parabens in 18 of 20 tissue samples from human breast tumors.
A Better Approach
Due to the reasons mentioned above, it would be better to wear a natural deodorant that allows sweat and toxins to be released, instead of just trapping them inside.
Here’s a worth trying homemade deodorants that would do a great job at preventing odor.
DIY Natural Deodorant That Works
Ingredients:
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
10 drop of any essential oil
5-6 tablespoons Coconut oil
10 drop of any essential oil
Instructions:
- Combine baking soda, arrowroot powder, and coconut oil. Use a spoon to mix them all until it gets a firm texture.
- Mix in essential oils, transfer to a container (with lid) and store in the fridge.
Your homemade deo should have a texture about the same as store bought and should last for a couple of months.
