7 ingredients in regular deodorants that will make you think twice
Deodorants are a vital part of everyone's daily grooming, & have become a big part of basic hygiene in society today. Despite that, hardly anyone stops to think about what the ingredients in their deodorant are & how they might affect our health.Today's deodorants promise 24 Hour odour removing & anti-perspirant qualities - but it's now known that many of the chemicals used in normal deodorant are actually harmful to the body & are toxic - such as such as aluminium chlorohydrate, parabens, propylene glycol, triclosan, TEA, DEA, FD&C colours, and Talc.
It's now also being understood that these chemicals can change the way the body functions & actually increase the amount (& smell) of our sweat.
Let's take a look at each one in detail to understand why it might be bad for you:
1.Aluminium
Aluminium compounds are normally what is added to the deodorant to make it "anti-aspirant". they block the pores of your skin to that sweat cannot get to the surface of the skin. But they can also be absorbed into the body, & several celebrities have come out boycotting it due to the link to causing breast cancer.
2.Parabens
These are a class of artificial preservative used in most cosmetics worldwide, but they have been recently banned in a lot of places because they disrupt our hormones & even increase the risk of hormonal cancers. Once they are in your body they can function as estrogen, a female hormone that is important for sexual health and breast development. But a longer exposure to parabens increases the risk to breast cancer.
3. Polypropylene Glycol
This substance is added to stick & roll-on deodorants to prevent the product from drying out. Although it was originally used for industrial purposes, & even cautions against skin contact on its Material Safety Data Sheet(MSDS), it has somehow crept its way into our cosmetic products. It's a neurotoxin that is known to cause dermatitis, kidney damage & liver damage. Acute reactions to it include eye/skin irritation, nausea, headaches, vomiting.
4. Fragrance
There are a whole host of chemicals which fall under this category - which are not very well regulated. Phthalates are one class of these which has been linked to disruption of hormones in the body.
5. Triclosan
Triclosan is a major part of many anti-bacterial products used today but has been recently banned by the FDA due to its cons weighing out its pros. Although it is effective, it also is known to be a hormone disruptor & over time, they could even encourage anti-bacterial resistance to antibiotics, often making their users more prone to illness.
6. FD&C Colours
Synthetic colours added into several products to increase the appeal etc. Although not directly harmful to the body ( that we know of), some of them can cause allergies in some people & are derived from Coal Tar, which is a non-renewable source.
7. Talc
Talc is a soft mineral synonymous with personal care products, in fact even predating deodorants, in the form of talcum powder. Talc contains asbestiform fibers, then it is considered a carcinogen. The quantity of asbestiform fibers in deodorants is unclear as it is not regulated in cosmetic products.
Talcum powder has now been shown to cause cancer, with a landmark lawsuit which ended up with one woman being awarded $110 Million in damages for Talc causing her cancer.
These are some ingredients in normal deodorants that are harmful to not just your skin but the normal functioning of your body. Such ingredients make you question the use of normal deodorants. Let us know your views about the effects of deodorants and how it has impacted your lives and the environment in the comments section below.