Aluminum salts in antiperspirants: dangerous or not

The smell of sweat is out of fashion. Therefore, on hot days (and not only), people turn to antiperspirants. Saturated with aluminum salts, they provide emergency assistance. So, lining up in the sweat gland, reduce it in size and reduce sweating, and powerful antibacterial components eliminate odor. It seems that in this case you kill two birds with one stone, but no.

Scientists and doctors have long been sounding the alarm and accusing the notorious aluminum salts of all serious sins, including cancer. So where does the truth really lie? Are salts so dangerous, or is it all the machinations of eco-brand marketers who so much want to promote deodorants without salt and aluminum in the composition? Discussed with experts.

What are aluminum salts

The first antiperspirants with aluminum in history appeared in the 50s of the last century. The composition used pure aluminum, but the researchers quickly blocked manufacturers from accessing the market. They found that aluminum in its pure form harms not only the body, but also the ozone layer of the earth.

In the 70s, harmful components were recycled and began to be added to deodorants known to us salts or aluminum sulfate (read on the label as aluminum chloride, aluminum chlorohydrate).

Salts have an effect almost comparable to the effect of Botox injections – they are embedded in the sweat gland, reduce its size and thereby reduce the production of sweat.

At the beginning of the 2000s, a new “witch hunt” began, that is, for aluminum salt. Some mammologist Phillipa Darbre provided the results of several studies. She spent some of them examining the excised malignant tumors of her patients. Darbre was looking for a relationship between the occurrence of breast cancer and the use of antiperspirants with aluminum salts. And apparently found it. Philippa claimed that these substances act like the hormone estrogen. They accumulate in the body, penetrating through the skin and respiratory tract, eventually causing oncology.

Darbre confirmed the results of the research by conducting experiments on mice. In the scientific world, many were skeptical about the statements of the mammologist, and then came and asked her for samples and experimental protocols, but, mysteriously, just on that day, they disappeared from Darbre’s office. After scientists tried to conduct experiments similar to those that Philippa did, but none of her hypotheses were confirmed.

“To date, there are no epidemiological studies in the medical literature linking the risk of developing breast cancer with the use of antiperspirants. One study showed that only a tiny fraction of this chemical element (0.012%) is absorbed from products containing aluminum chlorohydrate. That is, in fact, the amount of that very aluminum is much less than a person can receive with food. It has not been proven that breast tissue affected by cancer contains more aluminum than healthy ones. The study, which included women with breast cancer, did not reveal any significant difference in the concentration of aluminum in cancer cells and healthy tissues surrounding them, ”notes Oksana Vladimirova, dietitian, family doctor of the Institute of Plastic Surgery and Cosmetology on Olkhovskaya Street.

However, the persecution of antiperspirants with aluminum salts continues, but this does not make them less popular. But Darbre’s remarks and her alleged research have given brand marketers the opportunity to push deodorants labeled “eco” and “paraben-free” to the market.

Cons of antiperspirants with aluminum salts

Experts urge the use of antiperspirants in very rare cases, say before a performance on stage, a dinner party. Aluminum salts do not cause oncology, but they can harm health with frequent use.

“The active ingredients in antiperspirants include aluminum-based compounds that temporarily paralyze the sweat glands. It is important to understand that sweating is a natural and necessary process, the most important mechanism for detoxifying the body. The danger of using antiperspirants lies not in the presence of aluminum salts in their composition, but in the mechanism of their action. By blocking sweating, they stop the detoxification process, which, in turn, contributes to the accumulation of toxins in the lymph and nearby lymph nodes and tissues,” warns Oksana Vladimirova.

Many people use antiperspirants just before sports to avoid sweating in the gym, but this is also not recommended.

“It is extremely undesirable to use an antiperspirant before going in for sports and physical activity, as the thermoregulation of the body will be disturbed,” clarifies Maria Chamurlieva, PhD, dermatovenereologist, cosmetologist at the TORI Aesthetic Medicine Clinic.

By the way, there have been cases of allergies to aluminum salts in owners of sensitive dermis, since these components are very dry and can cause skin irritation.

What are the best antiperspirants to use

How to replace antiperspirants with aluminum salts, if they are recommended to be used in the most extreme cases. In order not to shine with spotty armpits, take a look at eco-deodorants in their composition, salts replace natural components, such as magnesium, perlite (a component of volcanic origin), essential oils, fruit acids. They well disinfect and regulate the activity of the sweat glands.

If you can’t live without aluminum salts at all, there is still a loophole with increased sweating. “Get a roll-on antiperspirant labeled 48 hours. It will contain approximately 20-25% of various salts. But for the skin, this dose is absolutely safe, ”notes Maria.

1. Deodorant Fresh & Free Fa. 2. Deodorant invisible dry cream NEO Garnier. 3. Femme deodorant without Eisenberg aluminum salts. 4. Weleda sage deodorant.

Cosmetologists also advise not to get carried away with deodorants, in which the content of alcohol or triclosan is high. “Such a formula, even without aluminum salts, can dry out the skin or lead to an imbalance in the microflora,” Chamurlieva says.

1. La Roche-Posay Physiological Deodorant Spray 48 hours of protection. 2. Mineral deodorant without aluminum salts 48 hours of Vichy freshness. 3. Deodorant Fraicheur Uriage Alum Refreshing Deodorant Spray.

In general, with increased sweating and an unpleasant odor, you should pay attention to your health. After all, this is the first signal that something is wrong in the body. Check the gastrointestinal tract, endocrinology, take a test for sex and thyroid hormones.