Deodorant: The Truth
(article in Feb 1, 2004 Style)

The following article appeared in the "Style" supplement of The Sunday Times
The article discussed the various scare stories about the use of deodorant and the link with Cancer. Comparing the available "Natural" deodorants Alvin Connors' Natural Body Stick Deodorant was voted the best scoring 10/10 and was described as "Extremely Effective".

"DEODORANT: THE TRUTH"
by Sally Brown

Scare stories are rife once again, so what can you do to be safe?

The link between deodorants and breast cancer is a story that refuses to go away. One (completely unproven) theory that sprang up in the 1970s was that by blocking sweat in the armpit area, antiperspirants cause an accumulation of toxins that could lead to cancer of the lymph nodes. In the 1990s, a spate of junk e-mails suggested that the aluminium compounds in many antiperspirants could cause DNA damage, leading to breast cancer (a theory dismissed by the American Cancer Society). In two further, separate studies, scientists have tried to prove (both times inconclusivley) that women who shave and use deodorants or antiperspirants are more susceptible to breast cancer. The most talked-about scare story, however, centres on parabens, synthetic chemicals used to preserve cosmetics. In a study carried out by Dr Philippa Darbre, senior lecturer in oncology at Reading University, parabens were found in 18 of 20 human breast tumours studied. So, is it time to take these rumours seriously, and consider going au naturel? Darbre thinks so. "Their detection is of concern because parabens are able to mimic the action of the female hormone oestrogen, which can drive the growth of human breast-tissue tumours."

Deodorants and antiperspirants work in different ways. Antiperspirants contain aluminium compounds (usually listed on the label as aluminium chlorohydrate or aluminium zirconium chlorohydrate) that prevent sweating in three ways: they freeze the nerve endings in the sweat glands, which stops them from responding to changes in body temperature; they form a plug that blocks the sweat ducts; and they cause a constriction of the muscles at the end of the sweat ducts, closing the opening.

Deodorants, on the other hand, do not stop you sweating, but contain either perfumes, to mask the odour, or chemicals such as triclosan or alcohol, to kill the bacteria on the skin that causes odour. Many of today’s bestselling products are combined antiperspirants and deodorants.

Breast-cancer charities say that there’s no need to panic about either product. "It’s important for all women to be aware that age remains the single most significant risk factor in breast cancer," says Clara MacKay, a director at Breast Cancer Care. "We would like to stress that the number of research samples in this study is very limited."

Unsurprisingly, cosmetics manufacturers put it a little more strongly. "It’s an incorrect link for several reasons," says Dr Chris Flower, director-general of the Cosmetic Toiletry and Perfumery Association. "Few deodorant products contain parabens, although they are present in lots of foods and other cosmetics, such as moisturisers, as they are a safe and effective preservative."

The leading brands, including Sure, Right Guard, Nivea, Sanex, Amplex, Dove and Vaseline Intensive Care, are paraben-free. Parabens are shown on labels as methyl-, ethyl-, propyl- or butyl-parabens. Darbre, however, suggests that the manufacturers have simply removed parabens from their formulations over the past few years. She says: "You have to ask yourself why they have done this, if they are completely safe?"

Flower denies that this is the case. Parabens are present in many products, he argues, so even if there were a link with cancer, why would it show up specifically in the breasts? "Parabens have been widely used for more than 50 years, and we have extensive data showing that they are safe," he insists.

Even the research chemist Dr Stephen Antczak, co-author of Cosmetics Unmasked (Thorsons £9.99), an extensive guide to the potential health effects of the chemicals used in cosmetics, has dismissed the link. "There is compelling evidence that antiperspirants do not contribute to breast cancer," he says. "For example, breast cancer is rare in Japanese women living in Japan, but Japanese women who live in America and eat an American diet have the same incidence of breast cancer as the average American woman. As antiperspirants are used widely in both America and Japan, these cosmetics cannot be a significant risk factor. Diet plays a much bigger role."

Antczak also points out that the presence of parabens in cancer cells does not mean that they have caused the cancer. "Frankly, we would be surprised if parabens were not found in the tumours, because many of the drugs used to treat cancers contain parabens, and these drugs may well have been directly injected into the tumours or the tumour cells," he says.

If you’re still uneasy about applying synthetic chemical-based products to your armpits, what’s the alternative? The Women’s Environmental Network, which recently received lottery funding to investigate chemicals in cosmetics, has published a guide to products free of parabens and other synthetic ingredients (see www.wen.org.uk/). Weleda, for instance, makes Citrus-Deodorant, which includes lavender, lemon and sweet-orange essential oils that inhibit bacterial growth. Other natural deodorants come in the form of an alunite crystal that you rub on your armpits: it is said to attack the bacteria that causes body odour.

The other option is to leave your armpits as naked as the day you were born. "I stopped using deodorants about seven years ago, when I started doing this research," says Darbre. "As yet, I can offer no conclusive evidence to say that people should stop using these products, but I can personally recommend doing so. I wash twice a day with soap and water, and that’s all. So far, there have been no complaints."