After all, can deodorants and antiperspirants cause breast cancer? – GOOD SHAPE

for years the deodorants are the subject of controversy: could their aluminum formulas cause cancer? The conversation on the subject became so common that natural deodorants began to gain more and more space on the shelves of pharmacies and markets, precisely with the argument that they do not trigger the disease.

However, as it turns out, this is nothing more than a myth. And there are many studies to back it up.

Research developed by American Cancer Society and by US National Cancer Institute showed that there is not enough scientific evidence to link the use of deodorants with the development of some types of cancer – especially breast cancer.

Although there are studies that look for this relationship, to date, not enough evidence has been found to show a clear cause and effect relationship between the use of deodorants or antiperspirants and cancer.

One of the most recent studies on the subject, developed in 2017 and published in The Lancetfollowed 209 women with breast cancer and 209 healthy women as a control group for comparison.

The study showed that women who use underarm cosmetics many times a day, starting before age 30, may be at increased risk for breast cancer. Tissue samples also revealed that the women with cancer had more aluminum in their bodies than the control group.

However, the problem in this case was that the history of use of deodorants or antiperspirants was reported by the users themselves, which can be considered a bias, since people may not remember exactly their usage habits.

In addition, most of the women in the study did not know whether the products they had used in the past were antiperspirants containing aluminum or deodorants with that ingredient.

THE ISSUE OF ALUMINUM IN DEODORANTS

To better understand the issue, it is important to know how to differentiate antiperspirant deodorants. Deodorants are considered cosmetics that serve to mask the odor caused by perspiration.

Antiperspirants, on the other hand, are considered “medicines”, since they have ingredients that work to block pores and decrease perspiration. Some products are both deodorants and antiperspirants, but not all deodorants are antiperspirants and vice versa.

Aluminum is a common ingredient in antiperspirants – it’s what cuts underarm sweating. Normally, deodorants do not contain this ingredient, which means that switching from an antiperspirant to a deodorant can decrease the exposure to aluminum.

Another ingredient connected to the risk of breast cancer is the parabenspreservatives that help prevent the development of fungi and bacteria from growing in cosmetics and other personal care products.

Known to be present in shampoos and conditioners and, say research, can alter the metabolism and interfere with the body’s hormone production – which, for example, would cause cancer.

Whatever the case, however, there is still no proof that any of these substances actually cause breast cancer, and replacing antiperspirants with natural deodorants may decrease exposure to aluminum and parabens, but not necessarily decrease the risks of the disease, especially if there is genetic predisposition.