Why the link with breast cancer?
The aluminium and parabens in antiperspirants and deodorants have been linked with breast cancer because it is believed that they can pass through the skin into the breast tissue, both through absorption and nicks/irritation caused by underarm shaving. All antiperspirants and deodorants come with a warning stating that they should not be used on broken or irritated skin but many women either ignore these warnings or fail to take them seriously.
Latest opinions…
I always had a gut feeling anti perspirants were bad news. It\'s just logical you don\'t go against nature like that, but used it through…
rosalind, Northampton
Sweating is part of our natural detoxing system, so to stop the sweating process surely can\'t be a smart move? Sanex are now making a n…
Koshka, Bodmin
I suffer from extreme sweating and I\'ve tried every deoderant/anti-perspirant under the sun. The only thing that keeps me dry is Mitchu…
Angie Wilkie, Edinburgh
Aluminium
Many breast cancers are stimulated to grow by the female sex hormones oestrogenOestrogen: A sex hormone, produced mainly by the ovaries, responsible for female sexual development and female secondary sex characteristics. and progesteroneProgesterone: A sex hormone released by the ovaries during every menstrual cycle to prepare the uterus for pregnancy and the breasts for milk production.. Scientists have suggested that aluminium can bind to oestrogen receptorsOestrogen receptors: proteins on the surface of a cell that bind with oestrogen to trigger a biological response. in a woman’s cells, potentially damaging the cell’s DNADNA: The material inside the nucleus of cells that carries genetic information. The scientific name for DNA is deoxyribonucleic acid. and triggering abnormal growth behaviour.
A recent Keele University study confirmed that aluminium salts can get into the breast tissue through the use of antiperspirants and deodorants, and they are more concentrated in the area of the breast where cancer is proven to be more likely to develop – the upper outer quadrant, where deodorants are applied.
Aluminium is widely recognised as a toxic metal, particularly in the context of Alzheimer’s disease, however no research has been carried out into the long-term health implications, negative or not, of repeat applications of aluminium salts to the underarm area.
Parabens
Parabens have been shown to mimic the action of the female hormone oestrogen, which drives the growth of tumours in many breast cancers. It cannot be claimed that parabens ‘cause’ cancer, in the same way that oestrogen itself does not ‘cause’ cancer, but some scientists believe that, if the DNA of a cell is already damaged and predisposed to cancerous growth, the presence of parabens could accelerate this.
As well as the possible link with breast cancer, synthetically produced parabens and aluminium have also been found to cause skin irritation or allergic skin reactions in those with sensitive skin.