Thursday July 24th, 2008
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Dangerous Deodorant: Say It Ain't So
Posted by Su Avasthi on October 3, 2006 - 7:16am.
The other day, I saw a headline that made me nervous and giggle at the same time: "Can Deodorant Hurt You?"
It would be terrible (and, let's face it, pretty funny) if deodorant suddenly became this week's spinach and people everywhere had to swear off the stuff for a while.
I can think of many, many reasons why this should never happen. The top three would definitely go like this: (1) No one wants to stink; (2) No one wants to be near others who stink; (3) And absolutely no one wants to take public transportation with a busload of people who stink.
Further investigation revealed that the article was just revisiting an old debate about the dangers of chemical preservatives called parabens, which are found in deodorants, lotions, soaps, shampoos, and most other cosmetics.
Parabens have been linked to breast cancer in limited studies that don't seem to worry most people in the medical community. And this article quickly makes it clear that the link is tenuous at best. Regardless, the seed of doubt is now planted firmly and forever in my head.
While I know that there are a slew of organic cosmetic products available, I haven't yet made the leap. (Unless you count Aveda.) Most of my products come from the salon, the drugstore, department store make-up counters and Sephora. But it may be time to venture into the world of organic cosmetics. Lime's interview with the women behind Juice Beauty is a good place to start, but suggestions are welcome.
Meanwhile, the whole scenario reminds me of a sight gag in Tim Burton's Batman: The Joker (played by Jack Nicholson) laced all the cosmetic products with poison, forcing the good people of Gotham to stop using shampoo, deodorant, soap and lotions. As the movie went on, the Gothamites got less and less attractive (and smellier, I'm sure.)
Pretty funny, I thought, at the time. But now, I'm not so sure.
Topics:
- Beauty
- antiperspirant
- cosmetics
- deodorant
- Natural Beauty & Fashion
- organic cosmetics
- parabens
- personal care products
- personal hygiene products
I thought it was the aluminum in deodorant/anti-persperants that was evil?
What are the alternatives that actually work??
Shaklee has some wonderful all natural products that you should check out. Visit my site and take a look. I use the Organic Deordorant and it works like a charm.
http://www.shaklee.net/Arrowwood_Health
I'd be happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have.
Bob Gawel
Arrowwood Health & Home
Hey everyone -
Full disclosure - I am a PR person. However, we represent a great product that I really think you guys will enjoy. It's called NOe Cosmetics and has 7 skincare products that are all made with 100% natural, organic and edible ingredients - basically none of the "junk" found in conventional skincare products (no parabens, petrochemicals, etc). You can check them out at www.noecosmetics.com. Everyone who has tried the products so far has really liked them, which is why I feel confident in passing along this information to you!
Enjoy!
Madhu
Don't use deoderant right after you shave. Shave at night and when you wake in the morning after showering use your deoderant.
Don't use deoderant on open pores.
... aluminum is a major cause of alzheimer's, which most (if not all?) stick deodorants contain.
Search the organic newswire for alternative products/companies
www.NaturalNewswire.com or www.Soap-Wire.com
Just wanted to share something I learned about this topic from someone who does medical research for a living.
I've read the same thing you have about a possible connection between Alzheimer's and aluminum, and I used to repeat the information to anyone I knew who would listen, including one day, this scientist friend of mine. He explained to me that Alzheimer's is mainly a hereditary disease, i.e. your genes determine whether you're at risk more than your environment (exposure to aluminum or anything else) might. He also said that basically we haven't figured out yet what causes Alzheimer's, so I shouldn't be speaking so definitively yet.
I googled around found that the Alzheimer's Society in the U.K. sums things up pretty well:
You can read the rest here: http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/Facts_about_dementia/Risk_factors/info_aluminium.htm
The lesson I learned is that the topics of disease and health are very complex, and information does change. We don't know everything, but we can try to be informed--as well as skeptical.
This is why we need a resource like LIME--to keep us up to date, to share our knowledge and lessons learned, and to present issues in their entirety.
By the way, I'm a happy user of Tom's of Maine unscented deoderant and highly recommend it. And I guess if aluminum smeared on armpits is ever proven to be bad for me, then I'm covered either way.
For those who don't want to take any risk with parabens or other potential harmful chemical ingredient I would suggest to check out Ikove organics products. They are certified organic by Ecocert France and fair trade. Check it out: www.ikove.com
To know more about Ecocert certification log on www.ecocert.com or www.ecocert.fr
I was told that "jasons" brand was one I should try. They have an entire line of products from shampoo, to lotions to deodorants.
I appreciate all the imput from you all with regards to alternate products. Even though it is natural to perspire, I don't think it would be appreciated.
my experience with organic deodorants has not been as successful as I'd expect. Generally they're not as effective and they usually work for no more than 4 hours on me. But ultimately I prefer to use more preventative methods for my health by investing a few more bucks in organic products. A year ago though, I came across this interesting blog that had an article on how to make your organic products be effective. So far I've tried the mentioned layering process and I did notice a great difference.
Layering;
1) Apply a light coat of "Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal" Spray Mist. This is a fine mist that never drips, thankfully, and dissolves the subsequent sticks into itself nicely.
2) Stroke on the aforementioned Alba Botanicals Lavender (I love the scent)
3) Lightly dab your armpits with a towel if over-moist at this point, then apply Earth Science brand Natural Deodorant in Tea Tree/Lavender. This stick smells a bit medicinal due to the Tea Tree and Earth Science regrettably uses propylene glycol, which has been implicated in negative health effects. Hopefully they'll take heed of the letter I've sent them and like other organic companies, find a more natural solution. ;-) This stick is essential to the mix though, and I figure it's worth the tiny risk.
4) Finally, stroke on Kiss My Face brand "Liquid Rock" roll-on. It's another "crystal rock" type with usnea. My preference is for their "Summer/Été" fragrance - smells very clean and feminine. Dab your armpits lightly again, and apply a cornstarch based baby powder as armpits will remain tacky to the touch.
more :
http://maryamwebster.blogs.com/sage_wisdom/2005/06/organic_aluminu.html
yogamomma I find the half and half concept intriguing.
I too sweat a disproportionate amount for how dainty and lovely I am, thus far I've had no luck with organic aluminum free deodorants. I have not tried Alba yet but have run through 6 or 7 other brands, all falling way short of my expectations. By the time I managed to get dressed, I was offended by my own odor.