In today’s world, our exposure to harmful toxins and chemicals keeps increasing. You can find them in your soaps, beauty products, shampoo, deodorants, and other personal care products with a few exceptions like natural deodorant by AKT London.
While deodorants are considered one of the best products for improving personal hygiene, they can be quite harmful to the body. Not only do they hinder your body’s natural detoxifying process by clogging your skin follicles, but they release chemicals that are toxic and cause allergic reactions, some more fatal than others.
In this post, we will be discussing six major ingredients you should avoid when adding a deodorant to your personal care collection.
Table of Contents
Parabens are commonly used as a preservative for most beauty products like shampoo, toothpaste, and deodorants. They are synthetic compounds that help control fungus, bacteria, and other unwanted microbes in these products.
When the skin absorbs parabens, it creates a hormonal imbalance that puts the body at risk of cancer. They act like estrogen in the body; which increases the chances of breast cancer in women and both breast and prostate cancer in men. The hormonal imbalance also affects the endocrine system.
Studies have shown that parabens have been found in breast tumor tissue. However, they have not been linked directly to cancer or similar illnesses. To be safe, many are advised to use paraben-free cosmetic products, especially deodorants.
Instead, deodorants with natural ingredients such as clove oil should be used. Clove oil has antibacterial, antiseptic, and antifungal properties, making them a safer alternative to parabens.
Propylene Glycol is a popular ingredient in the food industry. It is used as an additive and occasionally used to de-ice aircraft during cold seasons.
In the cosmetic industry, however, propylene glycol is used to give deodorants a slick consistency that makes them comfortable to apply to the skin. When ingested in large amounts, it can cause damage to the central nervous system, liver, and heart. Propylene Glycol poses a risk to the health when at least 2% is ingested and most deodorants use up to 50% of it, which is an extremely high dosage.
Triclosan is used to eliminate bacteria and preserve ingredients used in manufacturing hand washes, deodorants, and a range of cosmetic products. When used in deodorants, it can cause skin irritation and dermatitis when applied on the skin.
The FDA has listed Triclosan as a pesticide. And the American Food and Drug Administration has banned it from being used in cosmetic products after studies showed that they inhibit the regulation of hormones in animals.
Phthalates are also one of the most common ingredients in personal care products. These chemicals are used to dissolve other ingredients and are also used in fragrance products because they make fragrances last longer.
As versatile as this ingredient is, it’s incredibly harmful to the body. It is directly linked to asthma, preterm births in pregnant women, reproductive issues in adult men, and male genital congenital disabilities.
Fragrance or perfume formulations are a mixture of hundreds of ingredients; some of which are chemicals that can cause harm to the body. But these ingredients are considered proprietary information, making it impossible to identify all of them or the impact they have on health.
However, some ingredients such as phthalates, synthetic musks, and others are gotten from petroleum. These ingredients can cause inflammation when applied frequently.
Alcohol is added to many deodorants to dissolve the ingredients used in the manufacturing process. It also helps the product dry up fast after application.
Alcohol functions as an antibacterial too, but it causes skin dryness and irritation. So, you can use deodorants with less harmful properties, like magnesium hydroxide and coconut oil.
When selecting a deodorant or antiperspirant, always look at its labels to avoid the above-listed ingredients. Better still, purchase an all-natural deodorant from brands with sustainable practices that protects you and the environment.
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