Products that harm us

Most of us would have used these products in our life time sometime. We would have used it mostly in our teenage I bet. I also bet that we would have at least tried one imported product of this category and would have recommended our family members or close friends/relatives. It was a part of my life too until couple of months when my wife raised a concern about cancer causing chemicals that are used in these products. These products are: deodorants and antiperspirants.

I am really against any of the products that act against our natural body system. Soap for instance, blocks the pores in our skin that would otherwise be helpful for perspiration of skin and also used as a channel for releasing sweat. The sweat contains urea, minerals and lactate. Our body sends them out because they are either in excess or they have the potential to cause cancer cells in our body. This process of sweating in humans is called perspiration (also called as transpiration).

Clearly the name antiperspirants should have ringed an alarm bells in your mind by now! Now let us see what chemicals do these products contain and why they might be potentially harmful for our body. Remember there are studies that are out there which determines the potentiality of cancer cause in people who use deodorants and antiperspirants. These studies are yet to determine and prove a direct correlation however. So caution needs to be exercised in understanding what I am going to say further.

Both Deodorants and Antiperspirants help in reducing the body odour that is a result of sweat.  This odour is caused by specific bacteria underneath our skin (underarms). Deodorants tackle the odour by targeting the bacteria. To do this, they contain antibacterial compounds, such as triclosan and chlorhexidine. Antiperspirants, unlike deodorants, don’t do anything to act on the bacteria that produce smelly sweat compounds. Instead, they contain chemical compounds whose goal it is to prevent you from perspiring at all. These compounds are always either aluminium or zirconium-based; aluminium chlorohydrate is one of the most commonly used, but a number of others can also be employed.

Triclosan has been proven to contribute to bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Though this only proven in animals and in humans it might be different and there is no concrete study yet. The solvent, cyclomethicone is used both in Deodorants and antiperspirants evaporate very quickly and easily. But studies have proved that this solvent causes dry skin and other problems. Apart from that there are growing concerns of potential bioaccumulation in the environment. It doesn’t break down easily in water, and also it is further not clear if they are the reason for toxicity in water which threatens aquatic life. Aluminium compounds that are used in Antiperspirants have been under major controversy with links to breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

Both Deodorants and Antiperspirants have been under lenses and are posing a great health risk upon prolonged usage. It would be wise if each of us look at the ingredients in these products and see if any chemical used in it is having potential to cancer of other major controversies. It would be good if we can avoid such products and choose a safe alternative.