Why is aluminum in deodorant bad for you

One of the recent social media trends that caught my attention is the “armpit detox” with people looking to transition from traditional antiperspirant to “natural deodorant.” The main driver of this movement is the popular trend to eliminate aluminum-containing products in daily cosmetic use.

How does aluminum in antiperspirant work?

Aluminum is the most abundant metal on the planet. Antiperspirants contain aluminum salts, which are made by dissolving aluminum in salt solutions. Aluminum chloride, aluminum zirconium and aluminum chlorohydrate are the most common ingredients in antiperspirants. When you apply antiperspirant to your underarm area, the aluminum salts dissolve into the skin. When exposed to sweat, the aluminum salts create a gel-like substance that temporarily plugs the sweat ducts, preventing the sweat from reaching the skin surface. Less sweat means less odor, which explains the popularity of antiperspirants. Aluminum can also work to minimize body odor by inhibiting the bacteria that feed on your sweat and cause it.

But is topical aluminum harmful? Where did it get its bad rap?

The most oft-cited concern center on potential links to Alzheimer’s and breast cancer. Here's a closer look at those claims. 

Aluminum and Alzheimer’s: correlation but not causation

Let’s take aluminum’s link to Alzheimer’s, a degenerative brain disease and the most common cause of dementia. In the 1960s, there was a concern in the scientific community that exposure to aluminum in everything from pots and pans to soda cans could contribute to developing Alzheimer’s. This was after a 1965 study during which rabbits injected with extremely high levels of aluminum developed tau tangles, neurofibrillary proteins like the more well-known amyloid plaques, which are thought to be centrally involved in the development of Alzheimer’s dementia.

But the level of aluminum used in this experiment is far beyond what we may be exposed to over our lifetime. In addition, healthy, functioning kidneys eliminate 99%+ of the aluminum we absorb from food and water. Aluminum can be found in normal healthy brains and seen within amyloid plaques. But there is no clear definitive evidence that aluminum is increased in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Nor has a clear causal relationship been established between aluminum exposure – from the environment, food and water or antiperspirant – and the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

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This is a clear example of how critical it is to distinguish between correlation and causation when reviewing the scientific evidence of linkages between two things.

Aluminum and breast cancer: no clear evidence of linkage

According to the National Cancer Institute, some scientists have expressed two major concerns about aluminum-containing antiperspirants in regard to breast cancer risk:

1. Since it’s applied frequently and left on the skin close to breast tissue, it may exert estrogenlike effects; estrogen can promote the growth of breast cancer cells. 
2. Aluminum may have direct activity in breast tissue.

But a 2014 systematic review of the scientific literature showed there is no clear evidence that aluminum-containing antiperspirants increases the risk of breast cancer, nor has aluminum salts been shown to be carcinogenic.

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So if your goal is to stop sweat and odor, aluminum-containing antiperspirants are still your safest, best bet.

But if you’re looking to join the widespread movement toward natural ingredients in cosmetics, here’s what you need to know:

Is an 'armpit detox' necessary?

Some people who rapidly transitioned from aluminum-containing antiperspirant to natural deodorant have noted unpleasant results on social media, including malodor, significant sweating and irritation of the underarm area. This has led some people to suggest a brief “armpit detox” is necessary before making the switch. The detox may contain ingredients like activated charcoal and wakame, which are advertised for their purported mechanism of drawing out impurities and toxins and extracting heavy metals like aluminum from the skin. But remember, as discussed above, the aluminum salts only temporarily block the sweat glands; topical aluminum does not accumulate high levels in the skin or body.

The immediate unpleasant odor and sweating is more likely a result of stopping daily antiperspirant use, not from a chronic accumulation of aluminum and need for a detox. The transition away from aluminum won’t be walk in the park.

What you need to understand about your armpits

Here’s what I suggest.

First, remember that your armpit is a complicated microbiome determined by age, gender, genetics, diet and thickness of underarm air – a lot of factors we have no control over. And what smells is not the sweat itself, but the bacteria that forms when the sweat sits on your skin for a long period of time. Consider frequent (but not lengthy) showering throughout the day, and clean the armpit area vigorously with a anti-microbial soap, especially in morning and after using the gym.

Consider a digestive system hack, like a 30-day elimination diet, or start taking a probiotic. When choosing a probiotic, the key is the number of strains, not the colony-forming units (often given as “billion CFU). For example, my daily probiotic includes 34 probiotic strains.

And your clothing choice can also play a major role. Synthetic fabrics like those containing rayon don’t breathe and can lock in bacteria throughout the day; consider looser-fitting clothing and more breathable fabrics like linen and bamboo. 

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Michael Daignault, MD, is a board-certified ER doctor in Los Angeles. He studied Global Health at Georgetown University and has a Medical Degree from Ben-Gurion University. He completed his residency training in emergency medicine at Lincoln Medical Center in the South Bronx. He is also a former United States Peace Corps Volunteer. Find him on Instagram @dr.daignault

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