Antiperspirants are products that help reduce sweating by blocking the pores in the skin that sweat comes out of. They contain many ingredients, including aluminum salts, which dissolve on the skin and plug up the pores to stop some of the sweat. Here are some details about antiperspirants and their ingredients:
Positive:
- Antiperspirants are effective at reducing sweating and body odor.
- Aluminum-based compounds are the most widely used active antiperspirant ingredient because they effectively plug up sweat ducts to temporarily stop the flow of moisture to the skin.
Negative:
- There have been concerns about the safety of antiperspirants due to the active ingredient, an aluminum-based compound that temporarily plugs the sweat ducts and prevents perspiration. However, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that antiperspirant ingredients pose any sort of health risk.
- One common antiperspirant component, a group of chemicals called parabens, has been linked to breast cancer, but that link is questionable, at best.
Ingredients or materials:
- Aluminum-based compounds are the most widely used active antiperspirant ingredient.
- Inactive ingredients in antiperspirants may include emollient oil, alcohol, and fragrances.
- Parabens are a group of chemicals that are sometimes used in antiperspirants and have been linked to breast cancer, but the link is questionable.
- Benzene, a known cancer-causing chemical, was found in some batches of antiperspirants and deodorants, including products made by Summer’s Eve, Right Guard, Power Stick, Soft & Dri, and Victoria’s Secret.
