All-natural deodorant alternatives have become a hot topic. I think many of us woke up when a study showed that 99% of breast cancer samples contained parabens, a common carcinogenic ingredient in most deodorants and antiperspirants (1). Ironically, many organizations dedicated to finding a cure for breast cancer have claimed there isn’t a link between antiperspirants and breast cancer.

Let’s talk statistics: 1 in 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer. In 2021, an estimated 281,550 new cases of invasive breast cancer were estimated to be diagnosed in women, and 49,290 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer. Additionally, when I originally wrote this post in 2021, an estimated 43,600 women were expected to die from breast cancer. That’s not counting the estimated 2,650 men that were expected to be diagnosed and approximately 530 that would die from breast cancer (2).

What if mainstream deodorant is the leading cause of breast cancer? It would make sense that these huge industries wouldn’t want to lose their funding. For example, the National Cancer Institute received nearly $4 billion in breast cancer funding between 2016 and 2022 (3). Let’s take a deeper look, shall we?

False Information Found on Top Cancer Websites

While researching the common ingredients in mainstream deodorants, I found a cancer website with false information. They claimed there was no link between antiperspirants and breast cancer. This led to hours of web surfing to see how many other cancer sites were blatantly lying to their readers. So, I searched several popular, well-known sites, and this is what they said.

The breastcancer.org website claims that underarm antiperspirants causing breast cancer are a myth. They then continued by saying there is no evidence of a connection between underarm antiperspirants and breast cancer, but the safety of antiperspirants is still being studied (4). How can you determine something is a myth and, in the same paragraph, admit the safety of antiperspirants is still being investigated? Additionally, how can you make such false claims when existing studies show that the connection is there?

Next, the cancer.gov website claimed there is no scientific evidence linking antiperspirant use to breast cancer development (5). Again, this is absolutely false, and the study mentioned above demonstrated the connection with parabens (1). Additionally, in 2021, several deodorants were recalled over the presence of benzene, another cancer-causing chemical (6).

Then there’s the American Cancer Society website, which states:

“There are no strong epidemiologic studies in the medical literature that link breast cancer risk and antiperspirant use, and very little scientific evidence supports this claim (7).”

Then, they carried on about an 18-year-old study that found no link between them. They also tried to discredit a 17-year-old study that reported women who were diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age said they used antiperspirants and started shaving their underarms earlier and shaved more often than women who were diagnosed when they were older.

Of course, I saved the best for last. The Susan G. Komen website claimed the research “to date” doesn’t support a link between the deodorant and breast cancer. Supposedly, the current scientific data does not support an association between plastics, paraben-containing cosmetics or body care products, deodorants, or antiperspirants, and breast cancer (8). They must have missed the following studies:

• Associations between Personal Care Product Use Patterns and Breast Cancer Risk among White and Black Women in the Sister Study
• Chronic Exposure to Low Levels of Parabens Increases Mammary Cancer Growth and Metastasis in Mice
• Parabens preferentially accumulate in metastatic breast tumors compared to benign breast tumors and the association of breast cancer risk factors with paraben accumulation
• Parabens Promote Protumorigenic Effects in Luminal Breast Cancer Cell Lines With Diverse Genetic Ancestry
• Polypropylene microplastics promote metastatic features in human breast cancer
• Reduction of daily-use parabens and phthalates reverses accumulation of cancer-associated phenotypes within disease-free breast tissue of study subjects
• Relationship between everyday use cosmetics and female breast cancer
• Use of Underarm Cosmetic Products in Relation to Risk of Breast Cancer: A Case-Control Study

These pharma-funded “trusted” websites that are dedicated to “finding a cure” hide the truth and allow us to remain sick from cancer-causing ingredients and products. Meanwhile, scientific databases like The Lancet, National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), Nature, Oxford Academic, PubMed, ResearchGate, Science Direct, and Wiley Online Library all shave plenty of evidence proving these organizations are lying. Nonetheless, seeing these companies gaslight their readers about the dangers of antiperspirants influenced me to write 5 Ways to Reduce Breast Cancer Risk (and yes, mainstream deodorant is mentioned).

Concerning Ingredients in Mainstream Deodorant

There are so many gnarly ingredients in everyday products. Awareness of not-so-good ingredients is important so you can be informed and know what to look for. However, this is only a partial list of ingredients to watch out for. Remember, if you are unfamiliar with an ingredient, do a quick Google search, but don’t just believe what the first result says; scroll down and read a little to make a truly informed decision. I also have a guide dedicated to concerning ingredients in our judgment-free Facebook group, The Holistic Hipppie Community, which is expanded weekly.

Aluminum

Aluminum-containing products are often labeled as aluminum chlorohydrate (in roll-ons and aerosols) and aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex GLY (in solids). Both are compounds that plug the sweat glands, temporarily preventing perspiration. You may like the sound of that; no sweat means no stink, right? Yes, but no sweat also means no way for your sweat glands to filter toxins out of the body. When your body sweats, it detoxes heavy metals, eliminates chemicals, and cleanses bacteria (9).

If you read my post Should You Worry About Heavy Metals?, you know that aluminum is a heavy metal by definition (10). Aluminum can cause Alzheimer’s disease and even organ-system toxicity that may disrupt hormone balance (1). High levels of aluminum exposure can result in neurological and respiratory problems (12). Additionally, some research suggests that the skin may absorb aluminum-containing deodorants, frequently applied and left on the skin near the breast, affecting the hormone estrogen (13).

Caprylyl Glycol

Caprylyl glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, such as coconut and palm oils (14). It is a humectant that pulls water into the skin and helps to hold moisture. This doesn’t sound like a big deal, and for most, it isn’t. However, caprylyl glycol can irritate some skin types, particularly those already sensitized or irritated (15). It’s also important to note that coconut and palm oil are highly comedogenic, which can clog pores and worsen acne symptoms (16,17).

Dimethicone

Dimethicone is an ingredient ending in “cone,” meaning it’s a silicone-based ingredient. Silicone-based products will form a barrier on top of your skin that can trap dirt, sweat, bacteria, sebum, dead skin cells, and other debris – it can dehydrate your skin and interfere with cell renewal, amongst other things (18). This ingredient is also toxic or harmful to the non-reproductive organ system and is a suspected environmental toxin (19).

Fragrances

Fragrance is a blanket term for the 3,100 stock chemical ingredients the fragrance industry uses (20). If you read my post, The Truth About Fragrance, you know that about 95 percent of fragrances are derived from petrochemicals like benzene derivatives, aldehydes, phthalates, and many other known toxins. Fragrance ingredients can cause cancer, congenital disabilities, nervous system disorders, and allergies (21).

Parabens

Parabens are often listed on ingredient lists as butylparaben, methylparaben, ethylparaben, and propylparaben. Aside from the fact that parabens were found in 99% of breast cancer samples, a 2004 study also found at least one paraben in the breast tissue of 100% of women with breast cancer, and methylparaben was present at the highest level (1,22). Some may say this doesn’t necessarily mean parabens cause cancer. However, they penetrate the skin, so their other harmful effects may be doing even more than studies have learned so far. One study concluded:

“Propylparaben and butylparaben concentrations were significantly higher in metastatic tissue compared to non-metastatic breast cancer tissue. Moreover, the association between paraben compounds and the studied breast cancer risk factors was more pronounced in the malignant tissues rather than the non-malignant tissues (23).”

In other words, parabens accumulate in the body. This is concerning because studies suggest that parabens can disrupt hormones, harm fertility and reproductive organs in men and women, affect birth outcomes, and increase the risk of cancer, even at low levels (24,25,26,27,28).

Petroleum

Petroleumclogs pores and often causes acne breakouts and rashes. It has also been linked to estrogen dominance, a common condition in which sufferers have a high ratio of estrogen with little to no progesterone to balance its effects in the body (29). Petroleum has been linked to estrogen dominance, a common condition in which sufferers have a high ratio of estrogen with little to no progesterone to balance its effects in the body (30). Additionally, petroleum can be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), also associated with cancer (31). Nonetheless, the European Union classifies it as a carcinogen and restricts its use in cosmetics (2). 

Talc

Talc, in its natural form, often contains asbestos, a substance known to cause cancers in and around the lungs when inhaled (33). In 1976, the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrances Association (CTFA), now known as the Personal Care Products Council (the trade association representing the cosmetic and personal care products industry), issued voluntary guidelines stating that all talc used in cosmetic products in the United States should be free from detectable amounts of asbestos according to their standards? This doesn’t mean that asbestos-free talc is safe, though! Studies that exposed lab animals (rats, mice, and hamsters) to asbestos-free talc in various ways have had mixed results, with some showing tumor formation and others not finding any (34).

Natural Deodorant Recommendations

Please note: these brands contain coconut oil, which can cause sensitivity for some. I never recommend applying deodorant, even natural, right after shaving. I always wait a few hours after or the next day to apply it. If I need something immediately, I use lemon juice (as long as I am not going outside) or apple cider vinegar. Please read the ingredients and ensure the products you purchase coincide with your journey.

• Humble Simple and True Deodorant is all-natural, aluminum-free, and scented with essential oils and botanical extracts. The aluminum-free deodorants are made from non-GMO corn starch, beeswax, baking soda, and MCT oil (plus scents). The baking soda-free and vegan-friendly variations replace the baking soda with magnesium hydroxide and the beeswax with wild candelilla wax.
• Lavanila, The Healthy Deodorant is a natural, breathable option made with beta glucan technology to minimize and absorb sweat molecules. All their variations are cruelty-free, vegan, and free from aluminum, baking soda, propylene glycol, and parabens.
• Piperwai Natural Deodorant helps you experience the confidence of natural, effective odor control in a stick or jar. Their deodorants are safe, great for sensitive skin, and free from harmful ingredients like triclosan, aluminum, and synthetic fragrances.
• Schmidt’s Natural Deodorant uses natural-origin ingredients and is committed to being vegan and cruelty-free. Available in sticks and sprays, it contains no artificial fragrance, aluminum salts, or parabens and provides 48-hour protection.

Product Disclaimer

Product recommendations are affiliate links. I do not own or make these products. Recommendations are selected according to ingredients at the time article was written and can change at any time. I encourage you to double-check ingredients and research each company to ensure they’re suitable for your journey.

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