If you’re someone who can’t stand to be sweaty and will do anything to avoid body odor, then there’s a good chance deodorant is a part of your daily routine. Whether you’re faithful to one brand or prefer to mix things up and try new brands and scents, the reality remains: some deodorants contain ingredients that can actually irritate your skin or pose far more risky health consequences. Although aluminum may be the “dicey” ingredient on most people’s minds when they think of deodorant, experts are talking about an even greater concern. This is the deodorant ingredients they say you should stop using ASAP because it’s so bad for your skin.
Benzene
Last year, the big news in deodorant was that leading brand Procter & Gamble was recalling 18 of its Old Spice and Secret products. The reason? They were found to all contain an ingredient called benzene, which is a chemical that can actually create changes in your DNA when it is exposed to your skin, blood, and organs.
“It should be noted that this is not an ingredient in deodorants, but a compound that usually contaminates body-spray products during the manufacturing process,” says Collen Clark, a lawyer and the founder of Schmidt & Clark, LLP, whose areas of practice include toxic exposure and torts. “It comes from the propellant that sprays the deodorant out of the can.. This highly flammable, industrial compound is classified as a human carcinogen, which causes varying effects depending on the length of exposure. The short-term exposure of an individual causes dermatitis, which is characterized by red, dry, itchy skin. Long-term exposure can lead to life-threatening side effects, such as anemia and cancer. High levels of benzene can cause leukemia and severely damage the lungs.”
One example of a deodorant brand that was found to have high levels of benzene is Old Spice, Clark notes. “Old Spice Pure Sport has an average benzene concentration of 17.7 parts per million,” Clark says. “As per FDA guidelines, if the use of benzene is unavoidable, the restricted level should be under 2 parts per million. There were lawsuits filed against Procter & Gamble regarding Old Spice products that caused armpit rash and chemical burns.”
Dr. Debra Jaliman, board-certified NYC dermatologist, Assistant Professor of Dermatology Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and author of the book, “Skin Rules: Trade Secrets from a Top New York Dermatologist,“ says even though some action was taken to keep certain deodorant sprays off store shelves, it’s important to do your own research.
“Benzene can cause neurological problems such as dizziness, headaches and even anemia,” Dr. Jaliman says. “Long term exposure can cause cancer. […] Although many spray deodorants have recently been recalled for having benzene, it is possible there still are others with trace amounts that have not been recalled. It’s very important to read labels.”
Other Potentially Irritating Deodorant Ingredients
After you’ve carefully checked your deodorant to ensure it doesn’t contain benzene and perhaps switched from a spray to a stick or paste formula, there are still ingredient concerns you should be aware of.
“Deodorants often contain fragrances (to reduce odor formation), and some of these can be very irritating to individuals with sensitive skin,” says Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, medical toxicology physician and co-medical director at National Capital Poison Center. “Essential oils, parabens, and propylene glycol are some of the ingredients in antiperspirants and deodorants that may cause allergic reactions. Many people may be concerned about the presence of aluminum in antiperspirants. Aluminum reduces perspiration by blocking release of perspiration through sweat glands. There is no conclusive evidence of that deodorant or antiperspirant are linked to breast cancer development.”
In short: read deodorant labels — and, when possible, choose brands that are free of ingredients that can pose harm to your skin and health.
