Recent research is raising questions about the safety of antiperspirant ingredients. A study published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology found that chemicals called parabens can be found in the breast tissue of breast cancer patients. These compounds are widely used as preservatives in food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, including antiperspirants. Because parabens have mild estrogenic activity, there is concern that they might contribute to the risk of breast cancer. This research, however, does not establish a causal connection. The FDA maintains “that at the present time there is no reason for consumers to be concerned about the use of cosmetics containing parabens.”
Antiperspirants also contain aluminum compounds such as aluminum chlorohydrate to block perspiration. In tissue culture, breast cells exposed to these aluminum salts begin to divide in abnormal ways. The scientists do not claim that aluminum compounds are carcinogenic, but they urge further research into their safety.
[Journal of Applied Toxicology, online Jan. 6, 2012; Journal of Applied Toxicology online Jan. 12, 2012]
