Sweating out health risks - The dangers of deodorants and antiperspirants

When the TV commercial showed girls falling head over heels in love with a guy who used a particular deodorant and following him around, you must have been very tempted to buy the same brand for yourself! What the admen didn’t show you was that several health hazards too followed the guy.

Sweating is the body's way of letting out toxins and cooling down. The bacteria present around the region react with the sweat and let out the foul odour. The antiperspirants block the sweat glands and sweat isn’t produced. The deodorants kill the odor producing bacteria. Thus, you feel fresh and breezy, as the advertisement says.

However, these actions are against the natural order of things and can be harmful in the long run.

The products contain harsh chemicals that erode the delicate skin of the armpits, cause rashes, and make the area appear swollen and inflamed. The culprits here are the zinc and zirconium that are used in the antiperspirants.

The compounds of zinc, zirconium, and Zirconyl are toxic to lungs and other organs and carcinogenic, if inhaled. They also cause underarm granulomas. In the case of deodorants, the anti-bacterial agent triclosan may cause liver damage.

The aerosol sprays also contain specific ingredients which have been proved to cause breathing problems and cardiac arrhythmias when inhaled. The aerosol sprays also carry a high risk of reaching the eyes. Although permanent damage is rarely caused, it does lead to severe inflammations and loss of vision.

To be classified as an antiperspirant the product must contain aluminium. Aluminium in excess has been known to cause Alzheimer’s disease and serious kidney problems.

The chemicals in the products are not only harmful to you but also to your clothes. These chemicals react with the sweat and cause an acidic reaction on the clothes that weakens and ruins the texture and fabric.

Smelling good and fresh is fine, but not at the cost of your health.