Ida's Soap Box

Why use a natural deodorant? The simple answer--why not! Making sense of the myriad of ingredients in skin care products, is challenging and confusing. There are many ingredients that are "considered safe in the small doses used in skin care products." But when I think of the various products I use on my skin each and every day, I can’t help but wonder how much is "a safe small dose" after 63 years.

The claim that using antiperspirant causes breast cancer is listed under “common cancer myths and misconceptions” on the National Cancer Institute website. Part 3 continues debunking the major misconceptions concerning breast cancer and antiperspirants.

The misinformation concerning antiperspirants and breast cancer has been circulated via emails, on websites and even in newspapers. In this blog I will explore the myth that states, "Since antiperspirants keep a person from sweating, cancer-causing toxins build up in the armpit lymph nodes located in the armpits."

Since underarm antiperspirants and deodorants are applied near the breast and often contain synthetic ingredients, some have suggested a connection between their use and breast cancer. Although no scientific evidence links the use of these products to the development of breast cancer, there is a great deal of misinformation circulating around the internet. I have created a series of four blogs and over the next few weeks I will try to shed some light on the misinformation.