Separating Fact from Fear
Part 3 of a 3-Part Series
This article is the final part of a three-part series examining the long-standing rumor that antiperspirants cause breast cancer.
In the first article, we looked at how a viral chain email helped spread this claim. In the second, we explored the misunderstandings about human anatomy that allowed the myth to take hold.
In this final article, we’ll look at two additional claims from that email and explain why they, too, do not hold up to scientific scrutiny.
Myth #3: Men Are Protected Because Antiperspirant Gets Caught in Underarm Hair
Another claim in the viral email suggested that men are less likely to develop breast cancer because antiperspirant gets trapped in underarm hair and never reaches the skin. This idea misunderstands both how breast tissue develops and why breast cancer is far less common in men.
Breast tissue is made up of ducts, lobules, and fatty connective tissue. Before puberty, boys and girls have only a small amount of breast tissue — just a few ducts beneath the nipple.
When puberty begins, rising levels of female hormones stimulate the ducts to grow, lobules to form, and fatty tissue to increase.
Because men have low levels of female hormones (estrogen) and high levels of androgen (testosterone), their breast tissue typically remains minimal, consisting mainly of ducts with few, if any, lobules. Testosterone prevents the development of the glandular tissue that forms lobules.
This difference in breast development is the main reason breast cancer is about 100 times less common in men than in women. Men simply have far fewer cells where cancer can arise, and they have much lower levels of estrogen and progesterone — hormones that can promote the growth of certain breast cancers.
Myth #4: Shaving Allows Antiperspirant Chemicals to Enter the Body
The viral email also claimed that applying antiperspirant after shaving increases breast cancer risk because tiny shaving nicks supposedly allow chemicals to enter the body.
This claim misunderstands both how the skin works and how substances move through it.
Shaving can cause small cuts or irritation, which may make the skin feel more sensitive for a short time.
But these nicks affect only the very top layers of skin — the epidermis and, at most, the upper portion of the dermis. They do not create a pathway that allows ingredients from antiperspirants to travel into breast tissue, sweat glands, or lymph nodes.
There is no evidence that shaving increases the absorption of cancer‑causing substances, and no evidence that antiperspirant ingredients can reach breast tissue through the skin. The body’s protective barriers remain intact even when the skin is slightly irritated, and the structures involved in breast cancer development are far deeper than any shaving nick could reach.
So What Was the Point of All This?
The email we’ve been discussing—packed with incorrect claims and misleading explanations—has been circulating for many years. Most people who shared it did so with good intentions, and some companies even used its claims to promote their products.
But in a world where information spreads instantly, it’s important not to rely on unverified emails, websites, or social media posts for health advice.
Misinformation often sounds convincing because it contains small pieces of truth. Yet, like the children’s game of telephone, each retelling distorts the message a little more until the original facts are barely recognizable.
It’s always worth pausing to ask whether a claim comes from a credible source.
Choosing Natural Deodorant for the Right Reasons
After reading these blogs, you might think I am suggesting that there is no reason to use natural deodorant and that antiperspirants are perfectly safe.
That isn’t the message at all.
People deserve to make informed choices for the right reasons.
If you choose a natural deodorant, choose it because you prefer natural ingredients, because you want to avoid certain synthetics, or because it simply feels better on your skin—not because you were frightened into believing that antiperspirants cause breast cancer.
Advertising has always tried to influence what we buy.
A deodorant ad from the 1950s suggested that no matter how attractive a woman might be, she would never find “the right man” if she used the wrong deodorant.
Today, it might strike you as funny or flat-out offensive, but it’s a reminder of what advertising looked like more than 70 years ago — and the goal was the same then as it is now: to sell a product.
If a company truly believes its product is better, it should explain why it’s better. Using fear to sell something isn’t honest marketing—it’s manipulation. And I, for one, don’t like being manipulated.
So if you’re wondering why you should choose a natural deodorant, the answer is simple:
Choose it because it aligns with what you believe is best for your body and your lifestyle.
This article was originally written in 2015 and has been reviewed and updated for clarity.
