Should we be concerned about aluminum in deodorants?
Erin asks…Should we be concerned about aluminum in deodorants?
First do not confuse anti-perspirants with deodorants. Anti-perspirants contain aluminum salts that help close your pores so you don’t sweat as much. Deodorants do not contain aluminum and do not prevent you from sweating. They only reduce body odor. (Using perfumes or anti-bacterial compounds.) This started around 1985. Researchers found that Alzheimers patients have high levels of aluminum in their brains. There have been a number of studies since then – at least one, conducted in 1990, suggested a link. Researchers tracked aluminum exposure in 130 Alzheimers patients BUT this study was not peer reviewed because it relied on third parties to provide patient information. It was just dishonest.
Most reliable research has shown that this is NOT a problem. For example, a 2002 study examined more than 4000 people over several years and found no increased risk of disease (whether patients used APs or consumed antacids containing Al salts.)
The current hypothesis is that the high content of aluminum in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients is the result of the disease, not the cause. It has to do with how brain cells detoxify. Ref: NY Times. Therefore, the important thing is despite all the fears you hear about aluminum in cosmetic products the best evidence so far shows that there are no significant health concerns. (Except that some people experience skin irritation from anti-perspirants.)
The flip side of this is the popularity of so-called natural deodorants. We continue to receive questions about this. In another discussion thread on our Forum, Kiri said “crystal deodorants are great!” Just remember that crystal deodorants may contain alum crystals that contain aluminum. Also, Allure recently asked about using coconut oil as a natural deodorant. I looked it up and found out that coconut oil has mild anti-bacterial properties so it’s incredible that it can act as an underarm deodorant. However, I could not find evidence in the scientific literature that it has been tested against Staphylococcus hominis which is the main cause of armpit odor. That means that while it MAY work in theory it may not work very well. In fact, it seems to be an impossible solution because of its lubrication. It also has a low viscosity at body temperature which means it will drip down your arms and chest. A regular deodorant or breath freshener will do the best job.
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Should I shower with shower gel or soap?
Little Tabby says…I saw these 2 articles talking about Shower Gel vs. Bar Soap – 1 article says shower gel is a waste of money and the other points out that Bar Soap is less drying on the skin compared to shower gel. I have had severe problems washing my hands every time I use these gels but not with soap. Please give your opinion on which option is better.
It depends on what you mean by “soap” and what kind of detergents are used in your shower gels. REAL soap (saponified fatty acids) has a high pH that can disrupt (temporarily) the skin’s natural acid mantle. Shower gels don’t have this problem but are made with detergents (like sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate) that can irritate the skin. Perhaps the best compromise is syndet bars which are mild detergents (like sodium cocoyl isethionate) that are very mild and don’t have a problem with low pH.
He spoke of a “severe problem” after washing his hands regularly with shower gels. The problem may not be related to the cleaning system and more about the storage system. If those products use Methylisothiazolinone (MI) as a preservative, you may have developed a sensitivity.
Is “lauryl” a bad ingredient in my shampoo?
Alessandra asks…Can you please check the ingredients of this Lenor Greyl Bain shampoo? I bought it in Italy and it makes my (oily) hair stay clean for a long time, but I see “lauryl” as opposed to my usual sodium laureth, is it too harsh?
Lauryl is just the name of the carbon chain. It can come from a number of different cleaners. It seems to have gotten a bad name because it is used in SLS but it is not the lauryl component that is causing the problem. I’m more than that because it’s a sulfate salt.
This Lenore Greyl product does not contain ANY SLS but does contain other cleansers that use Lauryl as a backbone: Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate, Sodium Lauryl Glucoside, and Sodium Lauroyl Oat Aminoacids. These are, in fact, mild surfactants and will not be as harsh as SLS can be.
Ingredients: Water, Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate (and) Sodium Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Aminoacids, Glycereth-2 Cocoate, Cocamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride, Cocamide Mea, Wheat Extract, Polyquamter-Extract (0) Dipropylene Glycol, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Sacchoromyces Cerevisiae Extract, Propylene Glycol, PEG-15 Cocopolyamine, Nelumbium Speciousum Flower Extract, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Iris Florentina Root Extract, Dauphecus Casserole, Dauphecus Casserole Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Methylchloroisothiazolinone (and) and Methylisothiazolinone.
Can you absorb your lip-smacking technique?
Krunce asks…What is the deal with products like Liptiful and Fullips?
In case you are not familiar with these products they are another twist on the “lip-sucking” trend. They are like a plastic cup that you press against your lips – you suck on it to create a vacuum that pulls the liquid from your lips. This hydraulic pressure provides a temporary pulling effect. After a while the fluid re-enters the tissues and the lips return to normal. That’s why you should repeat it every day.
If you do this occasionally it’s probably not a big deal but I found an article that quotes Dr. Dendy Engelman, director of dermatologic surgery at New York Medical College. You say the suction in this process causes “vessel engorgement” (BTW if your vessel engorgement lasts more than 8 hours please call your doctor.) but anyway…all this extra blood in your veins triggers an inflammatory response (release of histamine.)
If you breastfeed enough you can even break these blood vessels which will lead to bruising. This is especially a problem for fair skinned people. Therefore, these products are not a good way to moisturize your lips regularly. Ref: Fusion.net
New hair care technology
Over the years we have written a number of articles about dealing with separation. For the most part, conditioners and other hair treatments can do very little to correct split ends – one of the biggest hair problems. We talked about the Poly Electrolyte Complex used in Tresememe, Nexus, and a few other brands because it can actually repair breakouts.
However, this webinar introduced some technology that really works. This one is called “Kerabeads” or “Vegabeads” (that’s a trade name so don’t look for that on the label.) It’s from a company called “Earth Supplied Products.” These are capsules made of natural alginate polymers from the sea. The presenter used an interesting analogy – he compared the structure of capsules to a paper bag. The inner wall of the bag is positively charged and the outer wall is negatively charged. This dual charge allows the tablets to be attracted to damaged (negatively charged) hair as well as other tablets. The capsules are small enough to fit between the ends of the hair and when the capsules are dry they actually pull out the split ends. There is a great video on the company’s website. Apparently, the capsules also work to help smooth the raised edges of the cuticles to benefit hair that hasn’t split even now. And, as a bonus, they can deliver oil and other things that PEC technology wasn’t designed to do.
I’m always skeptical about these vendor presentations but knowing how PEC technology works it seems very likely that there is something to this. If we identify any brands using this technology we will be sure to let you know.
- One ‘N Only Argan Oil Split End Mender
- COMPLETE HAIR TREATMENT by HBL
- Perfectly Posh has several products that it contains.
- Living Proof Perfect Hair Day (PhD) The new split cut mender
The Nivea app “sniffs” when you have body odor
Link
Nivea Men has partnered with Happiness FCB to come up with a smartphone app called Ikhala that will tell men if they smell bad and need to use deodorant. It’s actually more than just an app. A phone case with electronic nose sensors in it and an app. You hold the phone in your arm pit and it will tell you that you stink. The ad is definitely tongue in cheek but it looks like this is a real thing that Nivea is testing globally. They say it will be launched in the consumer market next year.
The personal care industry is hiring more women!
One of our loyal fans asked me to share this survey with the Personal Care Products Council. Want to explain to our audience who that is? (It was founded in 1894!) So PCPC discovered that not only does the personal care products industry play a major role in the US Economy. In 2013, the industry added approximately $237 billion to US gross domestic product (GDP), and supported 3.6 million domestic jobs. But the really interesting finding of this study is that women, including women from diverse backgrounds, are at the heart of the industry. The share of management positions held by women in the personal care products industry is higher than the US average. Women and those with diverse backgrounds make up about 74 percent of all industrial work and 61 percent of management positions. Yes! We complained that female cosmetic scientists are not well represented in the industry as a whole.
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Leec23 says… Such good information. For example, I like how you explain the difference in alcohol, for many years you hear things like “stay away from any products with alcohol, they just erase everything” Now I understand which alcohols to avoid and which alcoholic drinks are good. (I’ll drink to that….)
Madame Broccoli Cake says…I love these guys! They are smart, loyal, and the best kind of crazy. I personally love Randy’s snark, and I really enjoy learning about Perry’s various OCD idiosyncrasies. Aside from personality, I learned a lot from this podcast like what types of beauty “hacks” there are so I don’t waste my time on them.
