Your pit stick may cost you a breast !

Certain chemicals containing the metal aluminum are used for many things in industry including paper, and water treatment. One of the most common uses is in antiperspirants, the stuff that limits your armpit sweating! (3) It exists in antiperspirant as aluminum chlorohydrate and it works by plugging your pores in your armpit, so that sweat can't come out. 

It has been previously known that high levels of aluminum can be toxic for your body and have been correlated with breast cancer (2). Recently, researchers have suggested that the aluminum in your antiperspirant could cost you a breast. Studies showed that aluminum caused in vitro breast cells to grow without being attached to any surface. Cancer cells do this same thing. They also found that it can destroy parts inside the cells, as well as mess around with hormones ! (4)

Now don't be too scared, these test were only done in the lab with more aluminum that antiperspirants normally have ! Only about 0.012% of aluminum actually gets absorbed in the skin. Although, if you apply it right after shaving, that amount can increase! (2)

Brief overview of aluminum chlorohydrate provided by Compound Interest. (5)

Hyperhidrosis, a medical condition of extreme excessive sweating, can greatly interfere with daily lives of those affected. (1) Some experts in the field suggest that surgery or certain medications work better, and are more suitable than using antiperspirants daily (1). If antiperspirants are not needed, it may be worth while sticking to plain ol' deodorant. You'll also be saving your shirts from those awful yellow stains that ruins your shirts!

Braydon O'Hara

References

1. Cinà, C. S., Cinà, M. M., & Clase, C. M. (2007). Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy for hyperhidrosis: Technique and results. Journal of Minimal Access Surgery, 3(4), 132–40. http://doi.org/10.4103/0972-9941.38907
2. Darbre, P. D., Mannello, F., & Exley, C. (2013). Aluminium and breast cancer: Sources of exposure, tissue measurements and mechanisms of toxicological actions on breast biology. Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, 128(September), 257–261. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2013.07.005
3. Helmboldt, O., Keith Hudson, L., Misra, C., Wefers, K., Heck, W., Stark, H., … Rösch, N. (2000). Ullmann’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim, Germany: Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA. http://doi.org/10.1002/14356007.a01_527.pub2
4. Sappino, A.-P., Buser, R., Lesne, L., Gimelli, S., Béna, F., Belin, D., & Mandriota, S. J. (2012). Aluminium chloride promotes anchorage-independent growth in human mammary epithelial cells. Journal of Applied Toxicology : JAT, 32(3), 233–43. http://doi.org/10.1002/jat.1793
5. Compound Interest. (n.d.). Everyday-Chemicals-–-Aluminium-Chlorohydrate-Aug-15.png (1323×935). Retrieved October 29, 2015, from http://www.compoundchem.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Everyday-Chemicals-%E2%80%93-Aluminium-Chlorohydrate-Aug-15.png