Is Your Deodrant Safe for Use?

~AG~

Have you read online articles on the possible link of using antiperspirant deodorants and the occurrence of breast cancer? As a young woman, these articles are of concern to me. Between 2009-2013, breast cancer was the most common type of cancer affecting women in Singapore (29.3%). This means that 2 out of the 10 women you know might be diagnosed with breast cancer!! https://www.nrdo.gov.sg/docs/librariesprovider3/default-document-library/cancer-trends-report-2009-2013.pdf?sfvrsn=0 

I do not know about you. But that number is ALARMING! One of my best friends stopped using antiperspirant deodorant because of these reports. Do note, at this time of publication, the science community does not warrant this claim, but they do mention that there might be a possible link. More peer-reviewed studies need to be done on it. 
"Studies suggest that chemicals in antiperspirants, including aluminum, are absorbed into the skin.. These studies claim that those chemicals may then interact with DNA and lead to cancerous changes in cells, or interfere with the action of the female hormone estrogen, which is known to influence the growth of breast cancer cells."
Please click on link for more details
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/features/antiperspirant-facts-safety
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/causes-prevention/risk/myths/antiperspirants-fact-sheet

With that being said, I much prefer to be on the SAFE side. Thus, I will be switching to a deodorant that is aluminium-free. In search of an aluminium-free deodorant in Singapore is like finding money on the ground. Guardian only carried one aluminium-free deodorant which was a crystal aloe vera stick in a glass packaging. I NEVER heard of that brand before and it was retailing for S$26. Some shops that I went to were belief, The Body Shop, Aesop, Kiehls, Lush, Sephora, Crabtree and Evelyn, and FINALLY L'Occitane.


A brief overview of those shops:

• belif : Did not carry any stick deodorant
• The Body Shop: Their deodorant was not aluminium-free. But they claimed the aluminium content is within a safe range. (What do they know about it being a safe range? *quizzical look*)
• Aesop: They had a spray deodorant  that was aluminium-free but it was PRICY @ S$47 for 50ml of product. I was not going to pay so much for a bottle of deodorant. Also, I found the scent of Aesop's deodorant to be too overwhelming.
• Kiehls: They had only one antiperspirant deodorant which came in a cream formula. But it was not aluminium-free.
• Lush: They had several selections of deodorant that were aluminium-free. You either had a choice of a powder-based deodorant, or bar soap-shaped deodorant. Both which I find not user friendly. The powder will leave a white residue after use especially if you are wearing dark coloured clothes. The bar soap-shaped deodorant is not convenient for application and storage.  
• Sephora: Did not have any aluminium-free deodorant
• Crabtree and Evelyn: Did not have any stick deodorant

At first, I did not want to step into the L'Occitane store because I thought that they did not carry any stick deodorant. My sister, MG, convinced me since we were merely a few steps away. Oh boy, was I wrong! L'Occitane did sell deodrants, PLUS it was aluminium-free! Yay! I felt that I hit jackpot! *ting ting ting*

That only thing that I was not quite happy about was the sticker shock. This Citrus Verbena Stick Deodrant retailed for S$32!! That is the MOST EXPENSIVE deodorant that I have bought in my life!
L'Occitane Singapore retails two types of deodorant. The other is a roll-on deodorant which comes in a glass packaging (also aluminium-free). I have never been a big fan of roll-on deodorant because you have to wait for it to dry. The glass packaging also makes it more inconvenient to travel with. Since I travel frequently, the plastic packaging of Citrus Verebena Stick Deodrant is a safer choice.
I will let you know whether this deodorant can keep me fresh all-day.