The issue in question is whether there are ingredients in antiperspirants that will cause detrimental health effects with daily exposure. The main ingredient that has raised such issues is aluminum chloride (AlCl 3) and its permutations, which is used in some, but not all, products to inhibit perspiration. Studies by Hosovski et al (1990) found a significant correlation between aluminum exposure and impaired psycho motor and intellectual abilities1. However, subjects in this study were exposed to continuous high levels of aluminum dust in the their environment from an aluminum foundry; clearly exceeding the daily intake of aluminum one would receive from regular antiperspirant usage. Recent studies by Lindsay et al (2002) and Graves et al (1990) found no causal link between aluminum exposure vis-a-vi regular use of antiperspirants and Alzheimer’s2 3. Any aluminum absorbed into one’s body is regularly eliminated through normal physiological functions regardless of intake level4 (Greger and Baier 1983), but daily exposure to high levels of aluminum (like those found in an aluminum foundry) can have detrimental effects to the body before all traces can be completely eliminated. When a person’s physiological functions that aid in the processes of eliminating aluminum from their body are impaired (i.e. renal failure), there is a greater case for limiting your use of AlCl3 based antiperspirants.
It is important to note that the dermatological application of AlCl3 based antiperspirants is immaterial in comparison to the aluminum levels consumed in food. Humans ingest an average of 2-25 mg of aluminum per day from our diet5 (Greger 1993) and by using antiperspirants containing AlCl 3, an individual would experience a 2.5% increase in daily aluminum intake, which has been found to be statistically insignificant6 (Flarend et al 2001). Based on these studies, it is reasonable to state that while aluminum can be considered toxic in mass quantities (i.e. through industrial exposure), normal use of AlCl 3 based antiperspirants per manufacturers guidelines will not cause aluminum accumulation to the point of significantly increased physical or mental risk, provided that the individual possesses the normal physiological capabilities of processing and eliminating accumulated aluminum.
- Mental Abilities of Workers Exposed to Aluminium [↩]
- Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease: A Prospective Analysis from the Canadian Study of Health and Aging [↩]
- The association between aluminum-containing products and Alzheimer’s disease [↩]
- Excretion and retention of low or moderate levels of aluminium by human subjects [↩]
- Aluminum Metabolism [↩]
- A preliminary study of the dermal absorption of aluminium from antiperspirants using aluminium-26 [↩]