How Dangerous is Aluminum for People? What’s in Your Armpit?

Do doubt you have seen the commercial that repeatedly asks: What’s in your wallet? That, of course, is the Capital One ad. We have a different question: What’s in your armpit? If you use an antiperspirant we guarantee it is aluminum. Is there any absorption? That’s a question that has not been well answered. Consider sunscreens for a moment. We have all been slathering on sunscreens for decades without a second thought. It wasn’t until recently that the FDA announced that ingredients in sunscreen are absorbed into the skin (JAMA, Jan. 21, 2020). We suspect that there is some aluminum absorption from your armpit into your body. Would you like an aluminum-free deodorant? We’ve got one you just might love. Read on to learn more about MoM (Milk of Magnesia) for your underarms. 

Are You Exposed to Aluminum?

We have been asking the question for years: how dangerous is aluminum? The FDA, on the other hand, not only thinks aluminum is completely safe, it insists it must be used in all antiperspirants. In fact you cannot sell an antiperspirant in the United States unless your product has aluminum. Doubt us? Just look on the label. You will find ingredients such as aluminum chlorohydrate or some other aluminum salt in all antiperspirants. 

So, How Dangerous is Aluminum?

Researchers have been debating this question for decades. We will fast forward to the journal Morphologie, June, 2016. The entire issue of this French journal is devoted to the question, how dangerous is aluminum?

Aluminum and the Brain?

One article discusses the impact aluminum has on the genetic signaling programs in the brain “that bear a surprising resemblance to those observed in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain.” 

Aluminum and the Breast?

Another researcher discusses the impact of antiperspirants on the breast:

“The human population is exposed to aluminium (Al) from diet, antacids and vaccine adjuvants, but frequent application of Al-based salts to the underarm as antiperspirant adds a high additional exposure directly to the local area of the human breast. Coincidentally the upper outer quadrant of the breast is where there is also disproportionately high incidence of breast cysts and breast cancer. Al has been measured in human breast tissues/fluids at higher levels than in blood, and experimental evidence suggests that at physiologically relevant concentrations, Al can adversely impact on human breast epithelial cell biology…”

Aluminum and the Digestive Tract?

A completely new-to-us concept published in Morphologie has to do with the digestive tract. The article is titled: “Gut: An Underestimated Target Organ for Aluminum.” The authors note that:

“Although still poorly documented to date, the impact of oral exposure to aluminum in conditions relevant to real human exposure appears to be deleterious for gut homeostasis. Aluminum ingestion affects the regulation of the permeability, the microflora and the immune function of intestine.”

The Aluminum Controversy Won’t Go Away!

Many health professionals have assumed that concerns about aluminum toxicity in humans have been completely put to rest and there is no reason for concern. We disagree. Over the last decade or so there have been thousands of articles devoted to questions about aluminum toxicity.

Here is an article we wrote on this topic a couple of years ago:

Should You Worry About Aluminum Exposure?

and this:

Aluminum and Alzheimer’s Disease: Is There a Connection?

We do not have a final answer on the big question: How Dangerous is Aluminum? It could take another decade to find out if there really is a problem or if this is all a tempest in a teapot.

Parallels to Sunscreens?

We suspect that most FDA officials don’t think much about aluminum in antiperspirants. Of course these folks didn’t think much about the chemicals in sunscreens either. They probably assumed that what you put on your skin stays on your skin. they were wrong. You can read about this in detail at the following link:

JAMA Study Proves Sunscreens ARE Absorbed into Bloodstream
A second FDA-sponsored study reveals that many popular sunscreens are absorbed through the skin and get into the circulation. How worrisome is this finding?

A New Shipment of Aluminum-Free MoM Deodorant:

We like to err on the side of caution. That is why we came up with aluminum-free milk of magnesia (MoM) underarm deodorants.

A reader told us many years ago that MoM is a terrific way to control underarm odor. We tried it ourselves and liked the result. That eventually led us to create a variety of products including:

Our old standby, Unscented Aluminum-Free MoM Roll-on Deodorant

We have been out of stock on this 2 oz. bottle of MoM for several weeks (it is hard to keep on hand because it is so popular). 

Kelley in Boston gave this product 5 stars! She went on to say:

“Beyond expectations!

Women’s Aluminum-Free MoM Roll-On Deodorant

Men’s MoM Aluminum-Free Roll-On Deodorant

People’s Pharmacy Aluminum-Free Roll-On Deodorant Sampler

Economy Size Aluminum-Free MoM (Milk of Magnesia) Roll-On Deodorant. 

Want to read more customer reactions? Here they are:

Read the reviews