Spray Deodorants | Fatal Conveniences™

Darin: It’s that time of the week for another fatal convenience. This is a bite-size segment that addresses some of society’s fatal conveniences and the steps you can take to avoid becoming a victim of them. I define fatal conveniences as the things we may be doing because the world we live in makes us believe we have to, tap water, shampoo, sunglasses, food. I dive into the hidden truths behind some of our everyday choices that could not only be harming us but even killing us, so let’s dive in.

Darin: Hey, everybody, welcome to the show. I’m Darin Olien. This is another edition of Fatal Conveniences. This is all information to help you thrive in your life to avoid the industrialized weird choices that we have made in our life. The modern world has dangers. That’s the point of me doing these things so that you can be liberated and make other choices. And if you don’t already know that not everything on the shelf is for your health, then this is a rude awakening for you. I think that all people who are living today realize that many products from food, supplements, household products, paints, you name it, have had and have issues in them. It’s all about getting back to nature, but in our modern-day world, we have to unpack and unwind some of the things that we’re doing. Listen, not all people had a bad intention in doing this stuff, but it has now come to our attention that many of our toxic exposures have caused serious problems. And I’ve talked about deodorants in past episodes, and this one is deodorant sprays. So I don’t know anyone who use deodorant sprays myself, but if you do, this also goes for other aerosols. That’s dangerous. And especially there’s a whole part in this episode and segment that gets into inhalation of this stuff that causes problems. So obviously, deodorants are there to stop us from sweating. And then the secondary thing is stop us from smelling. So we all know the convenience of deodorants, and that is something that we all use, for the most part. So deodorants came on the scene in 1888. And that’s when they were commercialized, and then the first antiperspirant or the one that was actually there and formulated to lower our ability to sweat was in 1903. And then in the ’40s, Helen Barnett Diserens developed an underarm applicator based on newly invented ballpoint pens. So that was cool. Way to go Helen in the 1940s. And in the 1950s, aerosolized antiperspirants took off. They used aluminum zirconium and chlorofluorocarbons, CFCs, they used and they didn’t realize the detriments that these things have, at least most people didn’t. They were so popular that 80% of the people using deodorants used the aerosolized forms. And then in 1977, the FDA did step in and ban the aluminum zirconium because based on some serious health concerns. So you know, when it gets really bad, then they step in. But here’s the problem with all of this stuff, when we are constantly using something that kind of hurts us over time, it really hurts us, and that’s where most of this stuff resides. The Environmental Protection Agency discouraged the use of chlorofluorocarbons and propellants because of their effect on the ozone layer. Well, there’s a lot of other things that are causing ozone depletion. So some fun facts before we get into some more, the Egyptians were the first trying to mask the sweat odor by bathing with water and essential oils. What a concept, you can actually do that right now. Mix some essential oils with coconut oil. It’s an easy applicator. You can actually add some bicarbonate, but you have to be aware of the pH when you’re doing that because, over time, it might affect the skin. And here are some interesting facts about sweating. Women have more sweat glands than men, but men’s sweat glands produce more sweat. So that’s important information because there’s a susceptibility that women have to breast cancer and the approximation of the armpit lymphatic associated with the fat of the breast tissue. So this is extremely important. There’s been a lot of data around deodorants linked to breast cancer and hormone disruption. But if they’re trying to market you, men and women’s deodorants, they’re basically the same. It’s just a marketing strategy. And so that’s through some of the research that me and my team did. But again, super important in the proximation. Here’s another interesting thing. Believe it or not, no one, including deodorant makers, are exactly sure why those yellow armpit stains on your shirt come from. The main theory is that aluminum-based ingredients in antiperspirants somehow react with one another of the sweat and the skin or the shirts of the laundry detergent causing this stain. So if you want to prevent those annoying stains, try opting for a deodorant that isn’t aluminum-based. Please don’t use aluminum plus don’t use the detergents that most people use. And I did a fatal convenience on laundry detergents, which is also gnarly. Research has found that the quality of color of the earwax which is a genetic trait can tell us about the production of body odor. If your earwax is dark and sticky, hold on to your deodorant, then you stink a little more. But if it’s white and flaky, you’re good to go, and you probably won’t stink. But there’s also this whole other side of the body’s natural detoxification and what you’re eating. The healthier you are, the more plants you eat, the less acidic you are, the less you’re going to stink as well. Okay, so obviously, the convenience is you don’t want to sweat through shirts and you don’t want to stink and you’re around other people. These are the fatal conveniences, obviously. And it’s an inconvenience to have those things happen. It’s a little embarrassing. I totally get it. But don’t put yourself in harm’s way when you’re doing that. So here’s the interesting thing about why they use aluminum. And aluminum salts do not work technically as antiperspirants but by being absorbed in the body. They work by forming a chemical reaction with the water of the sweat to form a physical plug. So that’s the reaction, it’s the chemical reaction that forms the plug of the sweat glands, which then is deposited in the sweat duct producing a blockage in the area that you’re applying to. And this is the work done by David Pariser, MD Professor of Dermatology at Eastern Virginia Medical School. Here’s the deal. Why are deodorant sprays so harmful? It’s the aluminum. So really, this is the big one. There are other ones that I’ll get into. The aluminum and the chlorofluorocarbons are gnarly. There’s all this research in the show notes. But the research by Philippa Darbray, an Oncologist at the University of Reading in the UK shows that this metal, the aluminum, typically found only in antiperspirants can cause gene instability in breast tissue. I mean, you’re not even hitting fully your armpit, you’re hitting your breast tissue too. And that’s going transdermally in the body causing instability within gene expression. Really bad idea, that’s why cancer rates go up like crazy. She also goes on to say that the instability can cause changes that may promote the growth of tumors or cancer cells. She explained that over 30% of the breast tissue starts in the upper outer quadrant of the breast. That’s right where the armpit is local to this underarm region. While there’s not full proof that aluminum is 100% to blame, incidents tend to align with the use of this product. So a good researcher will say hey, it’s looking like indicators of this toxic metal, but they always give themselves an out if there are other factors that they haven’t isolated in or understand but it really does show that there’s a correlate between spraying aluminum in your underarms and blocking and transdermally affecting these ducts causing gene expression disorders. And also especially if you shave your armpits and then apply the product because you’re essentially breaking down and causing little cuts and it goes right in the bloodstream. According to the American Cancer Society, there is no clear or direct link between aluminum and cancer. Bullshit. I’m gonna call this bullshit on that. Did I say that out loud? I did. The National Cancer Institute cites more research is needed. You know, when they say that, it just pisses me off because there’s so much indication here that shows that it’s not a good idea. And there’s a massive amount of research around endocrine disruption, hormone disruption, and that further research, it’s in the show notes by Dr. Darbre suggests that aluminum-containing under the armpits are causing this endocrine disruption. The study goes on to state that aluminum is known to have a Genotoxic profile capable of causing both DNA alterations and epigenetic effects. And this would be consistent with a potential role in breast cancer. If you really drill down to it, they’re seeing this show up all over the place based on the research. So here’s another thing I just want to highlight quickly. The inhalation of these deodorants actually has been used in teenagers to get high. So detrimental, but also when you’re spraying this, you’re insulating all of these toxic exposures. These are volatile compounds that you’re taking in. Some heavy exposure can lead to cardiac arrest. And the main substance in deodorant inhalation is butane. I don’t know if you know about butane, but it’s a gnarly hydrocarbon commonly used as propellants and sprayable household products. Hydrocarbons are lipophilic, fat-soluble, and therefore easily cross the air blood and blood-brain barrier. It’s crazy. This butane dissolves into tissue with high-fat content. Ding ding ding ding ding, breast tissue, breast tissue, Red Alert, Red Alert, stay away from this stuff. And it also affects the nervous system, liver, and kidneys. So big, big issue. Now listen, this is spray but also many of these ingredients are also found in the stick deodorants that I had mentioned. Triclosan, which is an endocrine disruptor, a hormone disruptor, cancer causer. I’ve talked about this, phthalate show up again and again and again in personal care products, including deodorants and antiperspirants, and all of these sprays and chemicals have used in all of these things, and are also used as fragrance ingredients. So they slip them as in other forms. And again, phthalates are major hormone disruptors in the system, and they impact the female’s health directly, onset and causing the early onset of puberty and is directly associated with breast cancer. So there are several chemicals in these deodorants that you need to stay away from that are promoting breast cancer. And then, of course, fragrance is a big big issue. Fragrance formulation is pretty incredible and gnarly in terms of its “trade secrets.” They don’t allow information. They don’t require them to reveal their proprietary information. So if they’re not using natural ingredients and all that stuff, they will slide it under the trade secrets. And that becomes a major synthetic phthalate muskie perfumey danger, just to cover up your inconvenience of smell. And of course, parabens are another form of preservative that’s in there that cross the skin barrier. And these are mimicking estrogen that throws off the hormone-disrupting balance and then directly linked to breast cancer as well. So here are some things, some good news in terms of avoiding the sprays altogether if you can. These do not have fragrances on there, just stay away from it, run from them, sprint from them. There are terms like eau de toilette, parfum. All of these things are basically fragrance, right? So they’re just eloquent ways of saying these are toxic chemicals. Stay away from those things. Antibacterial and germ-fighting labels, stay away from those. Those just mean triclosan and other harmful antibacterial chemicals. Look for MADE SAFE. MADE SAFE is certifying products that are formulated without any ingredients known to harm people and the planet, also a plug for Kindhumans. So you go to Kindhumans. We are helping to contribute to finding products that are healthier and better for you. And I think we are looking at and finding deodorants that are better. So other things that you can do. Witch-hazel is fantastic and medicinal, beautiful smelling, astringent and anti-inflammatory, great to use. You can definitely put witch-hazel on cotton swabs and wipe it in that way under the armpit and just be aware that it shouldn’t be that sensitive but also coconut oil and baking soda. We’ve left a formulation in the show notes that can work for a period of time. But if you get irritated then your pH might be off, but then there are other ways to balance that out. So I made my own deodorant for years but then I found some great products. There’s Humes Supernatural Deodorant. Schmidt’s is another one. These are great products. And also, if you want coconut oil. I just use for years, coconut oil and lavender. Mix those up, wiped in under my arm, boom. And I put lavender all over my body anyway, so it became really great. And then if I just needed a little protection, I go to one of these other brands that I just listed. So there you go. That’s deodorant sprays, aerosols, just stay away from them. There are other alternatives, hydrofluorocarbons, triclosan, phthalates, all of these things, aluminum, really bad idea. Women, please create extra attention in this area, and make sure the deodorants that you’re using, I guarantee that most of the deodorants that are the popular brands do not have very good ingredients in them. So avoid them and reach out to other companies and find other companies that work for you and work better for your health. Okay, I love you all.

Darin: Thanks for tuning in everyone. I hope that left you feeling inspired to take a closer look at the everyday choices you’re making and how they could be impacting your health and even the planet. If you want to learn more about life’s fatal conveniences, head over to fatalconveniences.com. You can sign up for the exclusive access to Fatal Conveniences episodes, news, insights, and more. And all this great stuff gets sent each week straight to your inbox, making it really easy. Now, that’s a convenience without the negative side effects. It only takes a few seconds to join. Just fill in the form and take that amazing step towards making better choices. Remember, small changes can have big impact. So, keep diving my friends, keep diving. And if you haven’t had a chance to check out the interview, I released earlier on the week, here’s what you missed:

[00:18:12] EP#68 Clint Ober on The Science Behind Grounding –

Clint: What everybody wanted to know was why does the grounding make pain go away? So what’s the mechanism of action here? Nobody knew. So, I had not a clue except that heat in arthritis is a fire. And I know fire is what we’re trying to throw in with grounding in the communications world. We want everything to stay electrically stable and cool. If there’s any resistance, you’re going to have smoke and fire, or you’re going to blow a chip or you’re going to blow something. So we kept doing studies, and the second study we did was on cortisol. We would measure cortisol every 4 hours for 24 hours, and then put it on a profile. Then we grounded him for a month to 6 weeks, and went back and did the same thing again. And what we saw was at 4 AM in the morning, the people who were grounded, their cortisol was skyrocketing straight up, all of them equally. And at 6am, it reached a peak, then it would come down, drift down on a 24-hour cycle.