Some Clarity on Crystal Deodorants, Part II

In Part I, I evaluated the claims of “natural” and “organic” in crystal deodorants. In this part, Part II, I will evaluate the “no aluminum chlorohydrate” labeling.

The reason for the “no aluminum chlorohydrate” label on crystal deodorants is mainly due to concern over health impacts of the aluminum in aluminum chlorohydrate. Aluminum chlorohydrate is a common ingredient in regular deodorants.

The interesting thing is that crystal deodorants also contain aluminum, but not aluminum chlorohydrate. Potassium and ammonium alum are themselves aluminum compounds. Therefore, the label “no aluminum chlorohydrate” could be considered meaningful if (1) aluminum chlorohydrate is indeed a health hazard, and (2) aluminum chlorohydrate is more hazardous than the potassium or ammonium alum.

Is Aluminum Chlorohydrate in Deodorant a Health Hazard?

The main concern over aluminum chlorohydrate in deodorants comes from the belief that it contributes to breast cancer or Alzheimer’s disease. The stance of the U.S. National Cancer Institute is that there is no conclusive evidence that deodorants/antiperspirants cause breast cancer, because the scientific studies conflict each other.¹ The Alzheimer’s Association also states that there are no studies linking aluminum exposure to Alzheimer’s disease.²

The Skin Deep database, run by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, rates aluminum chlorohydrate as having a hazard of “four” on a scale of zero to 10, with “zero” indicating no hazard and “10” indicating high hazard. This is a “medium/low” hazard score. Aluminum chlorohydrate also gets a “fair” score for data availability, meaning that the level of knowledge on this compound is okay but could be better.³  The hazards listed by the Skin Deep database for  aluminum chlorohydrate include neurotoxicity, developmental/reproductive toxicity, and organ system toxicity.

In 2001, researchers measured how much aluminum was absorbed into the skin when 84 milligrams of aluminum chlorohydrate was applied to test subjects’ underarms. They found that 0.012 percent, or four micrograms, of the aluminum in the aluminum chlorohydrate was absorbed into the body. This study does not take into account that actual absorption rates might be different when aluminum chlorohydrate  is part of a deodorant. This is because some cosmetics include compounds that enhance absorption. The authors also indicate that four micrograms is a lot less than the amount of aluminum absorbed by the gut from food.⁴

Based on this information, it would seem that aluminum chlorohydrate is not a significant health hazard when applied as deodorant. It is not hazard-free, though, and does contribute is some way to the human body’s aluminum burden.

Is Aluminum Chlorohydrate More Hazardous than Potassium or Ammonium Alum?

 Both potassium and ammonium alum get “low” hazard ratings of “one” on the Skin Deep Database. Unfortunately, though, the data availability score is “limited”, which is a lower score than “fair”.^{5, 6} This means that there is not very much scientific research on potassium or ammonium alum. Skin Deep recommends buying products that have both a “low” hazard score and at least a “fair” data availability score.⁷ Therefore, Skin Deep would actually not recommend buying crystal deodorant.

 Despite the limited data on the alums, one brand of crystal deodorant has received the Innovator Status award with the Compact for Safe Cosmetics.⁸  Also, the consumer goods rating website, GoodGuide, rates crystal deodorant very positively for safety.⁹  This may seem like conflicting information, but positive ratings for crystal deodorants is partially due to the fact that crystal deodorant is usually just one ingredient (potassium or ammonium alum). Regular deodorants often have long ingredient lists, with any one of those ingredients potentially being hazardous. 

The purpose of this blog post is to focus on the “no aluminum chlorohydrate” labeling, not deodorants on the whole. Based on this goal, I have to conclude that there is no proof that aluminum chlorohydrate is more hazardous than potassium or ammonium alum, even though crystal deodorant on the whole potentially could be less hazardous than regular deodorant.

Conclusion

Balancing the myriad of information that I was able to find on aluminum and aluminum compounds, I think the “no aluminum chlorohydrate” label is not very meaningful at this time. It does not seem that aluminum exposure from aluminum chlorohydrate deodorants is a significant health issue and there is not enough research on potassium or ammonium alum to say that it is safer. With that said, however, I think that there is nothing wrong with trying to reduce aluminum exposure wherever one can. It is certainly easier to stop using deodorants with aluminum than it is to control aluminum in the air we breathe or food we eat.  Alternatively, looking at deodorant on the whole, the short ingredient list of many crystal deodorants may very well be a health benefit.

Part III

Appendix:

About Aluminum

Aluminum is an abundant element in the earth. We take traces of aluminum into our bodies on a daily basis from eating, drinking, breathing, and through the skin. Additionally, some products are known to contain aluminum that is absorbed into the body – for example, aluminum cookware and deodorant/antiperspirants. Unlike other metals, such as copper or iron, aluminum has no positive function in the body.

As is the case with any substance, an over-accumulation of aluminum in the body can cause health problems. It is not clear, however, what cumulative aluminum exposure levels are to be of concern. Also, some individuals are more sensitive to lower levels than others. You can read more about aluminum toxicity from the Medscape reference website.¹⁰ Health problems from metals and chemicals are not always easy to spot, so for those with health problems that have not been successfully diagnosed, testing the blood for metals and other chemicals may be helpful.¹¹

Risk vs. Hazard

Talking about aluminum in this way naturally leads into an explanation of “risk vs. hazard”. “Hazard” is the potential for some substance to cause harm, while “risk” is the potential to cause harm plus the level of exposure and individual susceptibility. As you can see, “risk” is a more accurate way of determining the implications of a given substance. However, “hazard” is useful when exposure level and individual susceptibility cannot be known.

Aluminum Regulations

There is no Environmental Protection Agency standard for aluminum in the environment. I also did not find anything for the European Union. What I was able to find, however, is an occupational limit on airborne aluminum exposure in the U.S. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration Permissible Exposure Limit for workers is five milligrams of aluminum per one cubic meter of air breathed, for respirable dust (fine dust), over an eight-hour period (one work day). For total dust (large and small particles) the permissible limit is 10 milligrams. ¹²

Comparing Aluminum Chlorohydrate to Potassium and Ammonium Alum

There are two things to remember when trying to make a comparison between two or more compounds:

1. When aluminum compounds come into contact with our bodies, the amount of aluminum actually absorbed differs based on the compound and pathway. For example, if two different aluminum compounds are applied the skin, the amount of aluminum actually absorbed can differ. Also, if the same compound is both ingested and applied to the skin, the amount of aluminum actually absorbed can vary.

2. There may be health hazards associated with aluminum compounds that are not due to the aluminum, but due to the other parts of the compound.

References:

 (1) U.S. National Cancer Institute. Antiperspirants/deodorants and breast cancer. January 4, 2008. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/AP-Deo (accessed August 13, 2012).

(2) Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s myths. http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_myths_about_alzheimers.asp (accessed August 13, 2012).

(3) Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database.  Aluminum chlorohydrate. http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/700313/ALUMINUM_CHLOROHYDRATE/ http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_myths_about_alzheimers.asp (accessed August 13, 2012).

(4) Flarend, R.; Bin, T.; Elmore, D.; Hem, S.L. A preliminary study of the dermal absorption of aluminium from antiperspirants using aluminium-26. Food and Chemical Toxicology 2001, 39, 163-168.

(5) Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database.  Potassium alum. http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/705178/POTASSIUM_ALUM/ (accessed August 13, 2012).

(6) Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database.  Ammonium alum. http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/700362/AMMONIUM_ALUM/ (accessed August 13, 2012).

(7) Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database.  Frequently asked questions. http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/faq/ (accessed August 13, 2012).

(8) Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database.  Manufacturer: French Transit, Ltd. http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/company/French_Transit%2C_Ltd./compact_provisions/ (accessed August 13, 2012).

(9) GoodGuide. Deodorants & Antiperspirants Product Ratings.  http://www.goodguide.com/products?category_id=153026-deodorants-antiperspirants&sort_order=DESC#!rf%3D%26rf%3D%26rf%3D%26cat%3D153026%26page%3D1%26filter%3D%26sort_by_type%3Drating%26sort_order%3DDESC%26meta_ontology_node_id%3D1 (accessed August 13, 2012).

(10)  Bernardo, Jose. Aluminum toxicity. June 25, 2012. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/165315-overview (accessed August 13, 2012).

(11)  Dunn, Melinda. Chemical, environment, and health- Interview with Dr. Nevels. July 30, 2012. http://www.melindadunn.com/archives/chemical-environment-and-health-interview-with-dr-nevels.html/comment-page-1#comment-581 (accessed August 13, 2012).

(12) U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.  Occupational safety and health guideline for aluminum. http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/aluminum/recognition.html (accessed August 13, 2012).