“I have not used deodorant or anti-perspirant for two decades” – yup, that’s right!
This revelation prompted a lot of curiosity when I was out hiking a couple of weeks ago and I was left feeling I had to explain, maybe even justify, my choice! After the discussion I reflected on the decision I’d made a long time ago …
Firstly, let’s look at terminology! Deodorants simply deodorise by masking smells with perfume, whilst anti-perspirants seek to stop or reduce perspiration – most commonly aluminium salts are used to block the pores. What can cause confusion is that many products commonly referred to as deodorants are deodorising anti-perspirants!
I stopped spraying my ‘pits after reading some research (now discredited) from the 1990s linking aluminium in deodorant with breast cancer. Despite plenty of subsequent research, there’s still no conclusive evidence of a causal link. But you know, apparently, nobody thought cigarettes were dangerous, back in the day, so I’ve not been waiting for a carcinogen label!
Instead, I’ve been progressively reducing my exposure to chemicals and heavy metals because, whilst the jury may still be out on the aluminium debate, the evidence is mounting when it comes to the endocrine disrupting potential of chemicals contained in many other everyday personal care and cleaning products.
A key function of our endocrine system is hormone regulation and the “master controller” is a tiny part of our brain called the hypothalamus. Not only does our endocrine system involve complex inter-relationships between glands, hormones and receptor organs but it is also closely linked to our nervous system. Both systems work together to control mood, sleep, digestion, sexual function, blood-sugar regulation, kidney function, blood pressure and cardio health to name just a few!!! So you see, any disruption to your endocrine system is likely to cause widespread havoc!
Many people argue that our body is perfectly designed to “disarm” and excrete all sorts of harmful substances – and this is true – but the more burden we place on our liver, kidneys and digestion the less energy we’ll have and the quicker we will age! The long-term, cumulative effects of exposure to multiple chemicals (many of which we cannot avoid) is still largely unknown so it makes sense to me to reduce my exposure as much as I can.
If you’ve been feeling sluggish recently then a gentle dietary and lifestyle reset can be a great way to restore energy and vitality. I’ve pulled together a short 10-day protocol, it’ my shortest ever programme to date but it gets results, fast!
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