Do Antiperspirants Increase Breast Cancer Risk?
For decades, rumors have suggested that antiperspirants cause breast cancer. But research doesn’t show that using antiperspirants raises breast cancer risk.
Antiperspirants work by blocking the pores in the skin, stopping sweat from getting to the surface. This helps keep your underarms dry and prevents body odor.
Deodorants are different — they don’t affect how much you sweat. They only help mask body odor that develops after sweating.
Key takeaways:
Antiperspirants contain some chemicals, like aluminum, which has been linked to cancer. But scientists don’t know how much aluminum is actually absorbed by the skin when we use antiperspirants.
There is a misconception that parabens cause cancer, but research in people shows no link — and most antiperspirants don’t contain parabens.
Deodorants don’t contain aluminum or parabens, so the concern around them is unfounded.
Aluminum and other concerns with antiperspirants
Some of the chemicals in antiperspirants have been linked to an increased cancer risk and other health issues, but the small amount of these chemicals you might absorb from antiperspirants hasn’t been shown to increase breast cancer risk.
Aluminum
Aluminum is the active ingredient in antiperspirants that blocks pores and keeps you from sweating. It’s also the main ingredient some people worry about when it comes to breast cancer.
Their concern is that if aluminum is absorbed through the skin on your underarms, it could travel to the breasts and potentially cause changes to estrogen receptors. So, some people fear that aluminum could increase breast cancer risk by increasing how much estrogen gets to breast cells. This link has not been proven.
Scientists don’t know how much aluminum from antiperspirants actually gets through the skin and enters the body. The amount may be too small to increase cancer risk. A 2001 study found that only 0.012% of aluminum applied to underarms was absorbed — much less than the amount participants absorbed from food during the same time period.
Antiperspirants are not the only source of aluminum in our daily lives. We’re exposed to it through food, water, vaccines, and more. A 2023 study looked at lifetime exposure to aluminum from all sources. It found that there is not enough evidence to link breast cancer development to total aluminum exposure, let alone to aluminum from antiperspirants. But experts say more research is needed.
Parabens
Another chemical in antiperspirants that’s a source of worry for some: parabens. These preservatives mimic estrogen and can be absorbed through the skin, leading to concerns that parabens have the potential to cause cancer. But according to the American Cancer Society, studies in humans have not found evidence that it does — and most antiperspirants and deodorants don’t contain parabens.
Blocking sweat
Some claim that stopping sweat could block cancer-causing toxins from leaving the body, increasing breast cancer risk. However, sweating is not how toxins leave the body. Rather, toxins leave the body through urine and feces.
What the research says about antiperspirants and breast cancer risk
Only a few studies have looked into possible links between antiperspirants and breast cancer.
Most of these studies have been case-control studies. In these types of studies, researchers ask people with breast cancer and others without it to report how often they have used antiperspirants during their lives. Because these studies ask people to think back decades, they aren’t always reliable. And people with breast cancer may be more likely to recall exposures to things that they think could be linked to cancer. So most of the research on this topic isn’t considered conclusive.
Even so, most case-control studies have not found a link between antiperspirants and breast cancer. They’ve found that both people who have breast cancer and those who don’t are equally likely to have used antiperspirants.
More research with better study designs and more participants is needed to give a clearer sense of whether there is a link between antiperspirants and breast cancer. But for now, there’s no reason to believe that the two are connected.
What to do if you’re concerned about antiperspirants and breast cancer
There’s no such thing as an aluminum-free antiperspirant, but you don’t have to quit them altogether. A small amount of aluminum entering the body is unlikely to be harmful. So, instead of using an antiperspirant multiple times a day, switch to only putting it on once daily. Or only use them on special occasions, when you really don’t want to sweat through your shirt.
If you’re mostly worried about body odor (and care less about moist underarms or sweat stains), you can opt for deodorant over an antiperspirant.
You might also want to check that your antiperspirant or deodorant doesn’t contain parabens. Look for products labeled as “paraben-free,” or check the label for the common parabens methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, and ethylparaben. If your antiperspirant or deodorant does contain one or more of these ingredients, consider switching to a paraben-free product.
