Beyond the Pits: Is Whole-Body Deodorant Safe?

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Deodorant and antiperspirant products aren’t just for armpits anymore. Established companies and new ones alike are launching deodorizing and sweat-reducing products for the whole body, as well as for target areas like the face, hands, and groin. And a lot of ads for these new products feature endorsements from physicians. Searches for whole body deodorant — and specific brands — have skyrocketed in recent weeks, according to Google Trends.

One of the popular new brands is Lume, which was started by ob/gyn Shannon Klingman, MD. Klingman is front-and-center in Lume’s advertising and social media presence, explaining the products’ “powerhouse ingredients” and sharing how the odor concerns that patients brought up to her informed the products she’s now created. Lume’s products target women, and Klingman’s other brand of similar products, Mando, targets men.

Carpe is another competitor new to the market. While it wasn’t started by a doctor, the company’s chief medical advisor Ashish Bhatia, MD, is featured all over the website and advertising, answering questions like, “Is it safe to block sweat glands?” and “Why does sweat smell bad?”

Brands like Dove, Secret, Old Spice, and the natural brand Native are joining this trend and launching similar products, too.

But are these new products actually safe? MedPage Today asked both a dermatologist and a toxicologist to weigh in.

Jonathan Schimmel, MD, a medical toxicologist and assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, said it’s important to distinguish between deodorants and antiperspirants since they have different mechanisms and treat different issues.

“Deodorants typically have both antibacterial properties and fragrances so that they both inhibit the bacteria and mask the odor,” Schimmel told MedPage Today. “In contrast, antiperspirants work more upstream to actually reduce sweating in the first place.” He said antiperspirants do that by containing various aluminum compounds, 18 of which are regulated by the FDA.

Some deodorants use antibacterial compounds, some use astringents like alcohol to dry out the skin, and some use acids “because bacteria don’t grow as well on skin with a low pH,” he explained.

Raman Madan, MD, a dermatologist with Northwell Health in Glen Cove, New York, added that ingredients like starches, which are common in both kinds of products, absorb moisture. He told MedPage Today that an increasing number of patients have been asking him about these products in the past 5 years and he’s even gotten targeted ads for some of the total-body products himself.

“It’s called a total-body deodorant, but you can’t really use it everywhere,” Madan said. He emphasized that sweating is necessary and “if you’re blocking all your sweat glands, you have to sweat somewhere.”

Areas with thinner skin, like the face and near the genitals, are more sensitive and prone to irritation, he noted, and there isn’t much research about new products for total-body sweating — but that’s because there are other options for hyperhidrosis such as topical aluminum chloride, with common brand names like Drysol, Hypercare, and Xerac AC.

Another option is the anticholinergic drug glycopyrrolate, which is used to treat generalized or focal hyperhidrosis. Madan also noted that onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) injections can help treat excessive sweating in certain areas.

Even though there are other treatments, Madan said he still thinks these new whole-body deodorant and antiperspirant products are good, accessible options, and he often recommends them to patients.

Most whole-body deodorants don’t contain aluminum compounds and few brands tout whole-body antiperspirants. Lume has a whole-body deodorant “plus sweat control” line that the brand does not call an antiperspirant. However, the second ingredient in this “sweat control” line, after water, is aluminum sesquichlorohydrate, which is one of the FDA-regulated compounds.

Schimmel said that deodorants are considered safe, but “antiperspirants have a little bit more controversy around them, and that’s why the FDA regulates antiperspirants as over-the-counter products.” Much of the controversy stems from aluminum, but he added that “the risks from aluminum are more theoretical than practical.”

For instance, there was some concern about the skin absorbing aluminum from antiperspirants and thus changing the estrogen receptors of breast cells. However, according to the American Cancer Society, no clear link between antiperspirants and breast cancer has been established and breast cancer tissue has not been proven to contain higher concentrations of aluminum.

There is also no definitive link between aluminum and dementia, and the Alzheimer’s Association cites aluminum as one of the myths associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The Alzheimer Society of Canada concurs that there is “no convincing evidence” connecting dementia to exposure to trace elements of aluminum.

A 2001 study found that only 0.012% of aluminum was absorbed in the underarms, and more recent studies have found even lower rates of absorption.

Schimmel noted that “aluminum has minimal absorption through skin,” but “aluminum’s absorption has not yet been studied when applied across widespread body areas, as might occur with a whole-body antiperspirant applied on a daily basis.” Research on this topic could be interesting, he said, though even if someone covered themselves head to toe in whole-body antiperspirant containing aluminum, “I expect that they would still remain within a safe level in their blood.”

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