Concern Over Deodorants & Breast Cancer

Researchers have found traces of chemicals called parabens in every sample of tissue taken from 20 different breast tumors. Studies suggest that paraben, a chemical found in underarm deodorants and other cosmetics, can seep into the tissue after being applied to the skin.

This finding concerned researchers since parabens have been shown to be able to mimic the action of the female hormone estrogen, which can drive the growth of human breast tumors.

However, this study showed no direct evidence that deodorants were linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. Further work is required to examine any association between estrogen and other chemicals found in deodorants and breast cancer, researchers say.