The Girl in the Red Rubber Boots

Poison in my armpits?

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by

Emily Sara Smucker
in

I really enjoyed the story of stuff, so when they came out with a new video called the story of cosmetics, I watched it.

Yikes.

So I was randomly looking at my deodorant today, and thinking about this. I decided to do wikipedia searches on the ingredients. The first few were pretty boring so I skipped down to something that looked more interesting. Like, tocopheryl acetate. What the bunnyslipper is tocopheryl acetate?

Tocopheryl acetate, also known as vitamin E acetate, is a common vitamin supplement with the molecular formula C31H52O3 (for ‘α’ form). It is often used indermatological products such as skin creams. Some studies have linked tocopheryl acetate to cancer.

What? Linked to cancer? Okay that’s a little creepy.

But wait, right there on the ingredient label it says:

Warnings:

For external use only.

Do not use on broken skin.

Ask a doctor before use if you have kidney disease.

Stop use if rash or irritation occurs.

Keep out of reach of children. If swallowed, get medical help or contact a poison control center right away.

I always looked at warning labels like this, and it never struck me that I was rubbing poison into my armpits. Weird, huh?

No, I’m not saying we should all just go throw out all our deodorants but I personally find the whole thing rather creepy. Hmm. What do you think?

Comments

3 responses to “Poison in my armpits?”

  1. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    i watched that video a few days ago… its pretty interesting! kinda scary, but interesting! i cant believe some of the things we put on our bodies everyday!

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  2. PJ Avatar
    PJ

    I didn’t use to take all the “cancer hysteria” seriously, that is until I got cancer myself. Twice. I now get it. Yea, it is a good idea to avoid products with carcinogens. The good news is that there are healthier choices. There is a deodorant that comes in stick form called “crystal body deodorant stick” that is recommended for breast cancer patients. It is sold under different brands and can be purchased in places like Market of Choice, or health food stores. It seems expensive, but isn’t, because it lasts forever. One will last over a year. I had to use it during cancer treatment, and liked it so much that I continue to use it. A less conventional idea, that my husband uses, is cheap, can be made from kitchen ingredients,and works better for him that any commercial deodorant. You simply mix one part baking soda with one part cornstarch and store in a clean sprinkle container, like spices come in . Apply it to moist skin after showering. He just pats it on with his fingers. Maybe one of these ideas will work for you.

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  3. happymom4 Avatar
    happymom4

    I feel better since I switched to natural products for my personal care. My daughter’s skin/dandruff etc. have all improved. I believe it can make a HUGE diff for some of us–and probably makes a diff for EVERYONE in some way or another. My fav deoderant is organic tea-tree and lavender oil. LOVE it–and it is very effective for me. I also use only paraben and Sodium Laurel Sulfate free soaps, shampoos etc. due to the danger of those ingredients.

    30 Days of Prayer for Katya
    http://www.xanga.com/happymom4

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