Beauty Tips For Body Care
Let me preface this post by saying that while there are plenty of studies investigating the causes of underarm malodour, a lot remains unknown on this topic, so I will focus on the known bacteria and the compounds they produce that contribute to that stanky stank-stank in our underarms. Needless to say, this is not meant as an extensive resource on underarm malodour but rather as persuasive argument for using hydroxy acids as a deodorant (as per the title). Types of sweat glands: Human beings have two kinds of sweat glands: Apocrine and eccrine. They differ in their function, distribution, composition and secretion. Eccrine glands: (1) regulate our body temperature through perspiration; (2) are distributed throughout the body with the highest number on our underarms, palms of our hands and soles of our feet; (3) pass through the epidermis and empty their contents (i.e. sweat) to the surface through pores; (4) secrete sweat that is composed of water, sodium chloride, fatty acids, lactic acid, citric acid, ascorbic acid, urea, and uric acid. Apocrine glands, on the other hand: (1) have no consensus on their function; (2) are located in regions with long and intermediate hairs (i.e. scalp, underarms, areola and nipples, ear canal, perianal region and some parts of the external genitalia); (3) empty their contents into hair follicles; (4) secrete sweat that is composed of water, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and steroids. Why sweat reeks: It is the sweat secreted by apocrine glands that have the potential to become malodorous. The initial sweat secretion, however, does not smell bad. It starts stinking because there are specific bacteria strains (i.e. Staphylococcus and Corynebacterium) abundant in this region due to its warm and moist (read: moooooiiiiiisssttttt) environment that metabolize the constituents of sweat (i.e. proteins and lipids) into odour molecules such as acetic acid, volatile fatty acids, sulfanyls, and thioalcohols. Traditional deodorants: The way traditional deodorants work is by inhibiting bacterial growth through the use of alcohols and salts, so that these cannot metabolize the sweat, as well as masking the scent of the odour molecules with fragrance. Antiperspirants also prevent sweating with aluminium compounds that react with the sweat to form precipitate salt, which enters into the pore opening of eccrine glands to form a plug, so that the sweat cannot reach the skin surface. In the last decade, traditional deodorants and antiperspirants have been subjected to a lot of public scrutiny due, in large part, to an email (https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/breast-defense/) circulating around in 1999 that claimed that the aluminium-based compounds in antiperspirants lead to breast cancer. The email claimed that these compounds are deposited into the lymph nodes under the arm through razor nicks when shaving, and that this causes toxins to accumulate in the upper outer quadrant of the breast tissue closest to the lymph node (which is where most breast cancers develop) because it cannot get rid of the sweat, which leads to cells mutating into cancer. However, the American Cancer Society states: “Some researchers have suggested that the aluminium compounds in antiperspirants may be absorbed into the skin and cause changes in cause changes in estrogen receptors of breast cells. Because estrogen can promote the growth of both cancer and non-cancer breast cells, some scientists have suggested that using the aluminum-based compounds in antiperspirants may be a risk factor for the development of breast cancer. But it isn’t clear that much aluminum is absorbed through the skin. One study that looked at the absorption of aluminum from antiperspirants containing aluminum chlorohydrate applied to the underarms found that only a tiny fraction (0.012%) was absorbed. The actual amount of aluminum absorbed would be much less than what would be expected to be absorbed from the foods a person eats during the same time. It also doesn’t seem that breast cancer tissue contains more aluminum than normal breast tissue. A study that looked at women with breast cancer found no real difference in the concentration of aluminum between the cancer and the surrounding normal tissue. At this point, no clear link has been made between antiperspirants containing aluminum and breast cancer.” (https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/antiperspirants-and-breast-cancer-risk.html). “Natural” deodorants: It is this breast cancer scare that has many people turn to “natural” (read: aluminium-free) deodorants. I regularly see posts on this subreddit discussing natural deodorants, with many expressing disappointment with the ones they have used thus far because they fail to keep the stank away. There is even a popular recipe going around online that contains baking soda, cornstarch and coconut oil that some people have had success with. Baking soda is effective at neutralizing the malodorous acids but at a cost. Our skin maintains an optimum pH-level of 4.5-6.5. Baking soda has a pH-value of 9.0. Applying baking soda to your underarms disrupts the acid mantle, which introduces a host of new problems. I present to you the best “natural” solution... hydroxy acids!: Also known as AHAs and BHAs, these hydroxy acids apparently create an inhospitable environment for pathogens (read: Staphylococcus and Corynebacterium). They transverse their lipid bilayer and dissociate within the cytoplasm, thereby lowering the cytoplasmic pH and killing the bacteria (https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/hydroxyacid), or so is speculated... Now, I have not been able to find any studies that specifically investigate these pathways, but I do wonder if this could be the reason why AHAs and BHAs work so well as deodorants. I, myself, have experimented with the Stridex Maximum Pads (wasteful packaging, I know), Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 and most recently, the Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution, all of which have worked equally well on me, and have lasted much longer on me than regular deodorants. I can easily skip a day of deodorant without smelling rancid. Another upside to using an AHA or BHA as deodorant, is that it removes and prevents ingrown hairs! I also use this on my girly bits and it similarly removes and prevents malodour and ingrown hairs.So anyway, this is my plea for everyone to start using AHAs/BHAs on the underarms in lieu of their regular deodorant!*Obviously, this does not apply to individuals who get prescription-strength antiperspirants from their doctors to treat their hyperhidrosis. TL;DR: Use an AHA or BHA for your underarms instead or regular or “natural” deodorant.
Girls Blog 2015
Submitted by magnusardottir
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