Specific purpose: With this speech, the audience will: a) have a better understanding of the role of aluminum in deodorants/antiperspirants, b) understand the connection of aluminum to health problems, and c) know if we should worry about the use of deodorants/antiperspirants.
Introduction:
- Attention Getting Device: Who here happens to use deodorants or antiperspirants? Did you know that most deodorants and antiperspirants contain aluminum (Chameides)? Well, it just so happens that there exists a connection between aluminum and some serious health problems, such as breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and kidney problems (Watson). But, should you worry?
- Thesis: There is a connection between aluminum and some health issues, but, you should not worry about using deodorants or antiperspirants.
- Preview: To analyze the dangers of aluminum in deodorants and antiperspirants, it is important to answer these questions:
- What is the role of aluminum in deodorants and antiperspirants?
- Is there a connection between aluminum and some health problems?
- Should we be worried about using deodorants and antiperspirants?
Transition: First, we need to discuss the role of aluminum in deodorants and antiperspirants.
Body
- How does the aluminum in a deodorant or antiperspirant function?
- Aluminum-based compounds are used by antiperspirants to blocks sweating by clogging sweat ducts to stop sweat from reaching the surface, while aluminum-based compounds are used by deodorants to mask or cover the odor of sweat (National Cancer Institute).
- The aluminum salts in the deodorant mixes with water from sweat creating a physical plug (Chameides).
Transition: Now that we know how aluminum functions on deodorants and antiperspirants, we should know the risks of introducing aluminum to the body.
- What are the connections of aluminum to some health problems?
- Aluminum-based compounds may increase the chances of getting breast cancer. One study suggests that because antiperspirants are applied near the sides of the breasts, the skin may absorb aluminum-based chemicals and cause estrogen-like effects. Estrogen is believed to promote the growth of breast cancer cells (Stevenson).
- Studies found that the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease contain high levels of aluminum (Pendent).
- People who have kidney problems have a difficulty in processing aluminum. Many years ago, patients with kidney problems were given aluminum hydroxide. This drug will help control the high levels of phosphorous in the blood. But, their kidney couldn’t remove aluminum and it started to accumulate, causing dementia (Watson).
Transition: So aluminum may be involved with some health problems, and since most deodorants and antiperspirants contain aluminum, should we be worried?
- Should we be worried about using deodorants and antiperspirants?
- There is no convincing evidence of increase of breast cancer risk by using deodorants or antiperspirants. A well-designed study compared hundreds of breast cancer survivors and health women. No evidence was found to support the claim that antiperspirants or deodorants increase the chances of breast cancer (Watson).
- Later research could not replicate the findings of the early studies. There were many studies made to find the link between Alzheimer’s and aluminum, and found no any link. Experts eventually removed aluminum in the list of the possible causes of Alzheimer’s disease (Watson).
- Many deodorants and antiperspirants have warnings to ask doctors or experts if the user has a kidney problem. But, it must be noted that it is impossible to harm the kidneys by absorbing aluminum through the skin (Watson).
Transition: Now we know that we should not worry about the use of deodorants or antiperspirants.
Conclusion:
- Summary: We know more about the aluminum in deodorants and antiperspirants.
- We know how aluminum-based compounds work in deodorants and antiperspirants.
- We know the connections of aluminum to health problems.
- We should not worry about the use of deodorants and antiperspirants.
- Closing: Now that we know more about the function of the aluminum in deodorants/antiperspirants, and how aluminum may affect our health, we should be more aware of other chemicals that we use every day.
- Maybe we can create more health problem-free chemicals that can be alternatives to other harmful compounds that we use.
- We can be more conscious of the chemicals we apply to our body.
- We can ask experts and doctors for credible answers on whether the chemical is safe to use or unsafe.
References:
Chameides, B. “Aluminum, Antiperspirants and Scientific Studies: There’s the Rub”. Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. 2 February 2011. Web. 01 October 2014. From http://blogs.nicholas.duke.edu/thegreengrok/antiperspirants/.
National Cancer Institute. “Antiperspirants/Deodorants and Breast Cancer”. National Institute of Health. Web. 01 October 2014. From http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/AP-Deo.
Pendent, Rachel. "Is antiperspirant toxic?". HowStuffWorks.com. 20 August 2009. Web. 01 October 2014. From http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/underarm-care/tips/is-antiperspirant-toxic.htm.
Stevenson, H. “Antiperspirants: Cause of Breast Cancer?”. GreenMedInfo.com. 15 July 2013. Web. 01 October 2014. From http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/antiperspirants-cause-breast-cancer.
Watson, S. “Antiperspirant Safety: Should You Sweat It?”. WebMD, LLC (pages 1-3). 2005-2014. Web. 01 October 2014. From http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/features/antiperspirant-facts-safety.
