Almost everyone has been touched by cancer in some way. I stopped wearing traditional antiperspirants in 2010 when research surfaced linking aluminum and parabens to breast cancer – and started looking for solutions to keep my family safe. 

It’s why I made natural deodorant for my daughter and family in my kitchen. This passion turned into a movement and a mission to provide education about the ingredients in the products we put on our bodies. The fact is that traditional deodorants and antiperspirants contain aluminum and parabens. 

Research has linked breast cancer with the use of aluminum-based, underarm antiperspirants. The higher rate of tumors in the upper, outer quadrant of the breast, as well as traces of aluminum and parabens found in that tissue, seem to support this conclusion. 

Parabens are sneaky – they hide in most cosmetics and body care products as chemical preservatives. But while parabens inhibit the growth of bacteria and help keep a product “fresh” for longer, they have a more sinister effect. In a January 2012 issue of the Journal of Applied Technology, parabens were found in 100 percent of all cancerous breast tumors. Which is why we say “NO WAY” to aluminum and parabens. Your health depends on it!

So, what can you do? Pretty Frank Pit Tips for breast cancer prevention: 

  • Read those labels! 
  • Know your ingredients  
  • Choose a truly natural deodorant made with only food grade, organic and non-GMO ingredients.  
  • Choose products with a minimal number of ingredients listed…. Pretty Frank only has 6!  
  • Apply your natural deodorant with your fingers while you self-check for lumps.  Power to the pointer! 

To help you get started with monthly self-checks, we recommend downloading the Keep A Breast app. It walks you through what to do and keeps you informed about ways to protect your breasts (and your life). 

Keep A Breast’s mission to prevent cancer aligns with our mission to knock toxic products that cause these issues. Our shared values around education and prevention make sense for a partnership. And for the month of October, we’re donating 2% percent of all sales to help get the word out about self-checks and other ways to prevent breast cancer. For more information, check out https://www.keep-a-breast.org/. 

 

Amy Perez 

Founder