When I was asked the question, what is a chemical product I use that can be found at home, the very first thing that came to my mind was my antiperspirant or deodorant.Antiperspirants are personal hygiene products that are designed to control the amount of body sweat and body odour. One of the ingredients found in antiperspirant is Aluminum chlorohydrate. Antiperspirant or deodorant is the common name for this compound. The chemical name is aluminum chlorohydrate and the IUPAC name is dialuminum (3+) ion hydrate chloride pentahydroxide and the chemical formula is Al2Cl2(OH)5.
This chemical is not that deadly; however, you should be aware of the aluminum intake just to be on the safer side and prevent accumulation of aluminum in blood. Excessive exposure to aluminum can cause aluminum toxicity which could cause some short-term symptoms such as difficulty learning, irritability, short-term memory loss, disorientation, depression, mental confusion, gastrointestinal upsets, and headaches, just to name a few, whereas in the long run aluminum toxicity may lead to nerve damage, kidney damage, and osteomalacia which is the softening of bones due to vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus deficiency.
Aluminum chlorohydrate is a group of specific aluminum salts and it is prepared by a method which begins with forming aluminum methoxide from aluminum alkoxides using methanol; recovering aluminum methoxide as a solid precipitate phase, washing the compound to remove higher alcohols and drying it to recover a powder; and finally, reacting the recovered powdered aluminum methoxide with dilute hydrochloric acid to form aluminum chlorohydrate. So how is this chemical useful? Well the aluminum chlorohydrate in antiperspirants serves to reduce excessive sweating by directly blocking the sweat ducts. It also alters the pH balance of the skin and the production of sweat. And while the aluminum chlorohydrate reduces the amount of sweat on the skin surface, the ingredient also creates a skin environment which is hostile to the growth of malodor-producing bacteria to help reduce underarm odour. Aluminum chlorohydrate is also used in water and waste management processes wherein it acts as a coagulant.
Aluminum allergy is not as common as other allergies and it is rarely noticed. Those who are allergic to aluminum may experience contact dermatitis (itchy skin, rashes, etc.) when exposed to aluminum in deodorants and antiperspirants. There have been a few controversies over the use of aluminum chlorohydrate as an antiperspirant. One of the reasons why most people try to avoid aluminum in deodorant or antiperspirant is its possible link to Alzheimer’s disease. While experts have not come to a consensus that aluminum causes Alzheimer’s, there is some strong evidence of a link. For instance, in 1988 a truck driver accidentally dumped 20 tons of aluminum sulfate in to a town's drinking water. Now, over 20 years later, they are finding a higher incidence of Alzheimer’s in the people of this town that were exposed to the aluminum in the drinking water. Chemicals like aluminum chlorohydrate are estrogenic mimickers that can throw off the body's delicate hormonal balance. While no evidence suggests that alum carries this particular risk, it is a form of aluminum and would carry the same possible link to Alzheimer's. The toxicity of potassium alum is also quite high. Another misconception is that aluminum chlorohydrate is linked to breast cancer but there has been no concrete evidence supporting this and research done on it has been inconclusive. People who are concerned about aluminum chlorohydrate being a huge issue do have some other alternatives with deodorants that have ingredients such as vegetable glycerine, charcoal, vinegar, baking soda, green tea, aloe vera gel, natural preservatives like bioflavonoids and lichen and also essential oils.
Personally, I do not use antiperspirants as much as deodorants which I use on a regular basis because my main problem is odour and dryness is not a huge issue but finding out about all these possible issues with the use of aluminum, I might try to not use it as often just to be on the safer side. I chose this product because it is a product used on a daily basis by most people and as it is easily accessible, I thought it would be useful to know the possible adverse effects it could have on some individuals if not careful.
Resources:
- https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/6328160#section=Top
- http://chemicaloftheday.squarespace.com/most-controversial/2010/1/21/aluminum-in-crystal-deodorant-stones.html
- https://greenlivingideas.com/2008/02/26/natural-deodorants-and-antiperspirants/
- https://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB11573
- http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4267161.html
- http://www5.csudh.edu/oliver/chemdata/com_name.htm
- https://www.tomsofmaine.com/our-promise/ingredients/aluminum-chlorohydrate-
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