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Tempe, Ariz., Company Markets Aluminum-Free, All-Natural Deodorant

Posted on: Wednesday, 29 December 2004, 18:00 CST

Dec. 29--A Tempe company is taking advantage of a new government warning on antiperspirants to market an aluminum-free, all-natural deodorant that uses a bacteria-eating plant from the Swiss Alps to keep keep the smell away.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled this month that antiperspirants must carry an FDA warning telling consumers about the potential health hazards of aluminum-containing products. The warnings say people with kidney disease should consult a doctor before they use the product. The label also says antiperspirants should be kept out of reach of children. It recommends calling a poison control center if the product is swallowed.

Capitalizing on the news, 21st Century Healthcare says it has a safe alternative called Herbal Clear Naturally, a deodorant that does not contain aluminum or paraben-based preservatives.

"We just believe there's a need for an alternative in that glut of aluminum-based products," said Steve Snyder, president of the company. "There's very few products that are value-priced and we just think it's a wonderful niche market opportunity, particularly with the mass market relationships 21st Century already has."

The FDA mandate, issued in a final rule in the Federal Register in June, was 15 years in the making, said William Grundemann, director of the Herbal Clear Naturally division. He said aluminum is used in antiperspirants to clog the pores. "In other words your putting metal into your cellular system to stop sweat from coming out," he said. "Antiperspirants stop a bodily function, sweating, which is not necessarily good. Your glands are trying to get rid of waste material. You just want to obviously not have an odor while you sweat." Herbal Clear Naturally uses lichen to ward off the smell. Grundemann says the plant is being used in FDA clinical trials as an antibiotic.

"It just seeks out bacteria and kills it," he said. "What it does in our product is it stops the decomposing molecules in sweat. Once they decompose, they stink. So if we can stop the metabolism of the decomposition, they don't have any odor." All it takes is six to eight good swipes under each arm, he says. "It takes two to three days for a body to exude chemicals you've been putting on," Grundemann said. "You'll be odor-free. I can guarantee that."

The company says a 1990 study done by the Battelle Seattle Research Center found the overall risk for Alzheimer's disease was 60 percent greater than normal among lifetime users of aluminum-containing antiperspirants "with a trend toward a higher risk with increasing frequency of use." The study appeared in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology.

The company also says aluminum in antiperspirants has a possible link to breast cancer in both men and women since it is easily absorbed through the skin into the fatty tissues of the breast. It points to research from the Journal of Applied Toxicology that found "The strongest ... evidence comes from the unexplained clinical observations showing a disproportionately high incidence of breast cancer in the upper quadrant of the breast, just the local to which these cosmetics are applied."

The FDA said antiperspirants are generally recognized as safe and effective and should not be toxic for most people if they are swallowed. Those with renal dysfunction or immature renal function, like infants, are at a higher risk from any exposure to aluminum, the FDA said. While the agency said it did not find current evidence sufficient to conclude aluminum from antiperspirant use results in Alzheimer's disease, it did say literature on the topic remains controversial and unresolved.

"In summary, the literature shows that at high doses and long-term industrial exposures, aluminum can be associated with recognizable, specific neurologic effects," the agency said in the Federal Register. "However, to date, the agency considers the evidence insufficient to link aluminum to Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease or ALS." The agency found the theory that aluminum antiperspirants cause breast cancer also lacked sufficient evidence.

Grundemann said more research is needed to ensure there is no risk.

Aside from the aluminum, Herbal Clear is also paraben-free. Parabens, used as a preservative in deodorants, were found in breast cancer tumors during a study at the University of Reading in Reading, England, Grundemann said.

"I can promise you we will see a movement against the use of paraben-based preservatives next," he said. Grundemann founded a company called Herbal Care Systems, which held the trade name for Herbal Clear. He sold it to Snyder because many of 21st Century's products are sold by large retailers. Body Blue of Toronto, the largest deodorant filler in North America makes the product. While most all-natural deodorants sell for $4 or more, Grundemann says Herbal Clear is priced from $1.99 to $2.29.

Locally, it can be found in small drug and grocery chains and at selected Targets and Walgreens. It can be can be ordered at www.21stcenturyvitamins.com on the Web.

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Source: The Tribune

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