Axe the Anti-Perspirant

Let's take another break from inside grocery baseball and delve into the particulars of AXE DRY Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant.

Wired.com's Patrick Di Justo expose of this product appeared in May, but you can find it here and some good parts here:


Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex GLY
Nearly every antiperspirant has a mineral — usually aluminum — that dissolves into the skin with the first beads of sweat. This active ingredient causes underarm pores to swell shut, which stops more sweat from seeping out. And it kills odor-causing bacteria. Not convinced rubbing metal under your arms is the way to go? You could always try the hippest new antiperspirant trend: Botox. Injected into the pits, the toxins keep you totally dry (if a little tingly).

PPG-14 butyl ether
PPG stands for polypropylene glycol, one of those wondrous substances that can be made into anything — from wound dressings to lipstick. A mild skin irritant, PPG-14BE is an anti static agent. So what is it doing here? Perhaps because dry armpits sometimes build up static cling. Then again, it's also sometimes used as an insecticide, in case you're attracting flies.

Talc
Baby powder is safe, right? At least for grown men. Turns out, some studies suggest there's a link between genital talc use and ovarian cancer. So keep your pits out of your girlfriend's pants.

p.s.

I'd add that you can find products with out the usual aluminum, which also discolors your clothing, but these items are only classified at deodorants, not anti perspirants.