Sorry to change the note here, but thought you guys might want to read this. It mentions parabens, but what it doesn’t say is that parabens come in all kids of stuff we use, shampoo, lotion, conditioner, shaving cream you name it, it’s there as a  preservative. By the way I use baking soda when I need it under my arms. It mentions it here too :o) I also go out of my way to by products without any parabens in it. (methylparaben propylparaben, there a few more types of parabens. It’s hard to find anything without it. Anyway something to think about before you go dabbing the kids underms with deoderant. By the way Taty, had b.o. before she was treated AND when she was oversupressed. I can’t figure that one out. She does fine now that her levels are good, and just gets a musty smell every once in a while. Good luck everyone. CAN DEODORANT GIVE YOU BREAST CANCER? Jan 12 2004 SPRAYS AND ROLL-ONS UNDER SUSPICION AS WORRYING CHEMICAL LINK IS FOUND By Claire Donnellly   IT’S as much a part of our morning routine as having a shower and brushing our teeth. For 40 years, spraying under our arms with deodorant has helped prepare us for the long and often sweaty day ahead. It’s easy to see why. Modern life demands such high standards of personal hygiene that a huge range of different deodorants and anti-perspirants have been developed to help keep body odour at bay. But alarming new research published today suggests that some of the products we use to stay fresh could be killing us. Now experts are warning we might have to start looking for new ways to keep smelling sweet. Scientists say they have found links between chemicals which are present in certain types of deodorants and rising breast cancer rates. Aluminium and zirconium, two of the most commonly used elements in anti-perspirants, have been found in human breast tumours. So using deodorants which also act as anti-perspirants could put us at risk.   CANCER SCARE: Deodorant Cancer experts are sceptical about the claims but agree more work is needed to look in to the problem. Delyth Morgan, chief executive of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, says: "Further research is needed to establish the source of the chemicals found in the breast tumour samples and what, if any, the relationship is to breast cancer." The number of Britons affected by the disease has doubled in 25 years - soaring from 20,000 in the 70s to more than 40,000 today. Breast cancer claims 13,000 British lives a year - and it isn’t only women who are suffering. In the past few years a growing number of victims have been men. Can it be coincidence that over the same period more and more men and women have started spraying or rolling on deodorant regularly, making us one of the biggest users in the world? WE spend £400million a year on deodorants, and even young children are getting the habit. But today’s report in the Journal Of Applied Toxicology shows that synthetic chemicals known as parabens, found in many underarm deodorants - both spray and roll-on - have been detected in breast tumours. The results suggest man-made substances are being absorbed through the skin and causing cancer. The study was carried out by Dr Philippa Dabre, a senior cancer researcher in the department of cell and molecular biology at the University of Reading. She explains: "Finding these chemicals in human breast tumours does matter, because we know from other work that they can mimic the way oestrogen works to drive cancer growth. "This is the first step. We need to see whether the chemicals are present in the healthy tissue and, if so, what the concentration levels are. "But we have detected these intact molecules and I don’t think it can be ignored." Although cancer charities remain sceptical, Dr Dabre also highlights the fact that in both sexes almost two thirds of breast cancer is found in the upper-outer section of the left breast. This could be because most people are right-handed and spray their left underarm more vigorously when applying deodorant. Dr Dabre said the findings challenged conventional thinking on how easily alien compounds can get into our systems. She says: "For years people have said there is no way they could enter the body because of our physiology but I think it is to do with a physical overload of chemicals and that some are being absorbed by skin. "This is the first study to show the accumulation of parabens in human tissues. "It demonstrates that if people are exposed to these chemicals, then the chemicals will accumulate in their bodies. "It would therefore seem especially prudent to consider whether parabens should continue to be used in such a wide range of cosmetics applied to the breast area (including anti- perspirants/deodorants). "Women managed for centuries without these materials and it has to be asked if we really need them now." As Dr Dabre points out, deodorants are a relatively new idea. They have been in existence for only just over 100 years, and the first anti-perspirant was invented in 1965. As manufacturers constantly look for new ways to keep people feeling fresh, brands such as Sure, Right Guard, Dove and Lynx all contain aluminium or zirconium-based compounds of the type named by Dr Dabre to block pores and stop us releasing sweat. Now her findings will have people worried - and could send more and more of us looking for alternative ways to maintain our personal hygiene. IN response to consumer fears, a whole array of non-chemical products have been developed to give people a choice. These natural deodorants stop sweat production not by blocking pores as anti-perspirants do but by using anti-bacterial agents to mask bad smells. Others use deodorising ingredients such as witch hazel, lichen extract, sage and tea tree oil to make sure body odour isn’t a problem. Weleda Sage Deodorant Spray, for example, is available in most health shops. Other popular remedies are those that include the naturally occurring compound zinc ricinoleate,which works by keeping odour on the skin’s surface so it doesn’t become airborne and smell. Green People offers an un-scented or rosemary-fragranced version at, but it has one drawback: it lasts for just six hours. Boots and Selfridges also offer Trust Underarm deodorant, which is aluminium-free and inhibits perspiration odour for several days. PitRok, which contains aloe vera, calendula and grapefruit seed extract, works by suppressing bacterial growth and is available from Boots and Selfridges. So is Origins’ alcohol-free solid deodorant, which contains field mint, basil, jasmine and blackcurrant. But the most unusual idea has to be Alvin Connor’s deodorant , a huge crystal that is claimed to leave behind an invisible mineral layer to stop odour when it is rubbed under the arms. Lasting a lifetime, it is available from some chemists and health food shops. Even humble baking soda can help. Applied directly to armpits, it absorbs sweat and kills off the bacteria that can create nasty smells. So before you reach for the spray or roll-on this morning, it might be worth having a think about how much being fresh really means to you.