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Simply The Pits: These Underarm Myths!
Plus: most common Pilates mistakes
The 10almonds Team
January 13, 2024
Today’s almonds have been activated by:
Fun fact: Lactic acid doesn't cause post-exercise muscle soreness, and exercise actually promotes the production of lactate, which opposes the build-up of any acidity in the muscles.
A little (moderate!) soreness after exercise is due to physical processes as your muscles recover and adapt.
⏰ IN A RUSH?
Today’s 30-Second Summary
If you don’t have time to read the whole email today, here are some key takeaways:
Commercial deodorants have a lot of chemicals, but large systematic reviews have found them to be very safe. However, some bad science has muddied the waters (don’t worry, we unmuddy them).
There are important functional differences between men’s and women’s deodorants, and those differences are unrelated to—and rarely, if ever, mentioned by—their marketing! (See today’s main feature for more on this)
Doesn’t it feel a bit brutal sometimes when the dentist is scraping off plaque?
Today’s sponsor, LIVFRESH, have developed a gel that safely dissolves plaque without harming the teeth or gums (this is such an impressive breakthrough that we included a link to the actual science in the sponsor section; check it out!)
Read on to learn about these things and more…
👀 WATCH AND LEARN
Most Common Pilates Exercises Done Incorrectly (13:16)
Dr. Kristie Ennis gives a quick rundown:
Pilates menu:
Want to watch it, but not right now? Bookmark it for later 🔖
🙋 MAIN FEATURE
Are We Taking A Risk To Smell Fresh As A Daisy?
Yesterday, we asked you for your health-related view of underarm deodorants, and got the above-depicted, below-described, set of answers:
About 38% said "Alternatives like deodorant rocks have fewer chemicals and are thus safer"
About 27% said "They are harmless, helpful, and important for good hygiene"
About 22% said "Soap and water is a safe, simple, and sufficient alternative"
About 8% said "They can all cause (or increase risk of) breast cancer and are best avoided"
About 6% said "If you can smell my armpits, you're standing too close and that's on you"
So, what does the science say?
They can cause (or increase risk of) cancer: True or False?
False, so far as we know. Obviously it’s very hard to prove a negative, but there is no credible evidence that deodorants cause cancer.
The belief that they do comes from old in vitro studies applying the deodorant directly to the cells in question, like this one with canine kidney tissues in petri dishes:
Which means that if you’re not a dog and/or if you don’t spray it directly onto your internal organs, this study’s data doesn’t apply to you.
In contrast, more modern systematic safety reviews have found…
❝Neither is there clear evidence to show use of aluminum-containing underarm antiperspirants or cosmetics increases the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease or breast cancer.
Metallic aluminum, its oxides, and common aluminum salts have not been shown to be either genotoxic or carcinogenic.❞
(however, one safety risk it did find is that we should avoid eating it excessively while pregnant or breastfeeding)
Alternatives like deodorant rocks have fewer chemicals and thus are safer: True or False?
True and False, respectively. That is, they do have fewer chemicals, but cannot in scientific terms be qualifiably, let alone quantifiably, described as safer than a product that was already found to be safe.
Deodorant rocks are usually alum crystals, by the way; that is to say, aluminum salts of various kinds. So if it was aluminum you were hoping to avoid, it’s still there.
However, if you’re trying to cut down on extra chemicals, then yes, you will get very few in deodorant rocks, compared to the very many in spray-on or roll-on deodorants!
Soap and water is a safe, simple, and sufficient alternative: True or False?
True or False, depending on what you want as a result!
If you care that your deodorant also functions as an antiperspirant, then no, soap and water will certainly not have an antiperspirant effect.
If you care only about washing off bacteria and eliminating odor for the next little while, then yes, soap and water will work just fine.
Bonus myths:
There is no difference between men’s and women’s deodorants, apart from the marketing: True or False?
False! While to judge by the marketing, the only difference is that one smells of “evening lily” and the other smells of “chainsaw barbecue” or something, the real difference is…
The “men’s” kind is designed to get past armpit hair and reach the skin without clogging the hair up.
The “women’s” kind is designed to apply a light coating to the skin that helps avoid chafing and irritation.
In other words… If you are a woman with armpit hair or a man without, you might want to ignore the marketing and choose according to your grooming preferences.
Hopefully you can still find a fragrance that suits!
Shaving (or otherwise depilating) armpits is better for hygiene: True or False?
True or False, depending on what you consider “hygiene”.
Consistent with popular belief, shaving means there is less surface area for bacteria to live. And empirically speaking, that means a reduction in body odor:
However, shaving typically causes microabrasions, and while there’s no longer hair for the bacteria to enjoy, they now have access to the inside of your skin, something they didn’t have before. This can cause much more unpleasant problems in the long-run, for example:
❝Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic and debilitating skin disease, whose lesions can range from inflammatory nodules to abscesses and fistulas in the armpits, groin, perineum, inframammary region❞
If this seems a bit “damned if you do; damned if you don’t”, this writer’s preferred way of dodging both is to use electric clippers (the buzzy kind, as used for cutting short hair) to trim hers down low, and thus leave just a little soft fuzz.
What you do with yours is obviously up to you; our job here is just to give the information for everyone to make informed decisions whatever you choose :)
Take care!
❤️ OUR SPONSORS MAKE THIS PUBLICATION POSSIBLE
Dissolve plaque, without harming teeth/gums
LIVFRESH make some bold claims:
❝We have made the first breakthrough in the dental industry since 1914.❞
❝LIVFRESH performs 250% better at removing plaque than a market leader❞
The first claim is about using molecular nanotechnology instead of abrasion, to remove plaque. The claim is worded a little strongly, but it genuinely is a major breakthrough.
The second claim... We love randomized clinical trials! So we looked it up, and found it:
Now, the sample size was small (33), but the results were overwhelmingly positive. And the test group had a worse gingival index than control, before starting—and much better afterwards:
In other words, the competition was stacked against the product, and it still won clear. With this in mind, we're very happy to recommend LIVFRESH's edathamil*-based dental gel!
*That's their patented formula that breaks down plaque on a molecular level, without damaging teeth.
It comes in multiple flavors, so you get two links today:
If you're unsure which to go for, we recommend the peppermint, as it has fewer ingredients, and is a true gel rather than a foaming gel.
PS: 10almonds subscribers can use code DENTAL20 for 20% off at checkout 😎
Please do visit our sponsors—they help keep 10almonds free
🤫 A WORD TO THE WISE
 | Watered-Down Truth?Tap or bottled? Cold or warm? Can you tell fact from fiction when it comes to these popular beliefs about safe (or not) drinking water? |
📖 ONE-MINUTE BOOK REVIEW
Veg in One Bed New Edition: How to Grow an Abundance of Food in One Raised Bed, Month by Month – by Huw Richards
We all know that growing our own veg is ultimately not only healthier on the plate, but also a very healthy activity. Cheaper too. So why don't more of us do it?
For many of us, it's a matter of not having the skills or knowledge to do so. This book bridges that knowledge-gap.
Richards gives, as promised, a month-by-month well-illustrated guide to growing a wide variety of vegetables. He does, by the way, assume that we are in a temperate climate in the Northern Hemisphere. So if you’re not, you may need to make some adjustments.
The book doesn't assume prior knowledge, and does give the reader everything we need from an initial basic shopping list onwards.
A particular strength of this book is that it's about growing veg in a single raised bed—this ensures keeping everything very manageable.
Bottom line: if you have ever thought it would be good to grow your own veg, but didn't know where to start and want something practical for a beginner, this is an excellent guide that will get you going!
What did you think of today's newsletter?We always love to hear from you, whether you leave us a comment or even just a click in the poll if you're speeding by! |
May good health information be always at your fingertips,
The 10almonds Team