Does Dove Deodorant Have Aluminum: What To Use Instead?

When it comes to personal hygiene, few products are as essential as deodorant. For men and women alike, applying deodorant is a morning ritual no one wants to forget. Created to combat body odor, deodorants work by neutralizing the smell produced by bacteria on the skin, typically in areas like the underarms.

Despite the popularity of the word “deodorant,” many people use antiperspirants instead. The defining factor of an antiperspirant is the presence of aluminum that blocks sweat ducts. More specifically, aluminum salts create a temporary plug in the sweat ducts reducing perspiration. This seems great, right? In spite of its effectiveness, aluminum has sparked debates due to its potential links to health issues.

Enter Dove, a leader in the personal care industry and a go-to-choice for many consumers seeking underarm care solutions. But does Dove include aluminum in its formulations?

This post aims to unravel this question and offer suggestions for those concerned about the potential health risks associated with aluminum-based underarm care. Let’s look at the ingredients of Dove antiperspirants and explore which options prioritize both personal hygiene and well-being.

Does Dove Deodorant Have Aluminum: What To Use Instead?

To begin with, like many prominent brands, Dove offers a range of deodorants tailored to various needs and preferences. Most of their underarm products are antiperspirants, meaning that they are designed to plug sweat glands rather than reduce odor-causing bacteria. But as health-conscious consumers are often looking to avoid aluminum, does Dove offer both options?

Dove Deodorants And Antiperspirants

Interestingly, not all Dove deodorants contain aluminum. In response to growing consumer concerns about potentially harmful ingredients, Dove has introduced alternatives such as their 0% aluminum deodorant range.

However, after reviewing Dove’s 0 aluminum deodorant, I didn’t find any ingredients used to reduce underarm bacteria growth. Rather, it would seem that underarm sticks are largely made up of moisturizers and artificial fragrances that mask body odor. I found this surprising as most deodorants include ingredients to eliminate stinky bacteria. This is needed particularly in the underarms because that area is usually warm, moist, and damp – perfect for bacteria growth.

As you will see in the table below, some Dove underarm care options contain several concerning ingredients. They include:

• aluminum compounds (read more below)
• cyclopentasiloxane (read my blog post The Intriguing Story of Cyclopentasiloxane)
• undisclosed fragrances (learn more about fragrance in my Natural Fragrance blog post)
• BHT (suspected to be hormone-disrupting and may have a carcinogenic impact; being assessed by the European Union chemicals database for endocrine disruption.)
• synthetic dyes (e.g., yellow 5, green 3: concerns related to heavy metal residues as well as carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting byproducts of petroleum)
• ethoxylated ingredients (e.g., steareth-100: made with carcinogenic ethylene oxide which may remain in the final product; more on ethoxylated ingredients in my blog post about polysorbates)
• skin contact allergens (e.g., benzyl alcohol, benzyl benzoate, benzyl salicylate, cinnamyl alcohol, citronellol, coumarin, hexyl cinnamal, limonene, linalool: on the restricted European Annex III List and may be standalone ingredients), and
• propylene glycol (concern with causing allergic and irritant contact dermatitis).

Understandably, it can be frustrating to learn that a large brand, like Dove, uses these ingredients. But don’t be discouraged! It’s easy to spot toxins like these in everyday products with the help of my Savvy Consumer Superpower E-Book.

Examples Of Dove Underarm Products

In the table below are some concerning ingredients in some Dove underarm products as of May 2024.

What Are The Side Effects Of Aluminum In Deodorant?

Like many antiperspirants on the market, most Dove products contain aluminum. In fact, I know this because I have reviewed other brands as well. Check out my post Is Old Spice Deodorant Safe?.

So, what is the problem with aluminum?

Firstly, the concerns about aluminum are controversial. True, aluminum salts may help prevent embarrassing sweat marks on clothing. However, the side effects of aluminum have been a topic of research for years.

In fact, aluminum chloride was first used in antiperspirants in1903, but it was highly acidic and caused irritation (source). As a result, manufacturers have tinkered with different compounds, and today we commonly see aluminum chlorohydrate (ACH) or aluminum zirconium chlorohydrate glycine complexes. We will explore the safety considerations of these aluminum compounds next.

Breast-Cancer Association

Since aluminum antiperspirants are applied to outer breast tissue, and aluminum has been found in breast tissue and tumors, there has been significant debate on its safety and correlation to breast cancer (source).  

On the one hand, in 2003, McGrath reported with regard to a population of breast cancer patients that those who used more antiperspirant products on a shaved underarm tended to be diagnosed with breast cancer at an earlier age.

On the other hand, there are no studies that prove aluminum in underarm products increases the risk for breast cancer. Yet, the deodorant and breast cancer connection should not be dismissed.  

As one article points out, there is a blatant lack of long-term studies, and most are performed with very small sample sizes (source). As the American Cancer Society explains, cancer is complex and may have several contributing factors (source). I have also found studies that were paid for by antiperspirant manufacturers such as Proctor and Gamble (source). While those researchers state no conflict of interest, I feel that we lack a complete picture of aluminum’s potential impacts (source and source).

Another study reviewing the impacts of aluminum exposure over the course of a lifetime waves a clear flag of warning about aluminum and cancer. Across history, scientists have notoriously dismissed many toxic chemicals as unrelated to cancer, but which we now know with certainty are carcinogenic. These researchers specifically point to breast cancer in those exposed to aluminum and urge restrictions where absorption is susceptible, such as the underarm (source and source).

Alzheimer’s Association

Furthermore, breast cancer is not the only associated concern. For decades, scientists have wondered whether Alzheimer’s disease was correlated with aluminum exposure. Once again, at this point, we do not have hard-and-fast proof that it does, and some will argue that it has been studied sufficiently to be dismissed. Yet, aluminum isn’t necessary or healthy for our bodies (source).

This study concludes that the experimental evidence linking aluminum to Alzheimer’s is sound and should be explored further with different approaches. The paper concludes that individuals should make immediate efforts to reduce their exposure to aluminum as it “may be the single most aggravating and avoidable factor related to Alzheimer’s” (source).

Other Aluminum Concerns

Next, as I mentioned earlier, antiperspirants use aluminum to block sweat ducts. This may actually reduce our bodies’ ability to excrete toxins, such as aluminum, as it normally would. This, in and of itself, has peaked the concern of some scientists (source). Should we be blocking pathways for our bodies to eliminate toxins?

Further, aluminum in antiperspirants is known for causing yellowish stains or clothing damage, and it can be irritating to some individuals. This is the case particularly if it is not used in a formula to reduce its acidity (source).

Lastly, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires a warning statement on antiperspirants that reads:

• “Do not use on broken skin.”
• “Stop use if rash or irritation occurs.”
• “Ask a doctor before use if you have kidney disease.”

Aluminum Concentration

When I evaluate the safety of any chemical, I review regulations both in the US and in Europe. Currently, the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has a published report on the safety of aluminum in cosmetics.  Based on scientific evidence, the SCCS recommends far lower aluminum concentrations (6.25%) than what we see available in Dove and other antiperspirants today (~19-20%).

Given these points, many individuals opt for aluminum-free deodorant alternatives which provide odor protection without the associated risks with aluminum. After all, while aluminum is prevalent in nature, it is not a metal that our bodies have any dietary need for. In fact, it appears to only be a source for potential problems (source).

30 Best Aluminum-Free Deodorant Options

In an abundance of caution, I believe it is best to avoid aluminum in underarm care. Especially so when there are so many clean and effective aluminum-free options. I have rounded up a variety of the cleanest formulations on the market, free of aluminum and other toxins. Generally speaking, these work as some of the ingredients change the pH of the skin to reduce the growth of bacteria in the underarms. This neutralizes the potential for body odor. Each company takes its own approach and will have different textures and qualities.

You will notice formulas containing baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), while others are baking soda-free. Despite being safe to eat, baking soda can be too alkaline for some people’s skin and may cause irritation (source). If that is the case for you, try one of the baking soda-free options.

Some individuals are sensitive to fragrance ingredients, even carefully sourced essential oils. This is because essential oils are naturally formed with hundreds of compounds. If you are sensitive to naturally derived oils, opt for essential oil-free formulas. I am less concerned about these allergens when they are naturally occurring in trace amounts, compared to when used in higher quantities as standalone ingredients.

Aluminum-Free Deodorants

Conclusion: Are Deodorants With Aluminum Okay To Use?

Aluminum-Based Antiperspirants Are Controversial And Often Contain Other Concerning Ingredients. Alternatively, Aluminum-Free Natural Deodorants Are Safe And Effective.

In sum, we have discussed the importance of underarm care products in our personal hygiene routine. Many people use antiperspirants that contain sweat-blocking aluminum salts rather than classic bacteria-reducing deodorants. However, the daily use of aluminum is controversial as it is associated with many health concerns.

Next, we reviewed several underarm products by Dove for any ingredients of concern. In short, they contain many common toxins. To learn more, read my non-toxic deodorant guide. Ultimately, I recommend you skip your “daily dose of Dove” due to their choice of ingredients – even in their aluminum-free varieties.

Third, we reviewed the association aluminum has with breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease to provide you with perspectives from both sides of the controversy. Furthermore, while the European Commission allows aluminum in antiperspirants, the limit deemed safe by the SCCS is significantly lower than the concentrations found in American antiperspirants (source).

Aluminum-free deodorant is safer.

Finally, one thing is abundantly clear, while aluminum-based deodorants remain controversial, aluminum-free deodorants do not increase the risk for breast cancer (source). In other words, when everything else is equal, aluminum-free deodorant is safer.

Plus, I evaluated 30 aluminum-free, clean-ingredient deodorant options. These options utilize such ingredients as baking soda or magnesium to reduce body odor-causing bacteria. Rather than masking odors, these ingredients can effectively stop unpleasant odors. Personally, I like Pure Haven Baking Soda-Free Deodorant. It is made by the company with which I am deeply familiar and trust their robust manufacturing practices. The deodorant works very well, perhaps due to the use of zinc oxide.  With the wide variety of formulas available, I am confident you can find a toxin-free option that will be right for you.

For more information on non-toxic products and ingredients, check out the I Read Labels For You blog. Also, visit my non-toxic home, personal care, skincare, and makeup shop, download my e-books, and have a consultation with me if you need assistance with taking steps to non-toxic living.

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