Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Forty-five healthy study participants demonstrated that sage extract in 3 incremental doses was an effective alternative to conventional deodorants in eliminating axillary malodor.
Armpit malodor is caused by bacteria such as Staphylococcus epidemidis and Cornebacterium species which transform sweat into an offending odor 1. Conventional deodorants contain effective antibacterial agents such as triclosan and aluminum salts 2; however, both increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and breast and prostate cancers 3-5 as well as skin irritation 6, thus augmenting the need for more natural deodorants.
In a 2013 study 7, 45 healthy female subjects between the ages of 50 and 62 had one armpit treated with a single dose of 3 sticks with different dosages of 600, 400, and 200 ug /mLsage extract while the opposite armpit was treated with a placebo deodorant. Underarms were shaved and no antiperspirant or deodorant products were used prior to or during the study. The researchers then conducted a sensory evaluation to determine the degree of odor from both applications, grading the odor on a scale of “0” (no odor) to “10” (very strong odor).
The researchers noted the following odor differences between the groups:
| Sage | Placebo | p – value between groups | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 micrograms/mL Application Before Study | 4.53 | 4.51 | |
| 2 hours | 69.1% decrease (4.53 to 1.40) | 42.4% decrease (4.51 to 2.60) | 0.0001 |
| 4 hours | 77.3% decrease (4.53 to 1.03) | 26.2% decrease (4.51 to 3.33) | 0.0001 |
| 8 hours | 32.3% decrease (4.53 to 3.07) | 5.13% decrease (4.51 to 4.27) | 0.001 |
| 400 micrograms/mL Application Before Study | 5.2 | 5.2 | |
| 2 hours | 67.9% decrease (5.2 to 1.67) | 17.9% decrease (5.2 to 4.27) | 0.0001 |
| 4 hours | 55.2% decrease (5.2 to 2.33) | 5.2% decrease (5.2 to 4.93) | 0.0001 |
| 8 hours | 44.8% decrease (5.20 to 2.87) | 1.9% increase (5.2 to 5.3) | 0.0001 |
| 600 micrograms/mL Application Before Study | 5 | 5 | |
| 2 hours | 77.4% decrease (5 to 1.13) | 22.6% decrease (5 to 3.87) | 0.0001 |
| 4 hours | 74.6% decrease (5 to 1.27) | 1.4% increase (5 to 5.07) | 0.0001 |
| 8 hours | 61.4% decrease (5 to 1.93) | 21.4% increase (5 to 6.07) | 0.001 |
When compared to placebo, researchers found significant reductions in malodor scores at all 3 doses of 200, 400, and 600 ug/mL of sage extract following 2, 4, and 8 hours of dose applications.
For the researchers, “A single treatment with a stick deodorant containing dichloromethane sage extract of 200, 400, or 600 μg/mL concentrations was effective in reducing the axillary malodor level compared with the control, in healthy subjects” but that due to the small sample size of this study, “a larger number of participants will increase the statistical precision and reduce the standard errors.”
Source:Shahtalebi, Mohammad Ali, et al. “Deodorant effects of a sage extract stick: Antibacterial activity and sensory evaluation of axillary deodorancy.” Journal of research in medical sciences: the official journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences 18.10 (2013): 833
© Journal of Research in Medical Sciences
Posted May 25, 2017.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.
References:
- James A, Casey J, Hyliands D, Mycock G. Fatty acid metabolism by cutaneous bacteria and its role in axillary malodour. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology. 2004;20(8):787-793.
- Benohanian A. Antiperspirants and deodorants. Clinics in dermatology. 2001;19(4):398-405.
- Darbre PD, Pugazhendhi D, Mannello F. Aluminium and human breast diseases. Journal of inorganic biochemistry. 2011;105(11):1484-1488.
- McGrath KG. Apocrine sweat gland obstruction by antiperspirants allowing transdermal absorption of cutaneous generated hormones and pheromones as a link to the observed incidence rates of breast and prostate cancer in the 20th century. Medical hypotheses. 2009;72(6):665-674.
- McLachlan DC, Van Berkum M. Aluminum: a role in degenerative brain disease associated with neurofibrillary degeneration. Progress in brain research. 1986;70:399-410.
- Bedoux G, Roig B, Thomas O, Dupont V, Le Bot B. Occurrence and toxicity of antimicrobial triclosan and by-products in the environment. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2012;19(4):1044-1065.
- Shahtalebi MA, Ghanadian M, Farzan A, Shiri N, Shokri D, Fatemi SA. Deodorant effects of a sage extract stick: Antibacterial activity and sensory evaluation of axillary deodorancy. Journal of research in medical sciences: the official journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. 2013;18(10):833.
