I tested natural deodorant after FDA recalled 67,000 cases of popular brands - here's why I'll never go back
Sophie Bates, a writer for The Sun, tried the natural product from Wild, a company that launched in 2020 with a focus on eco and skin-friendly products.
Bates tested the deodorant daily for a month, putting it to the test through the office, gym and overnight.
She went in with concerns of irritation and effectiveness, but found she was 'pleasantly surprised' by the product.
'For the first few days [I] didn't feel as fresh as I usually would with a traditional deodorant, but after that, I didn't notice much difference at all,' she said.
'I found myself free from body odor for the majority of the day, but I did sweat more than I usually do at first.'
Bates said that while the natural deodorant took 'some getting used to,' she found that any odor neutralized following a couple of days of use.
'Everything about Wild is natural, from the recycled packaging to the chemical-free formula, but without compromising on quality,' she added.
'Once you get over the initial transition period, Wild's deodorant effectively keeps odor at bay, and I noticed long-lasting results without needing to top up.'
Bates said the deodorant, while a little messy and more expensive, was overall a great natural option.
Wild is available from $16 for cases and refills, $7.50 for refills and $11 for cases only, with a choice of scents and packaging options.
The company's refillable options for natural deodorant is in an effort to reduce single-use plastics, and it claims that each refill saves 30 grams of plastic from reaching landfill sites.
Bates testing of the product comes as the FDA announced a recall of 67,000 cases of the popular Power Stick deodorant brand.
The Pennsylvania-based manufacturer, A.P Duauville, LLC, initiated the voluntary recall of 67,214 cases in total on July 10.
The recall included more than 20,000 cases of the brand's 'power fresh'-scented Power Stick for Her Roll-On Antiperspirant Deodorant.
It also covered more than 22,400 cases of 'spring fresh'-scented Power Stick Invisible Protection Roll-On Antiperspirant Deodorant, and more than 23,400 cases of the brand's Power Stick Original Nourishing Invisible Protection Roll-On Antiperspirant Deodorant.
The Pennsylvania-based manufacturer, A.P Duauville, LLC, initiated the voluntary recall of 67,214 cases in total on July 10
All recalled items were packaged in a 1.8 ounce size.
The recall was issued due to reported 'cGMP deviations,' which indicates a procedure and standards issue for product manufacturing, according to the Current Good Manufacturing Practices.
Customers were able to purchase the recalled products at Walmart, Dollar Tree and Amazon.
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The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
I'm 46 & I've never worn sun cream – my real ‘skin age' left me devastated, I loathe my wrinkles & feel like an idiot
MY name is Clare and I've never worn sun cream. There, I've said it. While it might not sound like a huge confession, as a 46-year-old woman who loathes her lines and wrinkles, I now wonder how many of them are down to my lack of SPF. 10 10 10 From frying myself as a teen in Portugal, to sizzling in Scarborough in the early Nineties, I admired my half-Portuguese skin as it turned a deep shade of olive, and maybe a little red, all without a scrap of UV protection. But now, finding out my skin age is SEVEN years older than my biological age is pretty devastating. Dermatologist Dr Toby Nelson, who scanned my face to determine the damage, breaks the news gently. 'The Visia skin scanner uses hi-tech cameras and UV light to take a deep look at the surface of your face, revealing hidden sun damage, wrinkles, inflammation and more,' he says. 'It gives you a 'skin age'. If your skin 's in great shape, your age could come back younger than your actual age. 'But if you've not taken care of your skin, it might say you're older. In your case, Clare, it's seven years older.' The UK sun protection market generated more than £300million last year, but I've never bought a sunscreen or lotion for myself. Growing up in the Eighties, my parents never put any on me either. Now well into my forties, my lines and wrinkles are becoming more obvious. The creases around my eyes feel more noticeable than those of friends the same age and I have dark spots on my cheeks. While the scanner can't determine any skin cancer risk, I'm all too aware that statistics for melanoma, the type of skin cancer common in those who've experienced sun exposure, are on the rise. I'm a dermatologist - here's the 5 things to do in your 30s to slow ageing More than 17,500 people are diagnosed with it every year. That's 48 people a day. Dr Nelson is part of the team at Wood MediSpa in leafy Okehampton, Devon, and while the scan of my skin, which costs £250, takes just seconds, the results will stay with me a lifetime. I look at Dr Nelson for reassurance and am greeted with a shrug. He says it is utterly unsurprising that my skin age is 53. 'Your skin analysis is consistent with someone who likely didn't use sunscreen regularly throughout childhood and early adulthood,' he explains. Still reeling 'As you're now in your forties, we're seeing signs of sun damage, specifically sun spots, called solar lentigines, fine lines and some texture changes. 'People who haven't consistently used SPF tend to show signs of sun damage much earlier.' I smile meekly, wondering just how young my skin would look had I slapped on a bit of SPF over the years, and neglect to mention my occasional use of tanning beds. Given the fact I already feel like an idiot for not using sunscreen, I fear I may be laughed out of the clinic if I admit to grilling myself unsafely under lamps as a teen. While I'm still reeling from the results, Dr Nelson says it is not too late to reverse at least some of the damage. 'You can definitely stop things getting worse and, to some extent, improve the state of your skin right now,' he says hopefully. 'The most important step is starting sunscreen use, as it allows the skin to repair some existing damage. 'Other products offer marginal improvements. Antioxidants like vitamin C, niacinamide, vitamin B3, and other serums can help, but they don't compare to sunscreen in terms of effectiveness. 'You can also monitor the UV index, which is available on most weather apps. 'People often overlook it in favour of the temperature or sunshine forecast. But if the UV index is three or above, you should wear sunscreen.' My 14-year-old daughter Annie is a UV-checking addict, so I leave Dr Nelson's clinic — feeling chastened and foolish — with some leaflets about laser treatment, which he says could help smooth my leathery skin. And yes, I stop and buy a bottle of SPF 50 on the way home. WHAT CLARE'S TEST RESULTS SHOW DR NELSON says: 'Clare's skin age is seven years older than her biological age, which is expected, given the fact she has never worn sunscreen. 'Scores below 50 per cent suggest Clare's skin condition is a lot worse than average for her age. Her scan suggests areas for improvement, especially in texture, pores and redness, while UV damage is less concerning. 'That said, it has placed her skin age above her biological age primarily due to the increased brown pigmentation manifesting as solar lentigines [liver spots] and melasma [darkened skin].' He explains the results, below. . . SPOTS: 41.53% 'CLARE has darker brown or red spots, including freckles, acne scars and hyperpigmentation. "The score reflects how your skin compares to others of the same age and gender. Higher is better.' WRINKLES: 27.12% 'I CAN see both fine lines and deeper wrinkles. Her lower percentage indicates that she has more visible wrinkles compared to her peers.' TEXTURE: 12.47% 'YELLOW highlights show uneven texture. Clare's skin isn't particularly smooth and even. Her lower score may indicate more irregularities due to sun damage.' UV SPOTS: 75.93% 'The damage under the skin caused by sun exposure is not as much as I might expect given Clare's never worn sunscreen. A higher score indicates less UV damage.' BROWN SPOTS: 24.84 % 'THE pigmentation might be due to aging, sun damage or hormones. "The yellow dots indicate melanin concentration and her lower score indicates more brown spots.' RED AREAS: 18.97% 'RED areas show inflammation, sensitivity or acne. 'Clare's lower score means more redness is present, which is a sign of skin damage.' HOW TO STAY SAFE IN THE SUN DR NELSON shares his advice on how to protect your skin . . . RAMP UP THE SPF: The British Association of Dermatologists generally recommends using SPF 30 or higher, but I advise patients to use SPF 50, as the SPF number is based on lab testing, not real-world conditions. DON'T BE MEAN: One common issue is applying too little sunscreen. The recommended amount is about one tablespoon for the face and neck. Many modern sunscreens come in mists, sprays or roll-ons, which can make it difficult to know if you've used enough. APPLY REGULARLY: Regardless of format, sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours and especially after swimming or towelling off, even if the label says 'water resistant'. LAYER UP: Protective clothing, wide-brimmed hats and seeking shade, especially during peak sun hours, are all essential. Peaked caps, for instance, do little to protect the central face. A good rule of thumb: If your face isn't in shadow when you wear your hat and look in the mirror, the hat probably isn't offering much protection. SLIP, SLAP AND SLOP: Slip on a shirt, slap on a hat and slop on sunscreen. It's a simple but effective message taught to children in many sun-exposed countries.
Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Telegraph
Why this scientist believes bread is making us sad
Could the bread in your sandwich, the pasta in your salad or the oats in your breakfast be making you depressed? That is the theory that scientists are avidly exploring with studies showing a link between gluten and an array of mental health conditions, from ADHD to schizophrenia. Deanna L Kelly is a professor of psychiatry for Mental Illness Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who has spent the past 17 years leading clinical trials in schizophrenia and severe mental illness, as well as being active in psychopharmacology research. 'I would have been sceptical if you'd told me I'd end up studying this connection,' says Kelly. 'My line of thinking was therapy and medications; I didn't know food and diet could actually be good medicine.' Her scientific journey began by analysing data from soldiers during the Second World War. It showed that during wheat shortages hospitalisations went down. Kelly and her colleagues then looked at the work in the 1970s of Curtis Dohan, a psychiatrist, who was publishing cases of people with schizophrenia recovering on a wheat-free diet. Dohan also visited remote islands in Papua New Guinea, where wheat was not part of the diet and found schizophrenia to be virtually absent, compared to its occurrence in wheat eating populations elsewhere. Kelly then had the opportunity to run a large clinical trial looking at the antibodies produced by the body in a reaction to gluten. What she found was very high rates of antibodies to gluten in the bodies of people with schizophrenia. Her findings have now led her to believe there is a strong connection between brain function and people who have gluten sensitivity. And she is not alone. Evidence shows that consuming foods containing gluten may be linked to a host of psychiatric symptoms, via an immune response, in up to one in 17 people. Get Your Brain Off Grain, the book she has co-authored, draws together the most up to date research on the subject. 'There's really been this disconnect between gastroenterology and psychiatry. We don't know everything. But it's another step closer connecting the dots about these illnesses.' What is gluten sensitivity Gluten is a group of proteins found in wheat, barley and rye. These are key grains found in breads, pastas, pastries and many other of our favourite foods. Some people are sensitive to gluten. This means their immune system 'fights' against gluten as a foreign invader in the body. Coeliac disease is the most well-known type of gluten-related autoimmune disease. It causes damage to the digestive tract leading to a range of gastro-intestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea, bloating and stomach pain, as well as fatigue, weight loss and skin rashes. Coeliac disease runs in families and is diagnosed via a blood test or intestinal biopsy. It is related to another type of gluten sensitivity, often called non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), which is about 10 times more prevalent than coeliac disease. However tests for coeliac disease are often negative in those with NCGS. 'It's challenging for someone to be diagnosed with non coeliac gluten sensitivity,' says Kelly. Gluten and inflammation Gluten was only introduced into our diets about 6,000 years ago. 'The idea of breaking it down is really challenging for our bodies and it never breaks down completely,' says Kelly. When a person with gluten sensitivity eats something with gluten in it – even 'healthy' brown pasta or bread – their body produces antibodies to fight against the gluten. While two types of protein join to make gluten, gliadin and glutenin, it is the former that induces an immune response. This can cause inflammation and contribute to damage in the gut, which leads to the development of 'leaky gut'. The weakened gut wall allows the antibodies to gliadin to leak from the intestine into the general bloodstream. 'When it gets across the stomach lining, the body sees it as a foreign substance for some people,' says Kelly. Inflammation and the brain Consequently inflammation may occur in other parts of the body, including a person's brain. When the antibodies' fight gets to the brain, symptoms that develop may include not only foggy thinking, and lack of energy, but also poor emotional control, anxiety, mood changes, hallucinations and/ or seizures, that are often resistant to treatment with medications. 'There's a specific peptide sequence called 33-mer [found in wheat] that is highly associated with an immune response,' says Deanna. 'If you look at the structure of that, it's very similar to one of the structures of the GRINA receptor, a receptor in the brain. So our bodies potentially can't tell the difference.' It is one of Kelly's theories that in some people their immune system might be attacking some of the tissue in the brain because it looks like gluten. 'We have a paper showing that these antibodies to the receptors to the brain are higher in people who have the antigliadin antibodies.' What causes depression and anxiety The area of the brain called the amygdala functions to help calm fear and anxiety. People with anxiety disorders have been shown to have an exaggerated amygdala response when exposed to events that evoke anxiety. Serotonin, a chemical messenger in the nervous system and part of the brain's communication system, is believed to be a key neurotransmitter involved in anxiety disorders. Interestingly, the gut provides approximately 95 per cent of the body's total serotonin and production is influenced by the particular balance of gut microbes in the individual person. Of course, not everyone with psychiatric and neurological issues is gluten sensitive. However, what is interesting, says Kelly, is that: 'All these disorders that we write about, the literature now is leaning towards them all having inflammation as a cause. 'The immune system is likely not working right in some people. And that leads to inflammatory markers and inflammation. My suggestion is that to some people, gluten is one of the culprits in this immune inflammatory reaction.' The most common symptoms Kelly sees among her psychiatric patients are brain fog, anxiety or depressive symptoms. 'They sometimes have headaches and migraines. Joint pain is common too.' Coeliac disease and NCGS diagnoses are more common in individuals with ADHD symptoms than in the general population. The link between coeliac disease and depression is well-established. One large study of over 2,000 people with coeliac disease showed a 39 per cent lifetime prevalence of depressive symptoms. 'One theory is that depression stems from the difficulty of living with a chronic illness,' says Kelly. 'But there are studies showing a more direct physiological link between coeliac disease and depression.' There is even clearer clinical data that those with schizophrenia can be helped by following a gluten-free diet. One patient of Kelly's suffering from schizophrenia always saw her illness worsen after having gluten. 'She was doing well in the community but when she had gluten she would be hospitalised. 'When she got into the hospital they would give her gluten because they wouldn't believe the family that that mattered. Each time the family would have to fight about it at every hospital.' Other proteins are also linked to inflammation of the brain. 'Casein from milk is another protein that is highly immunogenic.' The role of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) Outside of the gluten realm there's a movement towards understanding the impact of ultra-processed foods on our health. 'There's evidence to show that depression and anxiety and most mental health conditions are higher in people who eat high levels of UPFs, especially in the western diet.' And wheat is part of that. Wheat is now the most widely cultivated crop in the world, and it supplies 20 per cent of all food calories and protein consumed by the global population. 'The data is showing us that there are more people sensitive to gluten than before, we think that's due to a higher gluten content in UPFs.' One of the reasons why gluten may now cause a more severe immune response is that there has been a six-fold increase in the gliadin content of wheat over time. This may be down to the use of high-nitrogen fertilisers and how wheat is processed. The antibodies show the way One young woman who came to Kelly suffering from anxiety and brain fog had previously been tested for gluten sensitivity by her gastroenterologist. 'She was told she didn't have coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity. So I brought her in to take part in my study, and sure enough her antibody response was the biggest I'd ever seen. 'I actually found antibodies to suggest coeliac disease, which are called TTG. I gave her the paperwork and said, 'please go back to your doctor'. When she went back, they did a biopsy and they found she had coeliac disease. It had been missed.' She is one of almost a thousand people in the general population that Kelly has tested for gluten antibodies. 'When people have these antibodies, once I say, 'You're positive for this, it might be worth trying a gluten free diet ', most people report their joint pain went away, or their brain fog, or their anxiety and depression improved.' She has published 24 peer reviewed studies around these antibodies and the relationship of gluten to neurological and psychiatric illnesses. 'Thirty per cent of my patients with schizophrenia have antibodies to gliadin. That means their body is having an immune response to wheat.' Should you change your diet? Her work has changed her diet. Kelly now eats a low carb, almost gluten free. 'I'm not a fad diet person,' she says. 'If you'd told me I would be studying this I would have laughed. But science took me there.' From looking at animal studies, the data would suggest that gluten could be bad for everyone. 'We haven't gone so far as to say that,' says Kelly, cautiously. 'But when you start to dig into it, and you've seen what a brain looks like of an animal of gluten, it really makes me think twice about how much should be in my diet.' Still, not everybody should be on a gluten-free diet. About 10 per cent of the population have NCGS. And Kelly sees lots of people who have no immune response at all. 'Their bodies handle it fine. But then there are lots of people who have the antibodies and coeliac in their families and that's where removal could really help people.' While it's not going to be a cure all for everybody, typically Kelly sees changes in her patients in as little as three weeks. Brain imaging data has also shown how the blood flow in their brain improves on a gluten-free diet. 'We do recommend talking to your dietitian or doctor beforehand. That's because many foods that contain gluten are fortified with minerals and vitamins that our body needs, but struggles to get from our diet. Things like folic acid. You need folate for your brain.' She also notes that for those who have a psychiatric disorder, such as depression or schizophrenia, eating a gluten-free diet can be a challenge. 'Once you are sick, it's easier to just continue to eat gluten because it's cheap and you don't have to spend time cooking. When you're not feeling well you don't want to spend time cooking fresh vegetables. It becomes a cycle.' Food as medicine Over 2,000 years ago Hippocrates said, 'let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food'. 'All this time later we are now starting to pay attention to the impact of the food we put in our body,' says Kelly. The parents of one young man with a seizure disorder noticed that every time he had a big spaghetti meal his seizures were worse. 'And no one thought that that was related,' says Kelly, who was consulted by a neurologist on the case. 'While he didn't test positive for coeliac disease, he did have antibodies to gliadin. And so we suggested a gluten free diet and he has been seizure free since.' However, it is challenging for people to understand that a gluten-free diet helps their brain. She is used to resistance to new ideas, that is the lot of the scientist. However she says: 'We now have the technology. We can look at brain imaging and antibodies and show that it actually connects. We know for a fact that the brain is impacted by what we put into our gut and now we have to unravel all the mysteries there.'
The Independent
6 hours ago
- The Independent
The US fertility rate reached a new low in 2024, CDC data shows
The fertility rate in the U.S. dropped to an all-time low in 2024 with less than 1.6 kids per woman, new federal data released Thursday shows. The U.S. was once among only a few developed countries with a rate that ensured each generation had enough children to replace itself — about 2.1 kids per woman. But it has been sliding in America for close to two decades as more women are waiting longer to have children or never taking that step at all. The new statistic is on par with fertility rates in western European countries, according to World Bank data. Alarmed by recent drops, the Trump administration has taken steps to increase falling birth rates, like issuing an executive order meant to expand access to and reduce costs of in vitro fertilization and backing the idea of 'baby bonuses' that might encourage more couples to have kids. But there's no reason to be alarmed, according to Leslie Root, a University of Colorado Boulder researcher focused on fertility and population policy. 'We're seeing this as part of an ongoing process of fertility delay. We know that the U.S. population is still growing, and we still have a natural increase — more births than deaths,' she said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the statistic for the total fertility rate with updated birth data for 2024. In the early 1960s, the U.S. total fertility rate was around 3.5, but plummeted to 1.7 by 1976 after the Baby Boom ended. It gradually rose to 2.1 in 2007 before falling again, aside from a 2014 uptick. The rate in 2023 was 1.621, and inched down in 2024 to 1.599, according to the CDC 's National Center for Health Statistics. Birth rates are generally declining for women in most age groups — and that doesn't seem likely to change in the near future, said Karen Guzzo, director of the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina. People are marrying later and also worried about their ability to have the money, health insurance and other resources needed to raise children in a stable environment. 'Worry is not a good moment to have kids,' and that's why birth rates in most age groups are not improving, she said. Asked about birth-promoting measures outlined by the Trump administration, Guzzo said they don't tackle larger needs like parental leave and affordable child care. 'The things that they are doing are really symbolic and not likely to budge things for real Americans,' she said. Increase in births in new data The CDC's new report, which is based on a more complete review of birth certificates than provisional data released earlier this year, also showed a 1% increase in births — about 33,000 more — last year compared to the prior year. That brought the yearly national total to just over 3.6 million babies born. But this is different: The provisional data indicated birth rate increases last year for women in their late 20s and 30s. However, the new report found birth rate declines for women in their 20s and early 30s, and no change for women in their late 30s. What happened? CDC officials said it was due to recalculations stemming from a change in the U.S. Census population estimates used to compute the birth rate. That's plausible, Root said. As the total population of women of childbearing age grew due to immigration, it offset small increases in births to women in those age groups, she said. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
