I write quest, because to this date I have not yet found a satisfactory deodorant. But, here are my findings so far.
Why a natural deodorant? Most deodorants use Aluminum and alcohols, among other unhealthy ingredients. Now, alcohol will dry your skin and may cause you an alergic reaction to the deodorant. I have had that issue and it is very uncomfortable. But what is comfort compared to the possibility of breast cancer? Aluminum has many compounds and different quantities inside deodorants, therefore it is hard to say if what you may be using is very good or very bad for you. As far as breast cancer is concerened, there is no clear cut answer. Some say it does contribute to breast cancer and some say it (or antiperspirants that may or may not use a form of Aluminum) doesn’t. Personaly, I would like to avoid it because in my very limited world view, it is a chemical that in some form can be found in my Macbook Pro and I do not want to share THAT much with my laptop. In any case, I feel that anything that encourages my sweat glands to not produce something it has been hardwired to do, it something to be avoided.
If you are not yet convinced that you should switch to something more natural (assuming you are not already of the bandwagon of natural products), my advice is to check the safe cosmetics data base for the information regarding the type you are using now. If it seems ok to you, keep using it. If not, maybe I can offer some advice.
And so, today, Crystal Stick; Body Deodorant:
First lets get methodical:
The ingredients. There are only two! According to the package and the EWG, they are: Natural mineral salts and Potassium Alums.
Description: The deo (short hence on for deodorant) is basically a rock. A salty rock with a smooth surface, without any fragrance and a somewhat seethrogh color. Alas, the rock is breakable.
My thoughts: Firstly, I thought that two ingredients are not going to cut it. I live in really hot weather and I really do not want to stink up! I ordered it because it was the most natural deo I could find. I have been using it so far for 6 months, and I have found it to be the most reliable deo that I have tried so far. The application of the rock is simple enough; the rock or the armpit must be wetted and then applied. If you decide to wet the rock than notice that it might slightly brittle at it’s ends and it might chip a little and detach from it’s plastic container. However, I do not always like to wet my armpits and I sometimes put it on after I have already put my shirt on. The application is easy enough and whatever way you choose seems to work the same. As far as protection… well, it is by far more effective than some things I will later review. Is it reliable? Not that much. The more active you are the less you will find this totally satisfactory. I have found it to be 95-90% effective, but I do not go out jogging and I mainly sit in class. It worked fine when I was at the beach under the hot summer sun, but not when I go my Yoga or do arrends within the University. If you wear a short sleeve shirt and sweat your shirt might stink a little; not from sweat as much as from the fact that it has no fragrance and when some oderless sweat will transfer to your shirt it will smell… damp. My solution is spraying some perfum on your shirt before so that it will smell good always, but I mainly do it for reasons I will explain later in a more in depeth post about perfumes. I cannot recommand this deo to my mom so as far as I am concerned I will continue to search for a better one.
You must note that before you can actually get real results from this deo, you must use it for at least a week or more. It does take your body a while to react to anything new you try so give it time. For each person it will work differently, but this is as natural as it gets when it comes to manufactured deos. Consider the type of activities you have before trying this one. If it falls, it will crack and then it WILL be uncomfortable to use due to sharp edges mainly. I drop things all the time, so that is important for me, but perhaps being more careful is the answer.
The best price I found was about 5$ and it leasts about a year, so it has a good value for money. It is suited for men too, and you can buy a travel sized one.
The bottem line? I recommand it currently. But this is NOT the deo that will ensure you the perfect protection you may seek. I use it on a daily basis, but it is not the only deo I use. So, at the end, use it for that not so active upclose lifestyle. Stay tuned though, the quest is still on.
