My crystal deodorant stinks

[wnh]

Literally. I purchased it a couple of weeks ago and was unsure exactly how much to apply. On one of the first days I used it, I noticed in the middle of the day that my armpits had begun smelling, so I reapplied the deodorant. Since this application, the deodorant stick itself has acquired the scent from my armpits. In fact, when I get out of the shower and put the deodorant on, it actually makes my armpits smell like BO, though the deodorant neutralizes this odor in a short time.

This isn't really a big deal, since it doesn't leave me smelling like I've been sweating all day, but it's just kind of annoying. Anybody else have this problem? Is there anything I can do?

[Mottern Man]

Wash the crystal down or cut the top chunk off. Its just mineral salt, alum it should come out.

Hope this helps.

[Taz]

Get it from Charles great stuff in a rollon

[Scotty]

Try Shavex from Mama Bear!

[tim8557]

The alum block that you are using is really an antiperspirant, not a deodorant. Try applying the alum block in the evening and then follow up in the morning with a Deodorant (and just a deodorant. I prefer Old Spice High Endurance Deodorant).

Deodorants generally include an antibacterial agent that kills the "bugs" that break down the oils in sweats that cause the smell.

[Lynchmeister]

I thought the alum was a natural deodorant in that the antiseptic properties killed the oder causing bacteria, but did not fight perspiration...at least this was my experience.

[tim8557]

I thought the alum was a natural deodorant in that the antiseptic properties killed the oder causing bacteria, but did not fight perspiration...at least this was my experience.

I believe that alum is a mild astringent which is the basis for all antiperspirants. Closing of the sweat gland pores. There may be some very mild antibacterial properties to it, but of that I am not sure.

[bordeaaj]

Alum salts like potassium aluminium sulfate are mild deodorants (they are not usually antiperspirants) in that they do kill certain bacteria by creating an environment that is too salty for them to live on. The crystal may work on those germs but other halophilic (salt-loving) bacteria are not going to be effected and will even be fed by your salt crystal deodorant and will continue to grow (and stink) on you and your crystal until you decide to to wash yourself and the ball again. You just end up killing the germs that are susceptible and selecting for those stinky salt-lovers and transferring the germs back and forth with massive inoculations from the ball. The crystal ball deodorants are relatively ineffective for this reason. That's relatively as in slightly better than nothing (maybe). I can tell you from experience with my hippie brother and all his hippie friends (and girlfriends :eek:!!! ) who use and swear by these crystal deodorants. Believe me, they don't work well at all. Imagine being trapped in close quarters with them as they spend hours earnestly trying to convince you otherwise by persuading you to "just give it a try" while generously offering up a dirty ball of crystal deodorant that smells as bad or worse than they do. So, unless you are a card carrying member of Voluntary Hairy or Veg Family Reunion or somesuch organization my personal experience would lead me to try something more effective. Of course, infrequent showering may have been a significant factor in the failure of crystal ball-type deodorants to live up to the hype as well. :wink:

[RJSquirell]

The trick I found that has been fairly effective for me is to rinse the stick/ball right after using it. This'll keep you from transfering bacteria back to your pits.

[tim8557]

I can tell you from experience with my hippie brother and all his hippie friends (and girlfriends :eek:!!! ) who use and swear by these crystal deodorants. Believe me, they don't work well at all. Imagine being trapped in close quarters with them as they earnestly spend hours trying to convince you otherwise by offering you to just give it a try while generously offering up a dirty ball of crystal deodorant that smells as bad or worse than they do. So, unless you are a card carrying member of Voluntary Hairy or Veg Family Reunion or somesuch organization my personal experience would lead me to try something more effective. Of course, infrequent showering may have been a significant factor in the failure of crystal ball-type deodorants to live up to the hype as well. :wink:


Holy Hippies...I just had a 60's flashback reading this. :001_tt2:

[Mama Bear]

Wow, I don't know what you bought, but it doesn't sound like it is very strong... all of the bugs should have died... I can't imagine this... yukkie!

I use an alum block, I think it is stronger than the crystal deodorants but I apply it wet and rinse off before putting it back down.. I have never had any odor from the block or the pits. I actually like that I can still perspire too, I keep thinking of all the stuff I used to block inside and it scares me... :scared:

I have never felt cleaner. I love my alum.... :biggrin:

[bordeaaj]

Wow, I don't know what you bought, but it doesn't sound like it is very strong... all of the bugs should have died... I can't imagine this... yukkie!

I use an alum block, I think it is stronger than the crystal deodorants but I apply it wet and rinse off before putting it back down.. I have never had any odor from the block or the pits. I actually like that I can still perspire too, I keep thinking of all the stuff I used to block inside and it scares me... :scared:

I have never felt cleaner. I love my alum.... :biggrin:
The strength thing could indeed be true...maybe alum block is the way to go if you prefer these kinds of things. I think they will all work to some degree, and are great for those who want to something natural...the problem is things can get too natural in a real hurry, and apparently without the wearers noticing (as in the case of my brother and his friends). This, of course, could also be by clever intent. In fact, I just read a review of the crystal deodorants by a rock climber who used one on extended trips because when he used regular deodorants he was teased by the other climbers for being the sweetest smelling of the bunch after a several days of use with no showers. As an alternative to sweet smelling deodorants, he found that a small chunk of crystal deodorant was easier to pack and worked somewhat...but not so well as to attract any unwanted attention from his stinky deodorantless friends. He also used it on his feet after a hard day of packing and climbing. He too commented on how he liked how it let his feet and armpits sweat naturally. And, if there is one thing he and my brother had in common besides the use of the stuff was infrequent bathing. I am sure it's one of those "your mileage may vary" type of deals...and with regular showers some may find them more than adequate. To each his own!!! :thumbup1:

[htownmmm]

Alum salts are mild deodorants (they are not usually antiperspirants) in that they do kill certain bacteria by creating an environment that is too salty for them to live on. The crystal may work on those germs but other halophilic (salt-loving) bacteria are not going to be effected by your salt crystal deodorant and will continue to grow (and stink) on you and your crystal until you decide to to wash yourself and the ball again. You just end up killing the germs that are susceptible and selecting for those stinky salt-lovers and transferring the germs back and forth with massive inoculations from the ball. The crystal ball deodorants are relatively ineffective for this reason. That's relatively as in slightly better than nothing (maybe). I can tell you from experience with my hippie brother and all his hippie friends (and girlfriends :eek:!!! ) who use and swear by these crystal deodorants. Believe me, they don't work well at all. Imagine being trapped in close quarters with them as they earnestly spend hours trying to convince you otherwise by offering you to just give it a try while generously offering up a dirty ball of crystal deodorant that smells as bad or worse than they do. So, unless you are a card carrying member of Voluntary Hairy or Veg Family Reunion or somesuch organization my personal experience would lead me to try something more effective. Of course, infrequent showering may have been a significant factor in the failure of crystal ball-type deodorants to live up to the hype as well. :wink:

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Whew!-tyx, I needed that.

Marty

[Steerpike]

Wash the crystal before you put it away, seriously! The alum works fne for me, but I noticed that the results improved when I stopped washing my body with harsh, antibacterial soaps. Now I only use a Marseille soap for my body, or just a thorough scrub up with water, followed by bodybrushing. Basically, bacteria grow if theres lots of dirt on you such as dead cells for them to live in and feed on. If you use anything very antiseptic on your skin, it kills off most of the different species, but some grow back faster than others, and your natural flora get unbalanced. This is the more common cause of BO in these hygene obsessive times- a dysbiosis not unlike that cause by broad-spectrum antibiotics.
Alum is not much of a bactericidal, but it is bacteriostatic: the bacteria cannot proliferate when you wear it. It is astringent, but will not prevent perspiration. When you think about it, antiperspirants are an inherantly bad idea: you might follow the same logic and put a cork up your arse because you don't like the smell of shit. Perspiration is a detoxification mechanism, and tends only to smell really bad when theres a lot of toxins (metabolic and environmental) to get rid of. Good diet and plenty of fresh air goes a long way toward improving the smell of your body.

[rikrdo]

??????
I've been using the Crystal stick for about 10 yrs now
and Ive NEVER had this problem.
I do perspire a bit....more if work is particularly stressful :wink:
but NEVER have I noticed the stick being stanky.
I spray water on my pits 1st and then rub the crystal on.
....dont really know if that means anything, or not.
TJoe has recommended an AS splash AFTER you apply the crystal.
Ive been doing that for the last cuppa days and am very impressed with the results.

[lothar]

Anyone ever link body odor to diet? Way back, yep, in the hippie days, a friend suggested a reduced intake of red meat resulted in less body odor.

I didn't experiment with the notion until much later. Today, my lowered intake of dead red makes the choice of deodorant pretty much a non-issue.

Except for when I decide to eat red meat, the only rotting flesh in my body is my own.

OF COURSE, YMMV.

,

[SalvadorMontenegro]

I'm not hip with this yet.

Why wouldn't you just use standard deoderant that you can buy at any pharmacy?

[jamacdon]

I'm not hip with this yet.

Why wouldn't you just use standard deoderant that you can buy at any pharmacy?

For me, I don't like using some of the aluminum compounds found in anti-perspirants, and it's getting tough to find deodorant-only products (not an anti-perspirant). Crystal has been one of the only deodorants that haven't irritated my skin.

[jfrancisco]

Crystal has been one of the only deodorants that haven't irritated my skin.

+1

Normal deodorants irritate my skin; I really don't like the itching/burning that most deodorants cause. It's important to remember that everyone's body chemistry is different and what works for someone might not work for you. When I have a high stress day, I rarely have problems with the crystal deodorant not working. I make sure that when I apply it, coverage is very liberal. I really like that my undershirts don't have the nasty yellow stains caused by normal deodorant. As for the crystal itself smelling, to prevent this I rinse the crystal after each use and keep it in an open bowl so that it will completely dry out after use.

[DaveF]

I have the crystal roll-on but I can only use it in colder months. It just isn't enough during the hot months, and during those times (regretfully) I have to switch to a standard antiperspirant. I wish I could use the crystal year-round, but, well...the nose knows...

[Conrad]

I was researching crystal and alum as deodorant and ran across this excellent post. Good info and a good laugh!

Alum salts like potassium aluminium sulfate are mild deodorants (they are not usually antiperspirants) in that they do kill certain bacteria by creating an environment that is too salty for them to live on. The crystal may work on those germs but other halophilic (salt-loving) bacteria are not going to be effected and will even be fed by your salt crystal deodorant and will continue to grow (and stink) on you and your crystal until you decide to to wash yourself and the ball again. You just end up killing the germs that are susceptible and selecting for those stinky salt-lovers and transferring the germs back and forth with massive inoculations from the ball. The crystal ball deodorants are relatively ineffective for this reason. That's relatively as in slightly better than nothing (maybe). I can tell you from experience with my hippie brother and all his hippie friends (and girlfriends :eek:!!! ) who use and swear by these crystal deodorants. Believe me, they don't work well at all. Imagine being trapped in close quarters with them as they spend hours earnestly trying to convince you otherwise by persuading you to "just give it a try" while generously offering up a dirty ball of crystal deodorant that smells as bad or worse than they do. So, unless you are a card carrying member of Voluntary Hairy or Veg Family Reunion or somesuch organization my personal experience would lead me to try something more effective. Of course, infrequent showering may have been a significant factor in the failure of crystal ball-type deodorants to live up to the hype as well. :wink:

[Robxcarlson]

I successfully use a natural crystal deodorant (Mine comes in a pinkish plastic sleeve and you can push the crystal up to expose more). I rinse it before each application and I don't sweat or produce odors (I promise). Like a couple of posters above, though, I only use natural soaps and I don't eat meat. These might be contributing factors.

[burnwood]

I took my back to the store before ever using it. Just didnt feel it would do the job.

[GoTeeGuy]

Been using mine for months. My first one took on a nasty smell as well, so I got a new one. Now I simply rinse and dry the 'stone' before putting it away. It smells just fine.

[BrianL]

I put 3 drops of Old Spice on top of the crystal and it smells like Old Spice and has for months. No harm to the crystal and no transfer of the after shave to the pits.

[Duckster]

I just bought the Crystal roll-on deodorant and have been using it for the past two days. It works great! No odor, none!

[MotoMike]

You apply it fresh out of the shower, when hopefully, you don't smell. It should last until the next shower. Don’t rub it into a BO laden armpit.

I apply mine after the shower. I wet it under cold running water and then apply liberally. It is still working at the next shower. Had it for probably six months, works like a champ. Doesn't irritate the skin.

BO comes from bacteria. The crystal kills the bacteria so that it can't produce the odor causing byproducts. If you have BO, the Crystal will kill the bacteria, but the odor is already there. Don't expect it to keep you from sweating, it is not an antiperspirant.

Good luck.

[trewornan]

The crystal may work on those germs but other halophilic (salt-loving) bacteria are not going to be effected and will even be fed by your salt crystal deodorant and will continue to grow (and stink) on you and your crystal until you decide to to wash yourself and the ball again. You just end up killing the germs that are susceptible and selecting for those stinky salt-lovers and transferring the germs back and forth with massive inoculations from the ball.

There are halophilic bacteria which could possibly survive in an environment as salty as the surface of a deodorant crystal - they're called extremophiles for a reason though. They're usually found in places like salt lakes and cannot survive in a normal environment the chances of there being any on your skin or in your bathroom are almost non-existent. Any odour clinging to the crystal is not caused by bacteria multiplying there and is most likely transferred odorant chemicals like butyric acid which should just wash off. Crystal deodorants do work (very well) but of course you still have to wash - if you don't wash you're going to stink no matter what you use as a deodorant.