Best Aluminum free deoderant?

[joel]

Hey fellas - I have been using the "crystal" rock deo-stick for awhile now, but wouldn't mind trying a few "scented" deoderants.

Any alum free recommendations? (I know Ron has a truckload of deoderants - Ron?)

[mantic]

C&E Sienna deodorant. Pricey but excellent.

--Mark

[rustyblade]

I have tried Taylor's Sandalwood deodorant, and it works well and smells very nice. It is also too expensive to use on an everyday basis. Another thing is that it smells very strong, it's a good smell, but it will overpower your cologne. My wife actually found it too strong smelling (it irritated her nose lying beside me) at bedtime 12 hours after applying it.

Deo-rocks do nothing for me. I work in the trades and it doesn't work for the long-haul. It's not even summer yet.

I bought some Neutro Roberts deodorant for men roll-on which smells nice and works, but I noticed it has aluminum in it even though it says deodorant (and not anti-perspirant). My quest for a nice smelling deodorant continues. All the Speed-stick stuff smells too synthetic for me.

[Rusty Shackleford]

I put some Tom's of Maine woodspice deoderant in my rotation. Smells good and works pretty good also. I found that if I use the typical everyday brands, I brake out in a rash. The Tom's comes through, no rash and smells great. There are some more brands out there, you're best bet would be to check the local health food store for them. There's one, I think it's called Desert Essentials, and they have a pretty big line up. On my next deorderant purchase, I'm going to check into them.

-Pary

[guenron]

You are right Joel, I do have a truckload of deodorants. One thing I found since Right Guard was reformulated (a 1000 of so years ago) to be more environmentally friendly was, it did not work for me any longer. I plotted my course to find a replacement and almost foundered in the rough seas of irritation and stench. :crying:
Though I bought one stick after another, I refused to used antiperspirants. The results were mixed and it seemed as though I bought one brand after another. Here is what I learned. Rotation, rotation, rotation! The more varied, the less likely irritation would ensue. If I used Curve 3 days running, I'd get reddened, burning areas in the armpits, this was despite showering and attentive washing. So I put it aside and bought some Guy Laroche Drakar Noir. Same thing... Hmmm.. So I bought C&E Sandalwood, C&E Nomad, C&E Sienna, Floris JF, Floris Santal, Floris Elite, Taylors Shaving Shop, Taylors Eton College, Taylors Mr Taylor, and on and on...
They all work admirably when used for a day or two and rotated. The FLoris JF is about probably the most efficacious of the lot... Stands up to 24 hours of normal bacteria building followed by a half-hour plus sweaty jog, and I still smell great..

[Scotto]

I have been using the Floris Santal deodorant, and it is great stuff. I have noticed better performance relative to stank compared to the Old Spice stuff I used previously.

[joel]

I have been using the Floris Santal deodorant, and it is great stuff. I have noticed better performance relative to stank compared to the Old Spice stuff I used previously.

Man that stuff is mighty pricey though..... you can get 2.5 C&E sticks for the price of one Floris!

[guenron]

If you want pricey, try the J&E Atkinsons with Japanese Obuoku Wood. Fan-damn-tastic! Pricey too!

[KUJO]

Joel,

I've thrown the Jack Black deodorant into the mix (along with some C&E Nomad & Sienna) with good results.

It's got a very pleasant and light scent

[joel]

If you want pricey, try the J&E Atkinsons with Japanese Obuoku Wood. Fan-damn-tastic! Pricey too!

Ron - this stuff? (http://www.popehair.com/icoloniali_deodorant.html)

[obsessis]

why don't you want to use anti-perspirants/aluminum-based deodorant?

[joel]

why don't you want to use anti-perspirants/aluminum-based deodorant?

There have been a TON of studies (mainly in Britian) that have shown "anti-persperants" to cause breast cancer in men and women, and that it causes a whole volley of problems. I am not here to argue the merits of it - however I DO know that once I switched to non-aluminum based deoderants, the glands under my pitts shrank after a month or so off of the aluminum.... this shows for at least me - something wasn't right "health-wise." I am not a very "sweaty" guy, and even without deoderant at all - my odor would never be pungent enough to be detected by someone around me (unless there nose was lodged a la pit).

Do a few google searches.... you'll dig up more info than you can shake a stick at.

[guenron]

Ron - this stuff? (http://www.popehair.com/icoloniali_deodorant.html)
Yes! Excellent stuff.. Goes on VERY nicely.. Much better than most sticks that have a tendency to tear the hair (if you are particularly hirsute in the pits) out of your armpits as you rub it on...
Eval:
Price YES
Ease of Application: YES!!!!! (No torn HAIR!)
Efficacy: Very GOOD to EXCELLENT! (Pits smell decent even after eating a heavy garlic-based tomato sauce and then jogging two hours later!)

[hengist]

Do a few google searches.... you'll dig up more info than you can shake a stick at.

Like this (http://www.ctfa.org/Template.cfm?Section=Internet_Rumors&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=860)?

Ryan

[TAsunder]

Nice debunk link. If I don't wear anti-perspirant, I get sweaty pits pretty easily. Not very attractive when going on dates. I was going to post here asking whether products labelled merely as deodorants have any anti-perspiring qualities to them, but I guess that answer is no.

[obsessis]

i love anti-perspirant as well. i hate sweating under my arms.

[PoshRichM]

I don't know about breast cancer (and sort of doubt it), but I do know that the Aluminum in anti-perspirants works by causing your pores under the arms to close up (very like an Alum block does for nicks), thus reducing the ability to perspire at all.

For most people this pore-closing appears to work just fine, but my skin is particularly sensitive to clogging, both on the face and under the arms, so I get horrific, painful lesions when I use anti-perspirant for too long. Using deodorant has avoided the problem for me.

And Ron and Joel, I've noticed the need to rotate too! More for efficiacy than to avoid irritation, but it's like my skin "adjusts" to any particular pit-flit I use for more than a week or so. :mad:

-Rich

[dubes]

I, too, have largely abandoned aluminum-based deodorants, and I've been trying to convince my wife to do the same (so far, unsuccessfully). I don't know about the breast cancer link, but I do recall a few years ago a study that linked aluminum to Alzheimer's, though I don't think they were looking at absorbed aluminum (maybe eating too much foil? I don't know).

Anyways, I've tried a bunch in the $5 to $6 a stick range (I've steered clear of the really pricey ones so far), and I've had the best success with Tom's of Maine's long-lasting deoderant. But this is really an area where a person's body chemistry can really make a difference!

Mike

[SWIMMER]

I have good success with the deoderant crystal. I thought it was a bit expensive. Turns out it lasts a long time and is less than standard deoderants.

I've also used the suds of a Neem soap that I found in an Indian foods store(from India). It dries quickly and I put it on a few minutes before dressing. I like rotating anti-bacterial items to avoid bacterial resistance.

I've notice that those underarm stains on my clothes have also disappeared.

Kerry

[KenS]

I have been using the Usher brand deodorant that came in a Christmas gift pack. It doesn't list aluminum in the ingredients, seems to work well,and smells good to boot.

[Stauff]

I have found some department store perfumer brands' deodorants to work very well, like Chanels, Issey Miyake's and Dior's (that last one contained alcohol a few years back so I couldn't keep using it -worked very well though). C&E Nomad is great as well. Their sandalwood turns skunky on me... :001_huh:

[mental]

Great timing on the thread!

I was actually planning on going to Whole Foods tonight to pick up some Tom's Woodspice (and try some KMF cream for the first time, and maybe some Dr. Bronner's soap...) I will be happy to report my results. No C&E here, but maybe I'll order some.

[ZiggyDeath]

Even if there are "no health risks" associated with antiperspirants the fact that it blocks a naturally occurring bodily action should cause someone some concern. When it comes down to modifying how one's body operates you should always be careful - the "pill" for one comes to mind.

Besides, the "rumors" of breast cancer caused by these sticks have persisted long before the mass adoption and use of e-mails, and while it can be an urban legend, it's not something some people would want to test.

On that note, I stopped using deodorant altogether. By shaving my arm pits I can sufficiently reduce my odor footprint and will pass under the radar under most circumstances.

[Areler67]

I bought Pit rock in Ireland last year. It's made of alum stone.

[xman]

I'm a crystal man myself and have been for about 15 years. Wonder if I'll ever think of changing.

X

[mental]

I was fairly impressed with the Tom's Woodspice today. At the end of the day (7 am to 7 pm), very little detectable odor... I doubt it's anything that someone standing near me could pick up on. Of course, this is winter... I'm curious how this stuff holds up in the summer, as I tend to perspire fairly heavily. But so far I'm impressed, as most deodorants quit on me in just a few hours.

Initially it left a white residue, although it seemed to fade away with a little time. That's about my only complaint at this point.

[SilkySmooth]

Speed Stick Musk, it's cheap, smells good, and lasts all day.


==Tom

[Suzuki]

I often use a crystal deoderant, but this can and has caused some irritation - especially in the summer.

I'll have to try some of the product listed above in the winter - less risk of offending anyone if the product doesn't work and if it can't cut it in the winter, there's no way its going to make it through the summer!

[DustBow]

Is aluminum only/mostly used in anti-perspirants or is it also used in "plain" deoderants?
I've been using regular Speed Stick deoderant for years, checked the label last night and there is no aluminum in there. I stopped using anti-perspirants a long time ago because they irritated my skin (and it just seems kind of unnatural when I started thinking about it)

[MouldyCrow360]

I just wanted to mention that C&E deodorants are 50% off right now at ShopLondons.com. I added a stick of Nomad to the order I placed the other day. I've been using Tom's of Maine deodorant exclusively for just about a year now and have found it to be quite effective, but I thought I'd try something else for variety.

[Suzuki]

Anyone ever use the C&M products?

[DustBow]

I just wanted to mention that C&E deodorants are 50% off right now at ShopLondons.com.

looks like they are 50% off at C&E too

[Stauff]

Is aluminum only/mostly used in anti-perspirants or is it also used in "plain" deoderants?
I've been using regular Speed Stick deoderant for years, checked the label last night and there is no aluminum in there. I stopped using anti-perspirants a long time ago because they irritated my skin (and it just seems kind of unnatural when I started thinking about it)

Oly in AP. Ingredient is called 'aluminium chlorohydrate' (or similar). Mennen regular doesn't contain it.

[Suzuki]

looks like they are 50% off at C&E too

In store as well - just bought a stick of the Nomad.

[Rorschuck]

Even if there are "no health risks" associated with antiperspirants the fact that it blocks a naturally occurring bodily action should cause someone some concern. When it comes down to modifying how one's body operates you should always be careful - the "pill" for one comes to mind.

Besides, the "rumors" of breast cancer caused by these sticks have persisted long before the mass adoption and use of e-mails, and while it can be an urban legend, it's not something some people would want to test.

On that note, I stopped using deodorant altogether. By shaving my arm pits I can sufficiently reduce my odor footprint and will pass under the radar under most circumstances.

You *might* have a point there, but I have a valid counter-point: you have millions (?) of pores, and a great deal of skin surface; your underarm skin is a very small percentage of toal surface area/pore volume. How much damage can closing off 0.005% of your pores really do?

[letterk]

In store as well - just bought a stick of the Nomad.

I may have to take a trip to C&E soon...

[Dr. Mike]

I have good success with the deoderant crystal. I thought it was a bit expensive. Turns out it lasts a long time and is less than standard deoderants.

I've also used the suds of a Neem soap that I found in an Indian foods store(from India). It dries quickly and I put it on a few minutes before dressing. I like rotating anti-bacterial items to avoid bacterial resistance.

I've notice that those underarm stains on my clothes have also disappeared.

Kerry

I won't tell you not to rotate, but the whole issue of anti-bacterial personal cleansing items is nothing more than a fancy bit of advertising to get more people to buy an item. Soaps in general are going to be anti-bacterial. I read something a few years back saying that anti-bacterial soaps did no better than regular soaps - the most important factor is how long and how thorough you are when washing. Most of the bacteria on your skin you want to keep there - it is as important as the bacteria that lives in your intestines. Harmless bacteria serves as a protection against harmful bacteria - if your skin is swarming with harmless bacteria, it is hard for a relatively small population of harmful bacteria to take hold, as they will have to compete for resources.
The resistance thing also doesn't really apply here. Resistance in bacteria that you hear about causing multi-resistant strains is against antibiotics, like penicillin, streptomycin, methicillin, etc. The agents put into soaps are not antibiotics, rather some kind of antimicrobial chemicals that broadly kills bacteria - things like bleach and ethanol will do this, and bacteria don't develop a resistance to bleach or ethanol.
Just $0.02 from a microbiologist. You don't need to rotate a product you use to prevent bacterial resistance. If you like it, and it doesn't irritate you, keep using it. If your purpose is merely to kill bacteria, buy yourself some of that gel hand sanitizer, which is primarily alcohol in a gel, and smear that in your armpits. That will kill off the bacteria.

[Dr. Mike]

Even if there are "no health risks" associated with antiperspirants the fact that it blocks a naturally occurring bodily action should cause someone some concern. When it comes down to modifying how one's body operates you should always be careful - the "pill" for one comes to mind.

Besides, the "rumors" of breast cancer caused by these sticks have persisted long before the mass adoption and use of e-mails, and while it can be an urban legend, it's not something some people would want to test.

On that note, I stopped using deodorant altogether. By shaving my arm pits I can sufficiently reduce my odor footprint and will pass under the radar under most circumstances.

How long a rumor persist is not directly proportional to how true it is. How long have there been rumors of a Loch Ness Monster or a Bigfoot? I would be more suspect of a rumor that has been around for a while than a new rumor, because if it has been around for so long, and it were true, you would think that eventually somebody would have come up with some evidence to move it out of the realm of rumor.
All of the major cancer organizations, including the American Cancer Society, have repudiated this claim. There is just no evidence at all.
As for disrupting natural body functions, this one in particular is meant to cool you off. Just as you will not disrupt your automobile's air conditioning system by shutting one of the vents, you won't harm yourself by plugging up a few sweat glands.