My crystal deodorant stinks

[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 !!! ) 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.

 

[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.

 

[KarlTenerife]

I was very cynical about crystal deodorant however after using it for a week or so there is no under arm odour whatsoever. i am very impressed. I live and work in a very hot climate.
I have a question if anyone could help please. My 15 year old started using it as well and was not getting same results as me. it was only by chance one morning after his shower i heard the spray of a deodorant from his bathroom. When i asked him about this he said he was applying the crystal deodorant as normal but then was spraying his usual antiperspirant on top of it for the fragrance ! Would this destroy the crystals or affect its performance?

 

[Slash McCoy]

I have been using alum block as deodorant for several years now. I absolutely LOVE it. Tried the roll on, it didn't work nearly as well. While pits are still damp from shower, I apply a good rub of it. You can use it "down there" and even "back there", but it will pick up odor from the nether regions. Washing it with the hand under running water quickly removes it. I have been using the "Thai Crystal" brand plain stick, not the silly twisty turny pushup type. I hate when simple things get needlessly complicated and fiddly.

After shower, the alum creates a hostile environment for bacteria. It does not remove or cover up existing odor. It prevents proliferation of odor causing bacteria that feed on excretions from the apocrine type sweat glands. If you are already stinky, it won't do much for you. If you haven't showered in a day or two it won't help much. If you put it on immediately after showering, it will keep you odor free pretty much as long as you need it to, if you change shirts and if you don't get into a big sweat fest which washes the alum away.

What I like best about an alum block deoderant is it is scentless. I absolutely hate the smell of scented spray or roll on deoderants. To me, they positively reek, worse than minor BO. An absolutely disgusting and sickening odor.

The alum block has never failed me. Doesn't matter what I eat. Well, too much garlic, sometimes. That's about it. I practically live on red meat, too. An Asian ex GF told me I was one of the few non Asian men she knew that never stank to her. Not to be racist but most Asian peoples' noses are quite sensitive to Western people's BO. This, because genetically they tend to have far fewer apocrine sweat glands than the rest of us.

one morning after his shower i heard the spray of a deodorant from his bathroom. When i asked him about this he said he was applying the crystal deodorant as normal but then was spraying his usual antiperspirant on top of it for the fragrance ! Would this destroy the crystals or affect its performance?

Spraying deo over alum in the pits? Doesn't sound like a good idea to me. The pits are the last place a scent should be sprayed, only to fester in a moist and heated environment. Scent lightly dabbed on the lower neck and wrists is usually more agreeable. "Ax" and similar youth marketed sprays are even worse than Right Guard and other old school sprays. Give your kid a bottle of a decent classic cologne and instill in him the wisdom of applying only enough to make young ladies who are already standing close, want to get closer to investigate, not enough to smell from 10 feet away. There is a natural urge to inflict one's taste in scent upon others' noses. It is a projection of self and power. It also irritates many people and subconsciously or even consciously compels them to avoid close contact. Overuse of scented products, in spite of the hype and advertising, often drives people away. Being the guy that everybody likes is better than being the guy that everybody notices.

 

[KarlTenerife]

Thank You Slash McCoy v useful.