Odourless (and natural) deoderants - my experience

[thingswelike]

Hi all
At the Delamere meet, there was some discussion of odourless deoderants. I said I'd post something up on here as I've been using them for about 12 years.

My reasons for choosing them are that they are the most natural deoderants in terms of chemicals on the skin, don't block pores and they are vegan, but the discussion at Delamere mentioned hunting because they are odourless and just general use because they don't leave white marks.
Another bonus is that they are lightweight - especially with travel sizes being available (40grms).

All these are crystal-based and the main active ingredient which seems to seperate the good from the average is Potassium Alum

The crystal ones also last and last and last (months if not years) - just be careful not to shatter them as they are then very spikey to apply. I sometimes nail file mine down if I've dropped it.

The last point is that they probably aren't going to be as effective as the best deoderant from Sure, etc, but they are pretty good.

Good solid crystal deoderants which are fairly common in health food stores:
Crystal Spring
http://www.crystalspringltd.co.uk/prodtype.asp?PT_ID=37&strPageHistory=cat

Crystal
http://lemonburst.co.uk/acatalog/Lemonburst_Crystal_Body_Deodorant_12.html

Both myself and my wife found this one (also common) to be next to useless, but maybe different bodies work differently.
One that didn't work for me: Pit Rok
http://www.pitrok.co.uk/cat--PitRok-natural-deodorants--PitRokDeodorants.html


In the past we've tried spray and roll-on versions of thes deoderants, but they haven't been as good (and they don't last very long), but recently we've found one that works really really well - maybe about as good as regular chemical deoderants.
Urtekram Deo Crystal Roll-on
http://www.mariposa-alternative-bodycare.co.uk/index1.html


So there you go - hope it's of use to someone.

Cheers
Alex

 

[dwardo]

I used to use an amber type of crystal that i bought from a hippy commune in Qeensland and it was great but i have never seen it since. It was especially good as my skin did not take to the 44deg c heat and 100% humidity and i developed contact dermititus

Thanks for this post ill give them a go.....

 

[andyn]

I swapped over to natural deoderant from an antiperspirant earlier this year. To the pit-rok push up roll on to be precise.

I've been very impressed by it and found it works very well imo. But like you said I do think that these things work differently for different people, just like artifical deodorants and antiperspirants do too.

I used to find that in the office by the end of the day I would end up sweating a fair bit, but having swapped over this doesn't happen anymore, I reckon the body was trying to sweat out all the rubbish that had been sprayed onto it earlier.

Very glad i swapped over and wouldn't go back to products like lynx, sure or right guard again.

Still, its no substitue for regular washing though. LOL.

 

[Rain man]

I use Ice Guard, same crystal method, odourless, bottle lasts forever! (well not quite, 11 months my last roll on) Good stuff

 

[thingswelike]

I swapped over to natural deoderant from an antiperspirant earlier this year. To the pit-rok push up roll on to be precise.

I've been very impressed by it and found it works very well imo. But like you said I do think that these things work differently for different people, just like artifical deodorants and antiperspirants do too.

Ah - I'm glad it works for somebody - I assumed it must because it's been in the shops for a long time (it may even have been the first I saw).

As a side note regarding different body chemistries, my wife and I found that when we shared crystals, they didn't work as well as when we had our own (they retained odour on the crystal).

Still, its no substitue for regular washing though. LOL.

Indeed. I actually found when I stopped using harsh (as in powerful) soaps that these crystals became more effective. I just use an olive oil based soap now.

 

[thingswelike]

I use Ice Guard, same crystal method, odourless, bottle lasts forever! (well not quite, 11 months my last roll on) Good stuff

Interesting that a roll-on lasts ages - is it not a liquid under a plastic ball then?
All the liquid roll-ons I've used last about 2-3 months tops.

 

[andyn]

The crystal roll on im using has already had four months of daily use and i have only pushed it up about a cm of the, maybe, 5 available. I have been amazed at the live time of the product compared to normal deodorants.

 

[thingswelike]

I get it - so it's a screw-up version of the the solid crystals ones. Nice one!

I once found a market stall owner who just had raw unshaped crystals cheap (£5 for one about 4 times the size of the normal ones) and it was great (lasted a couple of years), but I haven't seen them since.

 

[Ogri the trog]

HI Alex,
I guess I'm a little late in replying but here we go anyway.
As someone who has worked in the toiletries industry for the past 11 years I can only agree with your comments - it didn't take me long to swap to natural products once I started working with the raft of chemicals headed as Deodorants/Antiperspirants etc. I am curious about your reasons for disliking PitRok though - I use it regularly. I must admit though that I've not tried any of the others you have mentioned so I'm up for a bit of a trial.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[thingswelike]

Hi Ogri
Re: Pit Rok - I've amended my original to remove the word 'avoid' as it seems it's working perfectly well for some.
The reason I didn't like it was that it basically just didn't deodorise for either of us
I guess they are cheap enough to try a couple of different brands.

Thanks for your comments
Alex

 

[Mirius]

I've been interested in this for a while but not found a source of crystals to try - I'll have to go and try them now! Bionsen (in the spray version) didn't work well for me, but I've not tried their crystal version - anyone tried it? Since it's so easily available in the supermarkets makes them a bit easier to get hold of.

 

[BorderReiver]

What's wrong with standing in the smoke from your fire for a few minutes?

 

[thingswelike]

I've been interested in this for a while but not found a source of crystals to try - I'll have to go and try them now! Bionsen (in the spray version) didn't work well for me, but I've not tried their crystal version - anyone tried it? Since it's so easily available in the supermarkets makes them a bit easier to get hold of.

I haven't tried it, but if you want me to get you any of the ones from the original post I can get them and send it to you at cost.
That goes for anyone else - although it might be possible to find a mail-order company with reasonable postage costs.

 

[twisted firestarter]

Nice thread TWL

I too have been using deodorant crystal for about 12 years since buying one on a trip to Morocco. It was the size of a football and cost a fiver

Moroccan barbers also use them to dab on small shaving nicks, that works too.

 

[scoops_uk]

Have to be honest and say I thought these were for fruit loops. The whole rubbing a crystal on yourself thing sounded whacky.

However... prompted by this thread and my old deo running out, I've been and bought one!!

It's early days, but it seems to be working a treat and it does't have any of the sticky gunky feeling of conventional deodarants.

Thanks for the reccomendation

Scoops

 

[Goose]

I missed this thread earlier.
I use pitrok and have used te bionsen spray one too, found them both effective, the spray one needs to be filled and left for a bit. It dissolves the crystals and then gets sprayed on the water evaporates and leaves the crystal in place, so it needs to soak for a couple of days after being filled. I found using the spray for awkward places and the pitrock for under arm was the best way.

 

[thingswelike]

Have to be honest and say I thought these were for fruit loops. The whole rubbing a crystal on yourself thing sounded whacky.

To be honest - that's what I thought at first too - that it was some kind of non-product, faith thing. But I think it does actually put something on the skin (Potassium allum?)- it's just that it's a small amount.

It's early days, but it seems to be working a treat and it does't have any of the sticky gunky feeling of conventional deodarants.

Good stuff - I agree that other deodorants feel either gunky or chemically (the dry spray ones).
I don't feel guilty if I swim in a river either, as I'm sure it's not adding to the pollution.

 

[andyn]

Now we just needs these companies to make adverts of girl's flocking around you

Lynx effect my ar$e.

 

[rik_uk3]

What's wrong with standing in the smoke from your fire for a few minutes?

Spot on there my man

 

[andyn]

What's wrong with standing in the smoke from your fire for a few minutes?

Spot on there my man

LOL...

Well the serious answer is because the smoke smell is no different to using a normal deodorant, in that it is only masking the smell that is given off when sweat and bacteria comes into contact with each other (yummy )

Antiperspirant solves this by blocking the pores to stop you from sweating, using aluminium most the time, which is not particually good for the body and also means that you are clogging yourself up with chemicals.

Whereas these cyrstal products above, made from natural ingredients, work by stopping the other product...the bacteria... from growing, meaning you are free to sweat naturally without the smell.