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I've been using a stainless steel "deoderant stick" [1] (it's just metal, no chemicals) for several years in the shower and its greatly reduced the amount of no
by sxates 9y ago
I've been using a stainless steel "deoderant stick" [1] (it's just metal, no chemicals) for several years in the shower and its greatly reduced the amount of normal deodorant I use. The steel does a good job of eliminating odors. I only supplement with a dry-stick deodorant if I know I'm going to be getting hot and sweaty - most days at the office I skip it. Saves a lot of money too, since one of these will last you a whole lifetime most likely.
[1] https://www.amazon.com/Odor-Works-Natural-Deodorant-Alternative/dp/B0040Y5JTO/ https://www.amazon.com/Odor-Works-Natural-Deodorant-Alternat...
- okket 9y ago33% 1 star reviews "Doesn't really work" "You could also use a stone instead or do nothing"
- comboy 9y agoHow is this supposed to work? I'm assuming not many chemical reactions are happening around that stainless steel. So is this any different than using a sponge, your hand or whatever solid object?
- avian 9y ago“Scientific evidence appears lacking.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stainless_steel_soap https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stainless_steel_soap
- sxates 9y agoMaybe nobody has spent money to do a study, but it does seem to work. I was skeptical when a friend suggested it, but I'll be darned if it doesn't work.
- giardini 9y agoSo it's like Niel Bohr's horseshoe that he hung above his office door. When asked if he thought it brought good luck, he would reply "No. But they say it works even if you don't believe in it." Perhaps I could kill two birds at once by selling stainless steel horseshoes for bathing use? "Uncle Bohr's Lucky Stainless Steel Bathing Horseshoe" or such?
- sxates 9y agoLuck is hard to measure, smells aren't. I don't understand why you're so hostile to the possibility that stainless steel can remove odors that soap doesn't? This is easy to test. I've tested it.
- giardini 9y agoI wasn't hostile to the possibility, but I have tried several such products and haven't been impressed either. But FWIW here's an NPR article that says it doesn't work: "Does a Bit of Steel Get Rid of That Garlic Smell?" https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6473350 https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=647335...
- astura 9y agoSo you did a controlled test where you used just water one day, a sponge/washcloth another day, and a stone another day and had blinded judges to smell you throughout the day?
- askvictor 9y agodefinitely works for getting rid of onion or garlic smells off your hands. you can use a spoon or knife or even the sink surface. i believe that the steel acts as a catalytic surface, but have no hard evidence. but try rubbing a spoon over your fingers under running water next time youve cut garlic and see for yourself.
- himom 9y agololwtf. Laundry ball technology.
- 24gttghh 9y agoI was going to ask which kind (dryer or washer, or plastic or wool) because my household uses those wool balls in the dryer, but now that I actually read about it they don't seem to do shit either...
- always_good 9y agoHave you asked anybody if you smell? My dad had this "crystal rock" deodorant that he thought was working until we told him otherwise.
- mistermann 9y agoI have one of these and can 100 pct vouch that it works for me, no question whatsoever. YMMV
- GalacticDomin8r 9y agoHa like that time when I was a young clerk, a couple approached me recounting their earlier near-miss with a skunk. Thing is, the skunk didn't miss and everyone knew when they came into the store.
- mistermann 9y agoYou can't smell me, but it's just like that time eh? There was a time where you could expect people on HN to have a grasp of basic logic and often even chemistry, but I guess one can't live in the past.
- sxates 9y agoWife would say so - and I can smell myself. I think the trick is you need to rub it for about 30 seconds - longer than people are probably willing to do it. But there's noticeable before and after results if you do that. Here's an article I found that goes into the chemistry of it: https://www.thoughtco.com/how-stainless-steel-removes-odors-602190 https://www.thoughtco.com/how-stainless-steel-removes-odors-...
- pluma 9y agotl;dr: stainless steel reacts with the stuff that makes onions, garlic and fish smell, thereby neutralising that particular odor. So scrubbing yourself with stainless steel can replace soap but not deodorant. Unless you're literally rubbing steel particles onto your skin there's no lasting effect, it just kills the smells (if they are sulfur-based). EDIT: of course this assumes you trust the article to be scientifically accurate.
- tmnvix 9y agoYou're getting a lot of flak for this from people suggesting it's not proven. Just to add to the anecdata, I've known for some time that if I rub my fingertips on a stainless steel spoon after cutting garlic it greatly reduces the smell. This doesn't seem to work with a wooden or plastic spoon.
- taco_emoji 9y agoSure, stainless steel does remove such odors, but how on Earth does that imply that it prevents underarm odors?
- tmnvix 9y agoThat's a good point. Though I do think that in a lot of circumstances regular removal of odour is sufficient. I recently spent a few months in the countryside with very little social contact (a great way to get a lot of deep work done). I would only shower every three or four days and didn't use deodorant. On the first day I smelled fine. By day three or four the accumulation of odour was noticeable. Since returning to civilisation, I've mostly stuck to a shower each day without using deodorant other than when I think it'll be necessary (like if I go out dancing).
- boyaka 9y ago+1 to this anecdata. Lack of use of soap and deodorant along with regular showering is fine, and less consumery. I still use deodorant when I’m planning to be in a potentially hot, stuffy place with other people (e.g. car trips), and just take a shower after exercise. I’d even go further to say I’m convinced that use of soaps and deodorant cause us to generate odor in an even worse way. This would make sense if you want to keep selling a product. We should research this! And regarding the stainless steel stick, I just stroke my pit hairs with my fingers.
- sxates 9y agoI didn't claim it prevents odor. Which deodorant doesn't do either - you're either masking it with other scents or using an antiperspirant to reduce sweating. It removes odor that soap alone doesn't, which means you don't need to mask your pit smells with perfume or clog your pores with chemicals when used daily. It keeps things in check.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]