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Do you know what the bigger story is here? You can purchase a mineral salt-rock crystal (it's a smooth solid peace of salt, about as cheap as it gets) "de-odor
by powertower 14y ago
Do you know what the bigger story is here?
You can purchase a mineral salt-rock crystal (it's a smooth solid peace of salt, about as cheap as it gets) "de-odorant" that you wet and apply, it leaves nothing behind except an undetectable amount of salt on the skin. That is ... no chemicals, no fragrances, nothing but salt.
That salt kills-off the bacteria that are responsible for odor (through various means, directly and indirectly).
After a week or two of this, you're done. Your sweat lessens, and becomes clear and odorless.
No more deodorant is required after this. Just shower and apply some soap to your skin.
The bigger story here is that advertisers have convinced you that their more expensive "formulas" are required, and there are no good alternatives.
Their products are specifically designed not to kill-off the bacteria, and hence to keep you purchasing the product.
They do this because you can't make money selling a $1 peace of salt-rock that lasts the customer a life-time.
- Roritharr 14y agoIs this true? Any references? Experiences?
- powertower 14y agoThe above is my personal experience, with absolute-zero story exaggeration. Though how long you'll need to apply the salt may vary (and how frequent you'll use it). I don't have a preference for any brand (it's all the same) but here is what I have now: http://www.thecrystal.com/ http://www.thecrystal.com/ You should be able to buy these in any good organic food and health store.
- nollidge 14y agoLooks like Walgreens has it also. Will be trying this. Less for the "all-natural" aspect than the annoying masking scents they put in standard deodorants that I can smell on myself.
- dalke 14y agoWhat's the mineral in "the crystal?" It's almost certainly an aluminum salt, but I can't find the active ingredient? The FAQ says "Do Crystal deodorants contain aluminum chlorohydrate or aluminum zirconium? No." That's a bit suspicious, as I think people would really want to know "does it contain aluminum?" and the answer is likely "yes." BTW, you wrote "Your sweat lessens" with this product, but it does not. The FAQ stresses that it does not reduce sweat. "Crystal is not an antiperspirant. It is a deodorant ... Deodorants are generally considered cosmetic product because they simply control odor."
- dpark 14y ago> I think people would really want to know "does it contain aluminum?" and the answer is likely "yes." The answer is absolutely yes. They admit that it contains an alum, but don't specify which one. The "it's all natural because it's a salt" angle is BS, because aluminum chlorohydrate is also a salt.
- powertower 14y agohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_alum http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_alum Though it's probably just 1 in a mixture of many salts. Even if regular deodorant has this listed as an ingredient, it's quantity is questionable, and it's mixed in with other substances that prevent the alum from making full contact on the surface of the skin. > Your sweat lessens" with this product, but it does not. The FAQ stresses that it does not reduce sweat. It does a bit. But not to a significant effect. It's probably a secondary effect (clean pores, less sweat ... something like that).
- dalke 14y agoIt's ammonium alum or potassium alum. Sometimes derisively called "hippie deodorant." It is not an antiperspirant. There are all sorts of alternatives that people use as deodorants, including lemon juice, baking soda, and tea oils.
- geekagirl 14y agoI've got pretty sensitive skin and anti-persperant caused it to crack and even bleed. So I tried the rock salt/crystal kind of deodorant. My local supermarket carries it, should I ever run out, but I've had the same one for seven or eight years now. It works pretty well for me. I also shave my underarms, which probably helps -- less surface area for bacteria to grow and sweat dries faster. If I'm wearing a tight shirt, I'll sometimes use baby powder in case I sweat, but in general it hasn't been a problem. I bike to work occasionally, but usually change my shirt and wipe the sweat off with an alcohol wet-wipe. That helps as well. Also, natural fibers are your friend! I will get stinky if I wear a polyester or rayon shirt all day, but that happens even if I wear normal deodorant.
- dalke 14y ago"I also shave my underarms, which probably helps". Interestingly, the Wikipedia article on this topic claims "Underarm hair wicks the moisture away from the skin and aids in keeping the skin dry enough to prevent or diminish bacterial colonization. The hair is less susceptible to bacterial growth and therefore is ideal for preventing the bacterial odor."
- geekagirl 14y agoInteresting! I'm also a woman, so there's some social pressure to shave.
- jrabone 14y agoHave you tried a mild skin antiseptic cream? I've used Savlon for this in the past (cetrimide & chlorhexidine gluconate are the active ingredients, in a white vanishing cream base). Doesn't block pores, but is effective at killing most of the bacteria and is soothing if you have aggravated the skin there somehow.
- heironimus 14y agoNo references, but in my family's experiences, it never works for some and it works great for others, but only as long as you use it. The day you forget, the stink comes right back.
- tomjen3 14y agoWouldn't you still need to prevent the sweat in the first place? I mean even if it doesn't smell it is still annoying and visible on shirts, etc. And there is no reason to sell a 1 usd stone. You can properly sell it for 50.
- loceng 14y agoSweat doesn't inherently smell. The foods you eat affect how you smell, though not specifically because of your sweat. If you eat a lot of spicy food then your whole body will be releasing those aromas.
- clarky07 14y agoI think he's suggesting that the sweat is a problem whether it smells or not.
- loceng 14y agoAhhh, biologically it isn't - it's good to clean pores, keep you cool, etc..
- Dylan16807 14y agoSweat on some parts of the body will keep you cool. Trapped inside a joint, not so much.
- FreeFull 14y agoWhile sweat itself doesn't have much smell, stale sweat will smell due to bacteria. What you eat won't be able to change this.
- RyanMcGreal 14y agoI've tried using that in the past. It didn't work very well.
- powertower 14y agoYou have to apply it on clean/washed (after-shower) skin, not apply anything else, and use it consistently every day for a few weeks. It's also not an anti-perspirant. It just kills-off the bacteria. I suppose YMMV with how well it works for you, depending on what you're looking to get out of it, and how extensive the bacteria colonies are on the skin, and below the surface.
- RyanMcGreal 14y agoDid all that. It didn't stop sweating and at didn't stop body odour.
- glenra 14y agoDitto. I have used "Crystal" off and on and my experience has been that it doesn't reduce odor or sweating nearly as well as something like Speed Stick.
- michaelcampbell 14y agoIt's not meant to stop sweating.
- glenra 14y agoSure. You know that, I know that, and the manufacture of the product knows that. But "powertower" has alleged above that it does reduce sweating "as a secondary effect". By various vague and unlikely mechanisms.
- michaelcampbell 14y agoAh, I misread you; apologies. I'm sorry it doesn't work well for you. It's a godsend to me (sensitive to most other deodorants), but I do find that although it works for me, it doesn't last nearly as long. "all day", but just; if I have a long day I always wish I had a spare. The travel size ones are great though; and solid so you don't need to put them in the silly US "quart ziplock".
- loceng 14y agoThe foundation to this is there is more profit to be made selling something magical with a big marketing budget, and therefore it's what gets mass exposure.
- enko 14y agoInteresting. I might give that a try. On a more conventional note, while we're recommending deodorants, this is hands down the best I have ever used: http://www.amazon.com/MenScience-12031-Advanced-Deodorant-2-6-oz/dp/B000GAO1PE http://www.amazon.com/MenScience-12031-Advanced-Deodorant-2-... That is the only deodorant I've ever encountered which can last me through 4 hours of chatting in a hot stuffy bar, which was truly a revelation to me, silly as that may sound. No association with the product other than as a customer.
- dpark 14y ago> no chemicals, no fragrances, nothing but salt. The "rock crystal" you're using contains either potassium alum or ammonium alum, both of which are both chemicals (so for that matter is water and everything else). And FYI, aluminium chlorohydrate (one of the "harsh chemicals" that Crystal-brand deodorant claims not to contain) is also a salt, and indeed used in water purification just like the alums. I believe that aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly is also a salt (or rather contains a salt), but I'm not certain. All the major antiperspirants and deodorants are aluminum-based. > After a week or two of this, you're done. Your sweat lessens, and becomes clear and odorless. > No more deodorant is required after this. Just shower and apply some soap to your skin. This is not a claim that Crystal makes. They specifically indicate that their rock lasts about a year. They don't even claim that it has antiperspirant qualities, just deodorant qualities. There is no magic salt that you can rub on your skin for a week that stops you from sweating and smelling indefinitely. > Their products are specifically designed not to kill the bacteria, and hence to keep you purchasing the product. This is ridiculous conspiracy theory. Their products are designed to stop people from smelling. No one is sitting around twisting their mustache and creating deodorants and antiperspirants that specifically protect underarm bacteria. You're also covered in bacteria. Even if Crystal managed to kill all the bacteria under your arms, it would be back the next day. If sanitizing your underarms was sufficient to get rid of odor and sweat indefinitely, then a big iodine swab would do the job faster and even cheaper.
- powertower 14y ago> This is not a claim that Crystal makes. They make several claims. It's also a claim I've made based on personal experience with both "mineral salt crystals" (alum - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alum http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alum) and regular deodorant, and knowing the ingredients in both and how those ingredients affect bacteria. > even if Crystal managed to kill all the bacteria under your arms, it would be back the next day. One killed off all odor causing bacteria after a few weeks (I no longer have to use it, maybe once a week). The other just kept it masked even after YEARS of use. I'll let you guess which one that was. > No one is sitting around twisting their mustache and creating deodorants and antiperspirants that specifically protect underarm bacteria. No, they just don't put the same amount of alum in their products to make it effective. Their game is to mask the odor, and not to prevent it from happening again. LTV of customer is the #1 metric in business. > a big iodine swab would do the job faster and even cheaper. Never tried it. But if it works for you, use it.
- glenra 14y agoIf you drop that piece of salt rock it breaks, as does the container holding it. Even if you don't drop it, it doesn't last forever, nor does sweat become "odorless" after "a week or two" of using it. (I've used Crystal off and on). My suspicion is that you just aren't prone to sweat very much, or can't smell yourself. Did you notice that the salt rock itself smells bad once you've ever used it, whereas sticks don't? I'm willing to concede the possibility that it works as you describe for you, but your experience isn't universal. It didn't work that way at all for me; I went back to mostly using the sticks because the salt rock didn't work very well. Though when you say "just shower and apply some soap to your skin", that could work if you were using a deodorant soap. :-)
- powertower 14y ago> Did you notice that the salt rock itself smells bad once you've ever used it, whereas sticks don't? Never. You would always put it under a stream before (to moisten up a layer) and after you use it (to clean it). And only after you've showered and washed with soap first. It sounds to me like people are not using it correctly and consistently, are mixing it with regular deodorant, or have very extensive bacterial colonies on skin and transdermally.
- nitrogen 14y agoIt sounds to me like people are not using it correctly and consistently, are mixing it with regular deodorant, or have very extensive bacterial colonies on skin and transdermally. AKA no true Scotsman. You are doing a great job of speaking in patterns used by advocates of homeopathy and spiritualism.
- sophacles 14y agoSorry, but incorrect usage resulting in diminished or no effect is not a true Scotsman fallacy component. Or do you claim that antibiotics are also homeopathy and spiritualism? Similar, claims of does not work under all conditions are not the hallmark of a true Scotsman fallacy, otherwise tylenol should be considered homeopathy and spiritualism, since it doesn't work for certain types of pain, or certain levels of pain. Incorrect accusations of fallacy indicate personal vendetta. What is your problem?
- Aloisius 14y agoMy experience with people who use these kinds of products is that they seem to have acclimated to their own odor. One can acclimate pretty quickly to nearly any odor no matter how foul, so it isn't all that surprising. They still don't smell nice, but they don't seem to notice it.
- jonhendry 14y ago"They do this because you can't make money selling a $1 peace of salt-rock that lasts the customer a life-time." Your preferred brand can't either, they sell it for $7.
- jonhendry 14y agoI tried it once. It gave me a rash.