I use the crystal for traveling (because it passes through airport security: no liquid, no gel), and at home I use Kiss My Face's roll-on product derived from the same crystal, dubbed "Liquid Rock." I've been using the Liquid Rock for more than 10 years, as I've found it to be by far the most effective "green" deodorant on the market, but I do wonder about the effects of long-term use. I have been developing a lot of moles in my underarms over the past few years, including one that's odd enough to make me want to schedule a visit to a dermatologist to make sure it's not something worse. It's entirely possible that these moles would have developed on their own (correlation isn't necessarily causation), but it does give me pause. Just because something's "all natural" doesn't mean it's good for you, and as far as I know none of these products have been tested in laboratory studies so we don't know anything about their potential long-term toxicity.

My husband and I both use the (same) crystal, and the one we're using has already lasted a year and is only half-gone.  Pretty cost-effective!

is the most common metallic element on earth.  Compounds of aluminum are found in most soils, so your body is exposed to Al pretty much any time you get your hands dirty or get dust on your skin or in your nose.  Please don't spread the unsubstantiated myth that Al causes breast cancer.  There is no scientific (as opposed to urban legend) based evidence that it does.

Those deodorant crystals you all like contain Al in the form of alum or bauxite. Alum is used by many municipal water treatment plants to purify drinking water.  It's not dangerous!

The reason all those "eco" deodorants don't work is that they don't stop perspiration, which eventually overwhelms their scent-masking abilities.  If you want to favor what's "natural" over what isn't, the function of axial sweat glands is VERY natural -- it is a secondary sexual characteristic that "Nature" intended to help us attract appropriate mates.

My advice: use an "invisible" commercial antiperspirant and deodorant and focus your healthy lifestyle behavior on your diet, weight, stopping smoking, getting enough exercise and sleep, driving non-agressively, and wearing your seatbelt.

is the most common metallic element on earth.  Compounds of aluminum are found in most soils, so your body is exposed to Al pretty much any time you get your hands dirty or get dust on your skin or in your nose.  Please don't spread the unsubstantiated myth that Al causes breast cancer.  There is no scientific (as opposed to urban legend) based evidence that it does.

Those deodorant crystals you all like contain Al in the form of alum or bauxite. Alum is used by many municipal water treatment plants to purify drinking water.  It's not dangerous!

The reason all those "eco" deodorants don't work is that they don't stop perspiration, which eventually overwhelms their scent-masking abilities.  If you want to favor what's "natural" over what isn't, the function of axial sweat glands is VERY natural -- it is a secondary sexual characteristic that "Nature" intended to help us attract appropriate mates.

My advice: use an "invisible" commercial antiperspirant and deodorant and focus your healthy lifestyle behavior on your diet, weight, stopping smoking, getting enough exercise and sleep, driving non-agressively, and wearing your seatbelt.

I've gotten the best results from dusting my pits with baking powder. It was amazing, no stink at the end of the day. Unfortunately, after a couple weeks the skin in my arm pits turned greyish-green. I have no clue why this happened, but there is no way I could continue to use the baking soda. Maybe it had something to do with my skin oils. The color went back to normal after a week or so.
Too bad, otherwise it was a great cheap product.

I no longer have underarm odor, since I stopped eating dead animals and animal products (particularly dairy products).

My DH does the 'smell check' for me, whenever I am concerned, and his conclusion has been that I really don't smell bad, even after a very active workout. I'll shower (with Dr. Bronner's soap) when I'm sweaty, but don't need to cover up any smells!

I've tried those "natural" deodorants for years - and as evidence by the above reviews: they suck. I found this recipe online for homemade deodorant with baking soda and coconut oil. And it works!  And you can just reuse the container - so no more wasted plastic! And its cheap!

use an old stick deodorant container - clean all the old stuff out - and screw it all the way down.

measure how much volume it contains (with water).

measure this amount of coconut oil and melt in a pan on the stove (on low)

mix in baking soda until you have a thick slurry (you need more than you think - it should be very gritty)  

optional - add in whatever scents/essential oils you like - if you want it to smell like something.

pour slurry into container - and transfer immediately to fridge/freezer.  The baking soda is in a suspension - so it will begin to settle - which will cause the top part of the stick to just be coconut - which will not block smells.

 Take out and use like a regular stick.  

One note - Coconut oil is solid at room temp - but liquid at around 85.  I keep my stick in the fridge all summer.

Second note - you can extract local sustainable scents right from your garden/yard - just throw things like rosemary or mint or even pine needles into pan and simmer for a bit - seive out before putting into container.

third note - if it did not work or is too slimy - you did not add enough baking soda.  Easy solution : push out whole stick into pan - and start over again.

I love the crystal!  No scent at all on application or after 12 hours. By far the best deodorant I've ever used, and it never seems to get any smaller.  I suppose years from now I'll have to buy a new one: we'll see! Best way to apply: immediately after shower, when pits are still wet.  Otherwise: wet 'em! By the way, I've stopped shaving my armpits, and they still smell sweet, or, rather, like nothing, which is sweetest of all!

I've been using the crystal for years with no reactions.  I have chemical sensitivities (what a misnomer that is) so I all for anything that doesn't have a scent.  It's extremely hard to get anything that has a 100% natural scent.  Even essential oils - the true ones are really hard to find.  And while you may think it smells good, what about the person next to you?

Crystalux is the brand that I use and I love it. It has no aluminum in it at all and works like a champ!

I have not and will NEVER use any antiperspirants because if you think biologically about what sweating does for your body is releasing toxins in the body. There are more lymph nodes in your armpits than anywhere else in your body and they are right next to the breasts.

I don't buy it that by plugging up your sweat glands that you will not have some negative effects happen. You need to sweat. The data will come that will prove wearing antiperspirant is harmful to women. The reason guys can get away with it is they don't shave their pits. Most women do and that removes the protective hair that would mostly shield women from getting to much aluminum in their system.

Deodorant stones just remove the bacteria that causes the stink, you still sweat, but don't smell.

We recently did a test run of some different ones at our blog and found the same problem with "eco" deodorants that attempt to mask the smell. The smell ends up being worse! Personally I have had the best luck with the crystal stick. The only thing you have to get used to is sweating (if you've been using antiperspirants). In heavy exercise you're not going to be very well protected but for day to day office dwelling, it's totally fine. :)

I first started using a crystal because it is usually minimally packaged.  Considering how many years I can get out of a big crystal, that's a lot of plastic I'm keeping out of the waste stream.  I don't shave my pits, either, and no product -- "natural", "organic", or "conventional" -- works nearly as well against odor as my crystal.

I've been working at finding a "natural" deoderant for several years.  I thought I'd solved the problem when I bought and tried and loved a crystal stick.  After several months of using it, however, I developed a very painful, irritated patch of skin in my armpit--and after some experimentation, the only source of the problem had to be the crystal. I do shave my pits, so I've wondered since if the irritation might have been a combination of a tiny cut AND the crystal.  I let myself heal and tried it again a while later and broke out again.  Anyone have a similar experience?

I still have the crystal...maybe it is time to try it again.  Lately I've been alternating between Burt's Bees (I know, I know, not the best choice anymore) and an unscented Ban roll-on that scored high on the EWG site (they don't rate alum badly, apparently). I like the Burt's Bees because it immediately masks any odor, whether I put it on first thing or when already stinky.

Anyway, I'd appreciate any advice on the crystal--I was very bummed when I couldn't use it anymore, because it was by far the best.

Like another commenter said, the best way to apply the crystal is right after showering when your armpits are wet. I found this out by accident when I was almost ready to give up on the crystal deodorants because they didn't work when I wet the crystal and applied it.

In very hot weather, the crystal doesn't work as well, so I apply a little cornstarch powder that I add lavender oil to and it keeps me fresh for the rest of the day.

Sweating may be natural, but I hate it when my arms stick to my pits and my shirt is wet and sticky under my arms. I was a vegetarian for years and still smelled strongly when I perspired, so I don't think it's the fact that I eat meat now that does it.

Lill

There's an Adidas deoderant that doesn't contain aluminum, and has "cotton tech" something in it. A friend told me she loves it and it was the most effective deoderant/antiperspirant she'd ever used. Anyone else ever tried it?

There's an Adidas deoderant that doesn't contain aluminum, and has "cotton tech" something in it. A friend told me she loves it and it was the most effective deoderant/antiperspirant she'd ever used. Anyone else ever tried it?

Since (I think) it's the bacteria and other critters proliferating in that warm, moist environment that gives rise to much of the odor of perspiration, I've found that wiping my armpits with a piece of cotton (saved from vitamin pill bottles) soaked in $1 store alcohol serves me well. It's easy to carry an alcohol-soaked wad of cotton in a tiny snip of plastic bag + twisty for re-touches during the day, if needed. Of course it's not an antiperspirant, but do I really want to strangle my perspiration system?

~ irene

Have to second the upper comment regarding aluminum causing breast cancer- it just isn't supported in the peer-reviewed literature. (Check out multiple sources regarding this including the Mayo Clinic, US Breast Cancer Alliance, Cancer Research UK, etc etc...) Plus a basic physiology course will let you know that sweating doesn't release "toxins"- it's mainly water, some salts, and maybe some urea and ammonia (naturally found in the body, check out the urea cycle in our metabolic processes if you don't believe me). Flushing out those crazy toxins is what our liver and kidneys are for.

is Weleda's spray deodorants:
<http://shop.weleda.com/item_detail.aspx?ItemCode=6365>. I'm pretty sure it's chemical-free, and, if you like smelling like roses, the subtle smell lasts all day, with minimal stink even in summertime humidity.

I just use baking soda.  I buy it in bulk and use it for everything.  Its replaced deodorant, tooth paste, face wash, shoe deodorant and it prolongs my shampoo. I also use it for household cleaning.  Sure, its eco friendly, but my main concern is how cheap it is!

I have been using a Chrystal for about 8 years. Back then I wondered why my pits would smell soon after a shower. After using a magnifying glass and straining my neck, I noticed stuff at the base of many hairs. Something that shouldn't be there. And no, it wasn't moving. Scrubbing with soap and then alcohol, did nothing. I finally shaved and then started using the Chrystal. I have been stink free for years.

I tried the Adidas stick, very excited to see a product without aluminum on the market that seemed "sporty" enough to actually work. It did seem to work, but I had a terrible reaction to it. I became so red and itchy I couldn't keep my hands out of my armpits all day. Needless to say I had to discontinue using it.

I thought the real problem with aluminum was its connection to Alzheimer's. Does anyone know if that's actually true or just an urban myth?

As for another rec. I use the Trader Joe's Unscented Deodorant with Cotton and love it... been using it over a year and I walk to work (~1/2 hour) and in the summer it can get pretty hot but I've never noticed any stinkies.

The crystal did not work for me, but maybe I'll have to try it straight out of the shower like others have recommended.  I tried it on the recommendation of a biologist, who said it used salt to keep bacteria from thriving.

I tried Tom's of Maine unscented and it gave me a serious rash, so I had to quit using it.  Didn't work all that well anyway.

I've tried the cotton one, too, which also worked pretty well - not as well as the usual ones with aluminum but much better than the crystal or Tom's.

My husband swears by Nature's Gate, and he always smells really good.  His scent is oak-and-something, though, so maybe it was just that particular scent that "smelled like a latrine".

Weird,
as I found the crystal to be the most ineffective and offensive  ingredient I have ever applied to my axilla. But to be honest, I rarely had a problem - that is until I reached menopause. Whoa! Look out! Thankfully, there exists a product known as Tom's Active Enzyme deodorant which keeps all the Whoa! in check. Couldn't do with out it.

Weleda's natural deodorant is the most effective I've found and comes in delicious scents.

Another awesome one is Lush's Coconut Deodorizing powder which I use on top of the crystal.  Still fresh and coconutty after the gym!

Packaged deodorant gels and sprays and pastes are just a money-making scam.  A 40-cent box of baking soda can last for a year.  An $8 crystal stick can last for a decade.

I've used baking soda for years now, and I bike to and from work every day (I'm a civil engineer who has to be clean and odor-free for work).  Keep a box of baking soda in the bathroom.  At the end of your shower put 1tsp into your hands, add enough water to turn it into a slurry, and wipe it into your armpits.  Wipe the leftovers on your feet, rinse your hands, and you're finished.

I used a crystal for about 8 years before switching to baking soda.  I used ONE crystal.  It was only about halfway used when I dropped it and broke it after about 8 years.  I was happy with it, but I'm even happier with baking soda.

No aluminum - lots of baking soda. Not an anti-perspirant, just deordorant, but works very very well.

was the mantra in the 15 years of working in health food stores.  Dont want to sweat?, dust after deo with a body powder,  and shaved pits cuts down on stink.   Glad someone clued that it was aluminum salts in the crystal.  BUT>>> Interestingly enuf, my years expierence is that there was a group that maybe geneticly, body type,  dont know, but the crystal works like magic.  I was not in that group.  Get a travel size and if it works, you have a years supply, if not you only shelled out a couple of bux, give it to a friend.  
My favorite pick, everyone i got to try liked it.
1.Earth Science liken  several scents including tea tree for the author.  
I knew natures gate would be on the bottom.  that and Jasons were the most returned.  
Good runners up are:
Toms Calendula  (not unscented,  but its smell is  very pleasent for men or women,
Desert Essence does a good job.
Alba is simular to toms with more scents.
Lavilin from isreal has a cult following
Dr Haushka if money is not a concern.

thanks for indulging the ramble... on the last note on proplyne glycol.  Many times customers bring me MSDS sheets on chemicals.  Seee SSEEEE, sodium laryl sulfate is dangerous.  Yes i wouldnt want to stick my hand in a vat of pure sls,  but diluted down in shampoo 100/1 is another story.  Sls is the chemical name of putting coconut oil and lye together, something soap masters have been doing for centuries.    I look for the smallest molecule as being closer to natural.  prop glycol fits that, over the secrets, speed sticks etc.  I dont know if they will find a connection but i have alzheimers in my family...i aint taking chances.  Your pits are a detox organ. I dont think it is wize to put a seal on an area that needs to breathe.  Those chemicals have defintely been found in the body, shouldnt it be the other way around?  Its ok to sweat, you just dont want to stink.

After reading the article and comments, I bought the crystal to give it a try.  Very, very impressed.  I've ditched the spray I used to rely on and am converted.  Thanks for the advice guys.

Maybe it's just me and my pits but the crystal doesn't seem to neutralize the smell very well. I've noticed that I don't perspire as much or at all but the smell is still very noticeable. I know it doesn't neutralize smell because the crystal itself stinks =(

Hello everyone, I hope I'm not doubling up on anything anyone else has already discussed.

Bi-carb of Soda = NO SMELL.

I'd been messing around with Bi-carb for some other uses and one day decided to try it out under the arms.

Works 100% even after going to the gym -- walking briskly for 2 to 3 hours.

At first I think I put too much on, as it got slightly tender under my arms (but nothing to worry about).

Now I only use a small amount - roughly the size of a pea of the dry powder (maybe slightly more) and then add water until its thinner than what I'd call a paste and then just rub equals amounts under my arms and let it dry naturally.

There is NO white powder residue - you would not know it was there.

And it hasn't let me down once.  It hasn't got what one would call a lovely 'designer' smell to it - but I'm getting around to mixing up some with maybe some essential oils or something to give it a slightly nice smell.

But the Bi-carb has 100% eliminated the smell from my armpits during gym workouts.

And Bi-carb is probably cheaper than anything else you can purchase.

HA -- so far I haven't grown another head or any other strange side effects -- and I cant find anything bad said about Bi-carb and the human body -- but if anyone finds anything, please let me know.

Give it a try, it may take a bit of experimenting to get the amount of Bi-carb and water you use, but that's not rocket science.

Have a nice day.