Alum deodorant stopped working. Now what?
- Thread starter zeak
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Zeak:
I have a 'vested' interest in this Thread because I have no problems here with using aluminum crystal deodorant, but I did notice that I'm sweating less (and less BO), when I 'scape' my armpits every-so-often.
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I shave my armpits every once in awhile especially in the summer. Alum unfortunately didn't work for me. I know use Jungleman Naturals which actually holds up even in the summer. Just as a FYI, the only three products I found that worked for me and/or didn't give me a rash were Degree, Sure & Jungleman so I have to be more selective than most.
As they say sometimes the OLD solutions work the best....
Wash armpits with a 50/50 solution of water/apple cider vinegar...yes I know what your thinking, but the vinegar smell goes away as soon as it is dry, and does away with the odor.
Then apply the Alum, or Talc of your choice.
I find that the Clubman Talc works great in the pits to keep them dry
Wash armpits with a 50/50 solution of water/apple cider vinegar...yes I know what your thinking, but the vinegar smell goes away as soon as it is dry, and does away with the odor.
Then apply the Alum, or Talc of your choice.
I find that the Clubman Talc works great in the pits to keep them dry
I find that using the alum block, it seems to work best if I wet the arm pits first, rather than just wetting the stone. After your pits are wet, not dripping, apply the block all over. That should do it, at least it does for me.
I use Truly's, but that's a very different product than alum. Aside from consistency issues (solidifies at colder room temperatures), I find that it works quite well and is "natural"/without aluminum (something that I value).
I find I have to trim the hair way down for the alum to be more effective. Sometimes I think the spray may work better. I've even added some tea tree oil into the spray solution. Also warm/hot water on the alum block seemed to work better than cold? Some days I just sweat more than others though I suppose.
I shave my pits weekly. Years ago I was having a reaction to antiperspirant so I had to stop using it. I was just using different deodorants. I then switched to the crystal which worked great for a time but as the original poster stated after a while it stopped working for odor control. A couple years ago I tried the Gillette Clinical and haven't looked back. No reaction and it lasts until my next shower which once in a while might be 48hrs. Stuff is really amazing.
Gillette Clinical was one of the few antiperspirants that my skin didn't react to...at least not all the time. It does work really well too. I still use it now and then when I travel and know I might not be showering for awhile and in close quarters for extended periods. I just don't want to use it regularly since it has aluminum.
Might just be what you are eating as well.
I was getting bad reactions all the time and I always assumed it was the aluminum too. I tried the clinical on a whim and now use it daily with 0 problems. You would think because it's clinical it would be a stronger concentrate but in my case it's a win win. It works and lasts better then anything I have ever tried in 52 years and no reaction.
Yes I wanted to get away from aluminum just for health reasons, but I realized awhile ago that it didn't appear to be what bothered my skin. Even most all natural deodorants without aluminum would give me a rash. Oddly I could apply them pretty much anywhere else on my skin and not get a reaction, but my armpits would flare up.
I was comparing ingredients in tons of deodorants, but never could figure out what the problem was. I do get eczema and I wonder if it was related more to that. Since upping my vitamin D intake I get hardly any eczema now so maybe I could go back to almost any deodorant, but I'm pretty happy with alum sprays and the occasional use of Gillette Clinical.
I'm using l'Occitane's Cade deodorant. It's expensive but has no aluminum. They also don't test products on animals if you are concerned about that. I've been using it for almost 3 months and there is hardly a dent in the bottle so the expense may balance out over time.
I use the potassium Alum also, it's an antibacterial meant to reduce/ eliminate odor, not an antiperspirant which eliminates sweating. I wet the block and apply to damp arm pits, no stained shirts and no odor.
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OP here. I went to Arm and Hammer deodorant but then they stopped making it. So I switched to their antiperspirant/deodorant which works well but now I'm noticing yellow stains on my shirts. I'm back to looking for a deodorant/antiperspirant that won't stain. I've given up on alum since it stopped working after a few months. I've also given up on deodorants. I just need more sweat control. Thanks.
Schmidt's works well for me for about a week at a time, when I begin to develop redness. (I think I'm sensitive to baking soda.) Then I switch to Tabac for a few days, which is great but doesn't keep me as dry. I'm trying to avoid antiperspirant because of its pore-clogging properties. Let us know how your journey continues!
You really have to watch how much you apply with Schmidt's. One or two days of too much and your pits will be red...in my experience at the very least. I've got it figured out now and haven't had to take a day off in about a month.
I had the exact same issue. Mine sort of stopped working after a month. I have no explanation for it.
