Product Name: Pomegranate Mineral Roll On Deodorant

Company Name: Crystal Deodorant

Ingredients: Purified Water (Aqua), Natural Mineral Salts (Potassium Alum), natural fragrance made with pomegranate essential oils and extracts, cellulose

Scent: Pomegranate (available in other scents)

Price: about 5 dollars

Review:

I decided to take the advice given to me in this post about finding a more natural deodorant and chose to try the crystal deodorant.  I’d been having luck with the funk butter but still wanted to see what else was out there.

This is a roll on deodorant (not a stick) so I was a little hesitant at first. There is something about liquid deodorant that reminds me of the 80s…right up there with the Jherri curl.

Anyway, I love the smell. It’s light and sweet smelling but doesn’t linger. The liquid is clear and spreads on easily. I learned quickly to apply it evenly and to let it dry a bit before lowering my arms.

It works fantastically with odor. I was very surprised. I’ve been wearing it a good deal of the summer (in 100 degree weather) and it has held its own. The only time I’ve had problems is after a heavy and long workout or if I’ve been outside for more than 2 hours.

As for sweat, it does nada. I know the new line of thinking is that you’re not supposed to suppress your sweat to get rid of toxins etc, but sometimes sweat is just not cute (ok, is sweat ever cute?)

So in cases where I knew I’d be sweating and wanted to avoid the dreaded pit wet spots on my tops, I either used the Funk Butter or a regular deodorant.

(See my first post on this subject here)

After the many many comments you lovely ladies left me under this post, I decided to purchase Oyin Funk Butter…for two reasons: 1) the name is hilarious and 2) you can rarely go wrong with Oyin.

Price: $5.00 2 oz tin

Scents available: (copied from Oyin site)

unscented - all the funk-fighting power, none of the fragrance or essential oils that might irritate extra-sensitive underarms, clash with your signature perfume, or distract co-workers as you drift fragrantly past.

coco mango “think of an umbrella drink somewhere near water; mango & coconut, papaya & pineapple; now crush them all together in your mind and pour it over ice. it’s a tropical treat for your undearms.

black cedar fig warm fig, strong cedarwood, and sultry ylang ylang blend with a touch of tea tree to keep it lively. if snuggling had a scent, this would be it: both inviting and warm. appropriate for both men and women, it won’t go wrong.

Ingredients (unscented): baking soda, cornstarch, shea butter, coconut oil, sunflower oil, tapioca starch, kaolin clay, caldendula and chamomile powders, olive oil, and good wishes.

Purchase from: Oyin Handmade

Review:

I got the unscented version of this product, simply because I am so very sensitive to certain smells these days. I may try the scented versions later.

First, it kind of wigs me out to scoop deodorant out of the jar. I don’t know why and really it doesn’t make any sense. I mean, you have to rub in lotion and shampoo…why is deodorant that different? Anyhoo, that was an initial impression.

Second, it doesn’t look pretty. In fact, it reminds me of the times when I was little and would try to “cook” with flour and water and whatever else I could throw in there. Upon touch, it’s also a little grainy…I’m assuming that’s from the baking soda and cornstarch.

After I got past the aforementioned and actually used this stuff, I was wow’d. It works very well! I’ve used it several times: Once at work (great results), once on a mini hike in the heat (awesome!), and just sitting at home (fantastic).

It even helped a lot with moisture, which kind of surprised me  since I only expected it to help with “funk”. It spreads pretty easily though I wouldn’t exactly call the consistency creamy. I did not find the grittiness a problem, though I’m guessing some people would as there is a warning on the back of the jar:

Caution: funk butter contains natural odor absorbers which are potentially abrasive, so make sure to use a very light touch when applying. may not be appropriate for those with sensitive skin;test inside your wrist or your elbow before using, and do not apply to irritated, just- shaven, or broken skin. if any irritation occurs, discontinue use at once. be well! )

Now, I did notice, while wearing a sleeveless shirt, that there was a bit of residue in my underarm area. Nothing terrible, but something that made me keep my arms down for the rest of the day.

I’ve also noticed that it tingles/stings a bit after first shaving. Overall, I’m very impressed. Two thumbs up!

I will be trying out more “natural” deodorants that were recommended by you ladies, so stay tuned!

Having excluded products with cones from my hair care regimen had me taking a closer look at the other personal care products that I use. The lotions were pretty easy. A lot of great brands that make natural hair care products also make skin care stuff.

Then one day, out of the blue, I took a look at my deodorant. I used the Secret brand and here are the ingredients (from household products database):

Fragrance(s)/perfume(s) Pentadecalactone 1,1′-Oxydi-2-propanol Stearyl alcohol Behenyl alcohol Castor oil, hydrogenated (Trihydroxystearin) Polyethylene Dimethicone 350 Talc (non-fibrous) Cyclomethicone Silica (unspecified) Aluminum zirconium trichlorohydrex gly

Holy moly! Look at those cones! I guess it makes sense. Silicones block moisture and that’s exactly what most people are looking for in a deodorant. From this link in 2007:

Dow Corning claims that using silicone in deodorants provides manufacturers with formulations they can use to make low-cost products that are fast drying and non-tacky.

Dow Corning used the new technology in a range of prototypes, all designed for different markets. Although most consumers want underarm protection from wetness and odour, the company’s market research indicated that exact consumer specifications vary from country to country.

Maybe it makes no difference at all, but I just don’t want silicones in my deodorant. Even if the speculations about the correlation between deodorant and breast cancer aren’t true, I still would like a more natural deodorant.

So, that leads me to my next product adventure: Testing out new deodorants that claim to be natural. There are a lot on the market, so I just randomly picked this one:

Alba Lavender Stick Deodorant

Ingredients: Vegetable glycerin with certified organic aloe vera barbadensis, lavender (lavandula officinalis), alpine lichen (usnea barbata) and green tea (camellia sinensis), sodium stearate, steareth-100, sodium bicarbonate, glyceryl stearate, oleic acid, sodium chloride, ethylhexylglycerin, cetyl alcohol, grapefruit extract (citrus grandis), and pure essential oils.

Cost: Around 6-7 dollars

This worked great….for about 10 minutes. No, seriously, when I was wearing it at home, not doing much, it worked pretty well. I got to work, where I spend a lot of time on my feet, running to and fro, and …well,let’s just say it was not pretty.

The product smells very good! If only I smelled very good when using it. So, I shall move on to something else. It’s summertime in the South, so there’s no time for messing around.

Ladies: Do you have any suggestions for more natural deodorants? Share the wealth!