Thread: Alum as a Deodorant?

I have become increasingly concerned about using deodorants/antipersperants. I suppose that we never really know what is good for us or bad for us.. it seems to change from decade to decade.. but I am well aware of both the breast cancer and the alzheimers issues.

I started selling the Shavex Alum blocks (potash alum) last fall and out of incredible curiousity grabbed one of the blocks for my own use immediately. I thought that I would try it exclusively for a week or two and then go back to my Secret... having learned something or another during the trial....

My feelings after only a few days were that it was not harmful to perspire... especially when it did not have an odor. It was lovely to not have sticky stuff under my arms and that I have never felt cleaner.

The Shavex blocks seem to be in the midrange price wise.. I have seen everything from $1 to $15 for an alum block or crystal. Mine (Shavex) are $10... but it is easy to bypass that when you have 100 of them sitting in front of you. But I have been using mine since last fall... most of the alum block is still there. I suspect it will last 2 years if I don't drop it. I rinse it off after each use and keep it on a wooden soap dish ($3) and it dries completely between uses.

I really like that I feel I am still perspiring as I believe it is natural and healthy... and who wants to keep all that stuff in side anyway... but I feel clean and healthy... I threw about 5 sticks of Secret out last fall... I will never go back.

As far as function... well.... I think I smell at least as good as I did before.. maybe even better.. but I don't want to jinx myself... ;-)

When I sweat, I smell sweet. Kind of like a strawberry or some sort of berry. It worries me a bit because it might indicate that I'm not eating enough.

I've been using one of those crystal deodorants for the past 6 months. I believe it's labeled as being Aluminum Sulphite, but I could be wrong... I'm at work right now. I've found the product to be a great deodorant and a very effective shaving alum.

- Ken -

This is a great idea. I have been looking for a product that is not as heavily scented as what I use now. I find any of the scents commonly found to not play well with whatever cologne I choose to wear.
This should work well, killing odor, yet still allowing me to choose a scent without trying to match it to my stick of deodorant.

Thanks for the thread, I will try this soon.

Whew, talk about reviving an old thead.....

I was doing a internet search for health effect of using an alum block for deodorant. It led me back here! I think the alzheimer link has been debunked. I have a block I use for my face after shaving. With my last order from Italian barber, I bought the razor rock one for my pitts. It's been working much better than the Mitchum I'd been using. So I've been thinking of another block for my feet. Dress socks and shoes make my dogs sweat, and boy do they stink.

Anyone try this stuff on their feet?

Seems like it would work. Thanks in advance.

In other parts of the world, alum is also used for the feet.

I've also tried some of the alum type liquids. While they work as a deodorant, I sometimes get an itching sensation. Could be my skin sensitivity.

I got an alum block from TI, for shaving. I only use it if my face is irritated, and for nics.
I am dissatisfied with my normal deodorant, and after coincidentally reading about alum being used as a deodorant, I thought "to heck with it" and rubbed it under my arms this morning. The results were stunning. This is my first day using alum as deodorant, but I think I'll keep doing it... oh and for the feet??? Does anyone actually do that?
So theoretically I could use this blessed alum block that I bought for shaving, for the underarm and feet as well .
That might not be that bad, considering that it's most effective after a bath anyways, so using the same block for everything shouldn't be a problem, as long as you only do it after baths and cleanse/dry the block afterwards... screw it, I'll give the feet thing a go! Why not

No.. no nevermind. I'm not putting alum on my feet.. seriously.

I browsed this thread a while back myself - I'm not particularly overweight or unhealthy but I sweat like a proverbial. Nothing commercial seems to help me on the hot days (even the 'clinical' strength goop that supermarkets have these days) so I recently decided to splash some Thayer's witch hazel under my arms out of desperation. Works surprisingly well against the odor, but its quickly overwhelmed. Will have to try an alum block too.

Alum isn't an antiperisperant, but it does a great job of eliminating the smell. So if one is a heavy sweater, it will probably succumb. But from what I've read, the trick is to cover a large area. Really smear that alum block all over the underarm and then ½inch more.