THAI Natural Crystal Deodorant Stick (4.25 Ounces)

NOTE: Salt deodorants work by killing the bacteria that cause odors under your arm. It is not an antiperspirant, it's more a natural antibacterial. You will absolutely not like this item if you are looking for something to stop you from sweating. Pros: Last a long time, no odor, natural, no chemicals or additives, works great on under arm smell, lasts a couple days after applied, Cons: not an antiperspirant, some people find it ineffective, easily broken if dropped I purchased this for the first time after trying many, many different types of deodorants and antiperspirant. Between living in Florida and L.A. heat was a given, and sweat happens. I would notice that when I used most deodorants I would not sweat, and there wasn't a "sweat smell" under my arms, but there was a weird unpleasant smell that would happen sometimes. A sort of "dirty deodorant smell" that would appear towards the end of the day and the "deodorant balls" that formed under my arms (yuck) with some deodorants. I tried all sorts of brands, different scents, unscented, roll-on, stick, gel based. Most were fine, no sweat, no gross under arm sweat smell, but by the end of the day it was all the same, almost like the stuff had broken down and got funky. I have a sensitive nose, and even if no one else smelled anything, I did and it was gross. One day I was reading about using salt to kill bacteria that caused odors, and someone mentioned salt for deodorant. I was up for anything so I purchased some. I used it the day I got it, I was sure it would fail, and was actually amazed that it worked. While I did sweat in the heat, there was absolutely no odor, no sweat stains, no clumpy white stuff under my arms. The lack of smell was actually unbelievable. It took me a while to get used to feeling wet under my arms sometimes and not thinking "Oh no! I am gonna smell!" but after a while I just trusted I would not smell even while sweating. My husband, who is very manly and can kick some deodorant butt when working in the yard, tried it after a few months of seeing me use it. Let me tell you now that I really did not think it would work on him and was shocked when it did. When he uses it he can sweat like a pig, but there is no odor. Actually works better for him when he knows he is going to be sweating because most antiperspirant aren't going to stop you from sweating at the gym (or working in the yard) and fail you so why bother. The salt didn't fail and he was odor free... sweaty, but odor free. As an added bonus, I found this out a few times while camping, that if I couldn't put more salt on the next day, as long as you haven't washed it off or showered, it works just the same! I also learned on that same camping trip that if you did start smelling you could rub more salt stick under your arms and it killed the smell within moments (It was a LONG camping trip -lol-). For smelly feet folks it will work on your feet, too. Jump out of the shower, rub it on your feet and between toes if you can, and let it dry a bit before putting on shoes. Wives, get your hubby to do this and you will thank me later. When you first use it it feels like you are putting nothing on and it can be weird. There is no white or gel goop to show you everything is covered. Just make sure to wet the stick and rub it EVERYWHERE under your arms. I actually go up my arm a bit and down my side a bit, not just the center underarm. There is no such thing as using too much, so go to town. After a little while you will get the hang of it and it will be nothing. Putting it on after a shower makes it simple, I don't even dry under my arms, I just rub the salt bar while wet and make it easy. I also took mine out of the bottom part and rub it longways under my arms, it covers much more area per swipe and makes it much faster to apply. Be aware that if you drop this it can shatter and be useless. I dropped mine and had to purchase another after it broke into a million sharp pieces. Overall, I personally LOVE it. I use it everyday, and have never been let down, but I am ok with being wet under my arms on very hot occasions as long as I know I will not smell. For some people this will be a deal-breaker. It will not stop you from sweating, it will just stop you from smelling. If you are ok with that, you will absolutely love it.

For years now I've been wanting to find a way to stop cramming aluminium and titanium into my pores. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that it's bad for you. However, it's hard not to worry that you're going to become the smelly hippy as a result! Honestly I'd rather be that than to get cancer or whatever else it might cause...but social pressure is tough. Thankfully, YOU CAN BE SAFE AND SMELL GOOD. Yes, it's possible and Thai Crystals are amazing. I recently made a major overhaul of my daily hygiene products in favor of non-toxic substitutes. I looked for items that weren't super-expensive, were verifiably safe, and had solid reviews. It was hard to miss Thai Crystal Deodorant Stick on Amazon...so I gave it a shot. I am so glad I did. It's important to note that for about $7 it lasts about a year. I'm just past 3 months and I've probably used about 20-30% of mine. First, about me: I'm 29, male, in good shape, exercise frequently, play sports, and sweat like a maniac. Ever seen Andy Roddick playing tennis and the sweat is just pouring off of him? That's me, without a doubt. Oh and I live in 100% humidity Miami, FL to boot. For years I have tried to find an antiperspirant that did the job...and failed. Even the clinical strength stuff made no difference. I don't think I have any sort of odor problem but there's no doubt that if I don't put on deodorant in the morning I will get stinky by the afternoon. Even with my previous favorite, Axe Phoenix Dry Solid, I knew it was just masking the odor. At the gym I could tell my nice fragrance changed to a still-ok-but-not-so-great mix of odor vs. fragrance. Enter Thai Crystals. I read online that it might take a week of "pit detox" to really see how a new product works. Maybe that's true for someone out of shape but it worked for me right away...and it was better! The perspiration that I never found a solution for is probably still the same - but certainly not any worse. The odor is, in my opinion, better controlled. Unless I'm working out or playing sports I can't smell anything. Even during a heavy workout or a few hours of tennis (outside) all I get is a very natural smelling odor that is hardly what I'd call "BO" and it's not very strong or even noticeable unless I lift my arms and smell. ---3 months of use (threw my old stuff away) and I have not had one person mention that I smell bad (and I've asked my friends to be on the look out!)--- Usage tips: -The mineral salts in this product prevents bacterial growth. As such, it works better if you let it prevent the bacteria to begin with. If you decide to be lazy and skip using it and get a little smelly before you put it on, it won't work as well. It's not bad in that scenario, but less effective. As such: -Use it fairly soon after cleaning under your arms well in the shower. I use it three times a day typically: when I wake up, before the gym, after my shower. -It needs to be applied liberally and it definitely takes longer to do so than normal deodorant - the price you pay for no -iums in your pores. Wet it thoroughly and rub it on back and forth for 20-30 seconds each arm - spread it all around the area, not just the pit itself. -Grip it tightly! If you drop it and it hits the hard floor or counter it's going to shatter. -If you didn't wet it enough (necessary to apply) just wet it again! Don't skimp! P.S. I may be a little OCD but the above worked for me - you may get away with less!

As a woman who stress-sweats and is becoming more and more concerned about the ingredients in store-bought deodorant, I was excited but apprehensive to try this stone out. I generally use Secret Clinical Strength, but hate nothing more than the disgusting smell of sweating through deodorant - the half sweet, but half gross, smell of embarrassment. I read reviews prior to applying, and liberally wet the stone and applied to my entire under-arm area. The first day, I definitely did not apply enough, and could smell sweat when I lifted my arms - however, my boyfriend couldn't until I actually asked him to get very close to me and sniff. Already, I was impressed. Personally, I would rather smell just a tiny bit than have the weird, pungent odor of wearing-off deodorant. I was nervous to try this prior to work, but went for gold and gave it a shot. After an entire day at the office, wearing a suit jacket, I was impressed! I smelled nothing on myself OR on my work clothes, which was a huge plus. I took a giant leap and wore this to a court appearance, while wearing a suit jacket AND a winter coat. After driving in a hot car and stress-sweating through 3 hours of court time, I literally couldn't smell a thing. There are some days that I can definitely tell that I haven't applied enough, but I think this happens for two main reasons - Mainly, that I am not taking my time when applying it. If I am in a rush, and try to put this on quickly once I am dressed, my application suffers. This is not the kind of deodorant that you can throw on as you run out the door. I've found it best to apply it immediately after showering, and to give it a full minute to dry. My second issue is in wetting the stone - I think there are times that I may be over-soaking it, which leads to me callously rubbing this and a ton of water under my arms (which leads to weird shirt stains.) However, it is absolutely worth the little time it takes to apply properly. I have incredibly sensitive skin, which means that shaving my underarms frequently (as in, pretty much always) leads to razor burn. This, in combination with being considerably chesty, has lead to very painful bumps under my arms, particularly where the underwire of a bra hits your armpit. Drugstore deodorant exacerbates this, and this stone has made a world of difference. While I can't say that it helps the razor burn, I have noticed about a 75% reduction in both the appearance and pain of razor burn when using this continually. Additionally, I no longer have to worry about deodorant marks on the sides of my shirts/dresses, or the gross buildup and odor that happens in the armpit areas of clothing. This has made laundry much easier, and is definitely extending the life of my clothes. I wore this outside today in about 55 degree weather while gardening and doing general yardwork. While I did notice a very, very slight smell later on in the day, it is a trade-off that is 100% worth it to me. I have noticed that I seem to smell less even when I forget to apply, and that the smell itself has become much less, well, stinky. I have also used this on my feet with incredible success. I HATE wearing socks and nylons, and have destroyed many a pair of sneakers and heels because of this. However, when I apply this to the soles of my feet, they literally are odorless, even after a 9 hour day. I plan to repurchase this again and again, and encourage anyone who is curious to give this an earnest attempt.

I always worried about aluminum absorption but never heard good things about "hippie" deodorant products (and people I knew who used things like Tom's always had the worst BO). I tried several brands of salt deodorant products in the last year and have settled on this - it's the best! It is different than regular deodorants. You need to apply it more liberally and more often, especially if you are sweating a lot. It isn't antiperspirant, so it will let you sweat as much as is normal for you. It isn't thick and gooey, so it doesn't form as much of a film on your skin. And if you do start to smell, you won't smell like some rancid mix of and deodorizing chemicals and foreign scents. You'll just smell like yourself. Since it isn't scented, applying it when you're already smelly won't do anything. However, it does inhibit the bacterial growth that causes smelliness as long as you get plenty applied. Thai crystal is better than other salt stones. Something about the way they make theirs prevents a major problem with other types of stones. Other stones get eaten away by the water you use when you apply the product. They get sharp swiss-cheese-like holes in them which are unpleasant to rub against your sensitive armpits. My Thai crystal has stayed smooth and solid over several months of use, and prevents odor better than the other salt products I've tried. It takes a few weeks to sort of ramp down from regular deodorants and get used to, so I would recommend that you not give up after the first day of using an unfamiliar product. I would recommend that you give this product a shot for a couple of months. Get used to the way it works and I think you'll find you have less BO, your BO is less unpleasant, and you'll have less anxiety about aluminums absorbing through your skin.

If you want a deodorant that works very well, saves a lot of money, and is much better for the environment and you, I strongly recommend the Thai Deodorant Stone. Please note that it is primarily a deodorant and not that good an antiperspirant. If you need an excellent antiperspirant, use something else. However most people do not need a high powered antiperspirant every day. For instance, if I'm headed into a situation where it is critical that I stay dry (like a tense presentation in front of many people under hot lights), then yes I still use a strong antiperspirant such as Dry Idea Roll On. However 99% of the time (even for most presentations -- and I give a lot of presentations) a good deodorant is all I need every day. Plus sweating is a good thing. It keeps you cooler. To use the Thai Deodorant Stone effectively, it is best to wash your armpits thoroughly, rinse just the top of the stick briefly to wet it (leave the sides dry), rub it back and forth on your underarms to cover them thoroughly, rinse just the top again, then leave it out to dry (which allows a bit of crystal to recrystalize lower down and provide a slip free rough grip for when the crystal is no longer held by the base -- it will eventually work itself loose). This takes a little more time than typical liquid underarm deodorants/antiperspirants. Benefits: Saves money: The more powerful antiperspirants usually work well as both deodorants and antiperspirants and cost about $5 for 3.25 ounces (good for about a month of use). That's about $60/year per person. Whereas a $7 Thai Stone (4.25 ounces) will last about 1 year (based on my use) for only $7/year per person. Less waste: almost all of the Thai Stone is product you use -- it is a solid mineral crystal -- so there is little waste afterwards, just the cover and the base. Other deodorants leave you with many more containers made of much more plastic as a waste product in the end. If the manufacturer would pack this same cylindrical stick in a plain recyclable cardboard box then there would be zero plastic. Fewer allergy problems: more people seem to react to aluminum chlorohydrate, aluminium zirconium tetrachlorohydrex (or pentachlorohydrex), or the long list of other chemicals that are in other commercial deodorants. The deodorant stone is pure Alum (Ammonium Alum - Ammonium aluminium sulfate - (NH4)Al(SO4)2·12H2O ) and seems to cause many fewer problems. Please note that yes Alum contains aluminum but much less than the other deodorant compounds and in a form that is neutral and does not seem to cause any allergic reactions. Less damage to clothing: the Thai Stone is a water soluble salt that does NOT leave stains. Other deodorants often leave stains behind after repeated use. Some others may leave white marks. I know this from long term use of a number of others -- the armpits of many of my shirts and t-shirts were trashed by other deodorants but this has stopped since using the deodorant stone (since 2010 now). Essentially infinite shelf life: As long as it is kept dry and out of the elements, the deodorant stone crystal should keep essentially forever -- it is just a rock crystal. Stones last a long time. Caveats: The crystal in the Thai Stone can chip/crack if dropped on a hard surface. If it breaks, the resulting hard edges may discourage use. Since the stick lasts so long, this risk of breakage may be significant for some.

This is the only deodorant I have been using for years. One word of advice, do not apply unless you are clean, best right out of the shower. Trying to mask underarm odor after it has already occurred will not work. The only thing it will do is the odor will be absorbed by the mineral stick and you will have to shave off some of the product. Just don't do it. I learned this early on and have had no issues since. This deodorant lasts a really really long time too. Highly recommend.

I bought this for three reasons: - I wanted a deodorant that wouldn't leave substantial residue on my clothes. In this, this crystal is a success. If you're a fan of speed stick "invisible solids" like I am, this alternative is much less harsh on your clothes. You can apply it liberally and it won't wind up deposited all over the pits of your shirts which is a bonus. - I wanted a deodorant that would last longer than the power-stripe speed sticks that I usually use. This crystal also excells here. You can probably make one of them last for over a year if you use it properly. - I wanted something that wouldn't clog my lymph nodes. If you're familiar with invisible solids, you know that putting them on can clog the lymph nodes in your armpits, resulting in discomfort and even pain in some circumstances. This product is completely exempt from this tenancy, Now for the cons. You need water or sweat to activate this before applying to your underarms. Not a big deal, but instead of being pasty like an invisible solid, or goopy like a gel, this gets STICKY. Its a really gross feeling and I dislike it. You have two options here, use enough water to get the activation you need, but fight through the sticky grossness, or don't use much water, but get subpar application. Additionally, this is a deodorant, not an antiperspirant. So you're still going to sweat if you live somewhere warm. Your armpits won't stink, but you're still going to do a lot of underarm sweating. This was a problem for me, as I live in Texas. I still wound up with pit stains during the day, even if I did avoid any unpleasant odors. Lastly, the effects of the deodorant are hard to measure, and minimal if you live somewhere warm, or tend to sweat under the arms a lot. For example, I'll put it on in the morning, and by 1PM the effects have warn off and I can smell my underarms and tell that it isn't working. Where as with a regular deodorant that typically gets more effective when you sweat. Sometimes you're just not sure that this is effectively blocking odor until you come to the embarrassing realization that it isn't. All in all, I'd recommend this product if you're only prone to minimal underarm perspiration or if you live in a cold environment. But if you're active, live somewhere warm, or just do a lot of sweating, I can't recommend this.

I've used a number of deodorants over the years, always using unscented versions. (I tend to hate most perfumes or colognes). This stuff is, of course, unscented. So that's great. One problem with most deodorants is that they go on sticky and take a long time to dry, thus slowing me down when getting ready in the morning. Further, most deodorants damage or leave odd, hard residue in clothing. This product is simply potassium alum (Presumably, as Wikipedia states: " the double sulfate of potassium and aluminium, with chemical formula KAl(SO4)2"). It is in the form of a cylindrical "block" with a rounded end to make it comfortable to apply. The idea is to wet the block so that some of the potassium alum goes into solution, and then you can rub that around over the desired area of the body to spread that solution of this "salt". Think of it as a block of salt. When you get it wet, or rub it over wet skin, some of it dissolves and goes into solution in the water. Then, as that salt water solution evaporates from your skin, it leaves behind the salt which had been dissolved into it. Simple. Presumably you are creating a saturated solution, so the amount of this "salt" that you end up with is directly proportional to the amount of water you're starting with. If you need a bigger dose of the alum, then you can just use a bit more water. A way to use it is to start with your arm pits (or whatever) already a bit wet. In any case, to me, a pleasing aspect of this is that you end up with your pits simply wet with this salt water solution, so it dries quickly, leaving no sticky goo that rips out your arm pit hairs later, or flakes off like some kind of bizarre pit dandruff, etc. It also doesn't appear to leave any residue in or on clothing the way many deodorants do. It's invisible in my experience. Another benefit is that the block lasts a very long time. The small amount you dissolve away from the surface of the block each time you use it means that the block lasts a LOT longer than any containers of normal deodorant. I'd guess that one of these blocks will take the place of 20 (or more) containers of "normal" deodorant. Maybe more! I have yet to use more than, perhaps, 15% of the very first one of these that I bought. So it's extremely cheap to use. Of course it has aluminum in it. But from what I've read, there are NO properly controlled, double-blind, peer-reviewed studies that show any harm to people from exposure to aluminum. The fears about this have been widely debunked. Some claim that this particular form of aluminum compound is safer than normal deodorant formulas because the aluminum is not readily absorbed into the body. But I haven't seen scientific evidence that aluminum is absorbed into the body from ANY deodorants, so none of this is of any concern to me. If you "believe" that aluminum is an issue, and want to use this deodorant because of that, go right ahead. For me, the benefits are: It doesn't stink. No perfume. It doesn't make my pits itch or give me the dreaded "armpit rash" the way some deodorants can. It is INCREDIBLY economical. It is far faster to apply and to dry. I don't have to use a hair dryer on my pits, or dance around flapping my arms to try to get ready fast in the morning. It doesn't stain or damage clothing. It actually seems to prevent B.O. very well. The only downside is that after a while, the chunk of alum wears down so that it is no longer held firmly in the base of the container. It wobbles and rattles around, and eventually, it will fall out. That's not a horrible problem because you can just hold it directly and throw the container away if you'd like. What I did was try to break the plastic base away from the chunk, but I ended up breaking the block off. So I broke up what was left stuck down in the base and dissolved it in some water. One source says 1 gram will dissolve fully into 20 ml of water at room temp. So that ratio will give you a saturated solution. I didn't measure things, but just dissolved the broken up base part of this block in, perhaps, a pint of water,and put that in an empty bottle I had. I've been just putting some of that in the palm of my hand and rubbing that over my pits every day. The effect is just fine, and it's arguably just as easy to apply that way. I haven't touched the main part of the block that broke free of that which was left in the base. At this rate, I'll get a year or so out of a single block of this stuff! For me, this has been an excellent product, and saved me a LOT of money as well as time getting ready in the mornings! Edit to add: It's now been almost a year and a half since I bought this. I took the rest of the block of potassium alum salt and dissolved it into another quart of water. I've been just putting a small amount into the palm of a hand and then rubbing that over the opposite armpit, and then using the other hand to apply some to the other pit. I then rinse my hands off under running water. The stuff dissolves rapidly, so it doesn't take much water or effort to rinse my hands off. Using it this way, I am STILL using the first one of these deodorant blocks that I bought one year and four months ago! My wife is now using it, working out of the same bottle of the dissolved potassium alum salt! So my guess is that I will get at least a year and a half of use out of a single one of these deodorant sticks when using it the way I do. And it's very effective in preventing arm pit odor. So this is the cheapest deodorant that I have ever used by an enormous margin. And I like it the best of any deodorant I've ever used.