The popular crystal salt rock deodorant has always contained aluminum, even though the product is advertised as having “No Aluminum Chlorohydrate.” It does contain Ammonium Alum which is every bit as much a form of aluminum. Ozone Layer Deodorant is a simple two-ingredient product with a patented oxygen infusion process that kills bacteria, thereby preserving freshness all day.
Thanks Joe and Teresa Graedon from Peoplespharmacy.com 🙂
Q: I switched to a mineral salts deodorant crystal to try to get away from aluminum. Now I read that it DOES have aluminum (it’s marked “ammonium alum”).
The crystal works great against odor, but I don’t want aluminum in my life. I worry about breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
What light can you shed on ammonium alum? What alternatives are available?
A: Crystal deodorant stones are promoted as natural, which indeed they are. They are not, however, aluminum-free. Most contain alum, a term for aluminum salts such as potassium aluminum sulfate or ammonium aluminum sulfate.
Alum is used to clarify water in reservoirs because it helps floating particles drop to the bottom. It also has been used in skin care for its astringent (drying) and styptic (stops bleeding) properties.
Alternatives include baking soda, rubbing alcohol, vinegar or magnesium as found in milk of magnesia. Many people find one of these helpful in reducing underarm odor. (Ed note: Or, of course, Ozone Layer Deodorant 🙂 )