Crystal Deodorant?
What is the deal with crystal deodorant?
Crystal deodorants are becoming an area of focus lately at Natural Cosmetic News, mainly due to their increasingly popularity, and the confusion and conflicting information available online. How do natural crystal deodorants work, and how they differ from traditional deodorants and antiperspirants.
What is it?
Natural crystal deodorants are made from potassium alum, which is a naturally occurring sulfate mineral which typically occurs as encrustations on rocks. It is derived from the oxidation of sulfide minerals and potassium-bearing minerals; and appears as a white to colorless translucent crystalline stone. .
As the name implies, the potassium alum stone, otherwise known as crystal deodorant, looks like a crystal, such that it is translucent, colorless and contains small fracture lines, or veins.
What does it do?
Potassium alum has a variety of commercial applications, such as for the use of oral care products used in dental hygiene, water purification, food preservation, and as the sole ingredient of natural crystal deodorants. Potassium alum is originally extracted from the Earth as large blocks, but it is also sold in a small crystal forms and powder to be used in a variety of commercial applications and cosmetics. Since all forms of potassium alum are soluble in water, when the stone is wet or applied to wet skin, an invisible, fine layer of the mineral is rubbed off the stone and applied to the skins surface. The mineral layer quickly dries, and rests on the skin as a completely topical layer.
How does it work?
When the human body sweats it is basically just releasing salt and water through sweat glands in the skin. Despite what you may think, sweat does not have an odor of its own. The smell associated with sweat is actually caused by bacteria on the skin that eats sweat and excretes waste; and it is the bacteria waste that produces an odor. And, yes, everyone has bacteria on their skin, and it is perfectly normal. The bacteria on our skin ordinarily does not produce a noticeable smell, but when sweat is present the bacteria begins to rapidly grow and produce an increasing amount of odor.
Potassium alum is a natural anti-microbial that inhibits the growth of odor-causing bacteria. As an anti-microbial potassium alum adjusts the pH of the skins surface and creates an environment where bacteria cannot grow. Odor is prevented, and the body is able to maintain its proper course of eliminating toxins through sweat, as well as controlling body temperature, all without odor.
How it differs from traditional deodorants and antiperspirants?
Natural crystal deodorants are just that, natural. And that is the main difference. There are no added chemicals or fragrances. And, as previously mentioned, natural crystal deodorants allow the body to sweat, but without odor. Traditional deodorants use chemical rich fragrances to mask odor and cover up the bad bacteria smell. Antiperspirants block the skin from releasing sweat, thereby inhibiting the bacteria growth process. All antiperspirants have an aluminum-based compound as their main ingredient, such as:
Aluminum chloride
Aluminum zirconium tricholorohydrex glycine
Aluminum chlorohydrate
Aluminum hydroxybromide
Aluminum hydroxide (ATH)
The aluminum ions are drawn into the cells that line the sweat gland at the top layer of skin. When the aluminum ions enter into the cells, water passes in with them. As more water flows in, the cells begin to swell, squeezing the sweat ducts closed and preventing sweat from escaping.
Deodorants use chemicals, minerals, oils, and fragrances to reduce or eliminate odor-causing bacteria. Deodorants are classified by the FDA as cosmetics and are, therefore, not required* to be tested on animals or humans. Antiperspirants, on the other hand, are classified as drugs, and therefore, are required to be tested.
It is a magnificent deodorant which doesn't close pores your skin. It not antiperspirant, that is you will sweat, but will oppositely not smell. This deodorant kills bacteria which breed on a sweating skin. It is necessary to put it on pure slightly damp skin and it will protect you from an unpleasant smell within 24 hours or until you take a shower.
