I'm starting to think more about the daily decisions I make. Gone from the pantry is Peter Pan Peanut Butter (Creamy). Too much sugar. Also gone is Arrid Extra Dry.
Years ago a Japanese woman from Southern California cut my hair. She did a good job and I came back regularly. One day she handed me a small package, a gift (of appreciation, I assumed).
Inside the package was a small bag, and inside the bag was a crystaline rock. The simple, foldover card identified the crystal as a natural body deodorant.
I was young and didn’t put two and two together, so I assumed the package truly was a gift. I used the crystal in place of my Arrid roll on. It worked.
To activate the crystal’s pure mineral salts required nothing more than a little warm water, then rubbing the crystal into the right places (I have two).
After a few months, the crystal had worn down to a pebble, which I discarded. At almost the same time I moved and lost my source of crystal (mineral salts).
Last year, during recovery, I read something about the amounts and sources of aluminum in the American diet. We’re being bombarded by aluminum in ever growing amounts.
Yet another article indicated that aluminum may play a part in Alzheimers, so I did some research. Not on Alzheimers, on the aluminum which makes up a good part of spray and roll on deodorants.
Until last year I was a steady user of Arrid Extra Dry. It was expensive but it worked.
A little Googling found The Crystal, obviously a version of what I had tried a few decades earlier.
Additional search showed that Howard Stern calls it ‘fantastic’ and it’s sold at nearby Long’s Drugs. I threw out the Arrid Extra Dry and bought a couple of Crystals, and a roll-on.
The packaging says The Crystal may last six months (far longer than I was getting out of a can of Arrid), but I’m only half way through the first, so I’ll get a year, at least.
The Crystal claims to be hypoallergenic, fragrance free, non-sticky, non-staining, leaves no white residue, is cruelty free, environmentally safe. Oh, and it eliminates odor.
Does The Crystal work for me? Yes.
Is The Crystal better at keeping me dry than Arrid Extra Dry? No, but it’s good enough, and costs much less. Plus, there’s no aluminum chlorohydrate, no messy aluminum cans.
If I continued to use Arrid Extra Dry I might get Alzheimers, but at least I’d smell good. If I use only The Crystal, I still may get Alzheimers, but I’d save a little money and won’t feel guilty about all the cans.
Oh, one more thing. The Crystal says it’s cruelty free. That could be a description of anyone using a good deodorant. Those without are definitely pushing the cruelty vibes.
Antiperspirants are a total hazard to one’s health. Deodorants are not as bad, but your solution is far more ideal. If we take the time to really read the labels, we might drop a lot of products. Interesting that Bushco’s policies are to try to reduce or even eliminate the labeling requirements.