Weird fetish? NO, deodorant! (Crystal Spring Natural Deodorant)

Member Name: nursie_nursie

Product:	Crystal Spring Natural Deodorant
Date:	12/05/08 (150 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Doesn't smell, all natural, works quite well, lasts ages so works out VERY cheap

Disadvantages: Not good enough in the heat

After wanting to go over to all things natural I looked for a natural deodorant. I tried out The Body Shops Aloe deodorant and was happy enough with it but it isn't exactly natural just not tested on animals. I turned to Lush and tried two of their deodorants, they burnt my skin really badly and so weren't an option for me, sadly!

A member of a review site told me about Crystal Spring deodorants and I decided to give them a try.

I popped to my local Holland and Barretts and picked up one of these little wonders in travel size. It is only very small at 50g and at only £2.99 I thought it was a bargain. The normal sized one is 90g and £4.49.

For a first purchase the travel size was enough to try and see if I liked it and the value for money side too.

It has a plastic base that the salt stick is held in and a clear plastic lid which screws onto the base to cover the deodorant. (They are also sold in a liquid form in a pump action bottle.)

The salt stick itself is moulded and has a rounded end, so there are no sharp edges that could scratch.

The way it works is that the salt (Aluminium Alum from Thailand) kills the bacteria, which causes the smells. It doesn't however stop wet marks so anyone that does suffer in that way should bear this in mind.

It contains no man made chemicals and is all natural so there is nothing to worry about when it comes to all the rumoured problems with conventional deodorants.

I started using this straight away and found it really simple to use. After having a shower I would leave my underarms slightly wet and then rub this over the skin a few times and that is it. (Sounds strange rubbing salt on yourself, like some weird fetish but I will try anything once, or twice!) I was used to using roll on deodorants so the wet feeling was just normal to me and if anything I felt wetter with the roll ons I would use than with this and it very quickly goes.

You can wet the stick and then rub it over dry skin instead but I find my way easier, it is just the way that suits you best I guess.

To start with I was unsure about how much to rub this on my skin as you can't tell that it is leaving a film on your skin. Obviously the more you rub the more you use so the length of time it will last goes down. I eventually found that just wiping it back and forth about ten times was more than enough.

The other beauty with this deodorant is you can use it anywhere on your body that might get a little wiffy. Great for those with smelly feet.

There is no sticky feeling and there are no white marks left on clothes which is great for us ladies, well and guys. Yes I said guys, the fact this deodorant has no scent to it means it is ideal for both sexes and if you are wearing light perfume or aftershave there is no deodorant scent to fight with it.

The most important part with any deodorant has to be if it works or not. I have to say it does but not so well in the hot weather. In cool weather and when not doing huge amounts of physical activity this works so well, I was really pleased with the results. I didn't smell at all, thankfully. Then the weather warmed up and on the hotter days we have had recently I have felt let down by this deodorant slightly. I wouldn't say I stank, I probably didn't even smell but I was worried I did, so just couldn't carry on using it.

I have now bought a Sanex deodorant, the brand I always used to wear before trying to go down a more natural route. Before rushing out and buying a new deodorant to get me through the heat I did try using more of the Crystal Spring each morning, rubbing it back and forth on my skin more but after a few days of this I knew it wasn't making a difference to its performance.

I did go back to using this in the autumn when the heat was over as it really is a great deodorant.

As for the value for money, that aspect is amazing!!!! My travel size stick is lasting ages! Using it every day from January till july, I only used about half of it! What, £3 for a whole years worth of deodorant? Yes!

There are two things to be aware of with this, don't drop it on a hard surface as it will chip and then you have a sharp edge that could scratch the skin. You should leave the stick to dry after using it before you put the lid on, salt melts away if left wet without the opportunity to dry. Not big problems but things to keep in mind.

This is a great cheap option but not really for those with an active lifestyle or in the heat. I certainly recommend trying this and even if you don't end up liking it all that much at least you would only be spending three pounds on it. Even if you only used it on your feet it is a great price and far cheaper that Scholl products.

It would be a great option for those with allergies who cannot use conventional deodorant products.
This surpassed my expectations and really works, just not as well as I would like.

1 * for its natural simplicity
1 * for not being scented and for not leaving marks on clothing
1 * for being unisex
1 * for being such amazingly good value
If it worked a little better in stressful situations it would get a full five!

Prices vary depending on where you buy from, looking on the net you can find better deals on this but be warned buying direct from Crystal Spring is surprisingly more expensive!

Summary: If you like the sound of it then try it, I will always use this in the colder months now!