Making antiperspirant spray from Alum

Pig Cat

Pig Cat

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A few weeks ago I noticed a post from Ollie (Rev-O) saying he used alum dissolved in water as an antiperspirant spray. This sounded like a good idea and worthy of a post of it's own. My question is how much alum to dissolve in how much water. I have a spray bottle with a screw-top lid ready and waiting. Just need to brew the stuff.

I'm going to ask Ollie to reply to this. Perhaps others will try this and if it works it may catch on, saving us all some cash to spend on more shaving tackle! ;)

Not a clue which part of the forum to post this so mods, feel free to move it.
 
If I was doing this, I'd put alum in until such time as it was a saturated solution - ie. no more will dissolve, because when applying an alum block in the "normal" way that will be what you're doing more or less, applying a near saturated solution...

Also it's only a deodorant, you'll still sweat, but it won't honk.
 
Ohhh...I must have misread the original post by Ollie. I thought is stopped (or greatly reduced) perspiration, but wouldn't improve my smell. OK, it's still worth a try and I agree with you about reaching the saturation point. I suppose it would be an idea to grind the alum block up and add it gradually to the required amount of water.
 
I'msure that I've seen powdered alum in Asian produce stores - same as sell alum blocks - just can't remember where ... :?

You could always jut rub an alum block on your pits after you shower for the same effect :D
 
totalfusion said:
I'msure that I've seen powdered alum in Asian produce stores - same as sell alum blocks - just can't remember where ... :?

You could always jut rub an alum block on your pits after you shower for the same effect :D
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Yep, found it.

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Actually it appears to be worse value than the block itself which is just 60p. I'm planning on spending over £30 so will get free delivery. Mrs PC is going through an Indian cooking phase. I am definitely not complaining!! :hungrig To crush it I'll bung it in my Jamie Oliver Flavour Shaker and see what happens!!

Don't fancy the rubbing on pits method as, being a sensitive soul, it tickles rather. I haven't used alum for yonks now but did try this but didn't enjoy it. Can't remember if it worked as I stopped applying it after a few seconds of the giggles.
 
NO actually, it IS an antiperspirant. Aluminium salts will gel up under sweaty conditions and block pores. They are also somewhat antimicrobial, so will prevent or delay the development of body odour, which is caused by skin bacteria breaking down the fatty acids and other stuff in sweat.

Most commercial antiperspirants contain aluminium chlorohydrate, which is milder to the skin than potassium aluminium sulfate (alum). There really is no cosmetic/dermatological advantage in using alum as an antiperspirant.

If you want to make your own AP, alum is slightly easier to obtain than aluminium chlorohydrate, but the chlorohydrate should be available too.

If you really want to make your own alum AP, I can probably find a recipe though.
 
Ingrediënten:
25 ml water
20 ml cosmetisch haarwater
2,5 ml glycerine
5 gram aluin
0,5 gram xanthaan
20 druppels geurstof

'cosmetisch haarwater' is a fancy term for 96% alcohol, denatured with an agent that is compatible with use in cosmetics, usually oil of bergamot.

'aluin' is alum

'xanthaan' is xanthan gum, a thickener. You could just skip this, or use carrageenan, or a cosmetic polyacrylate (carbomer or carbopol), or a modified cellulose. If you use a carbomer (which I would prefer, if I were to use a thickener), reduce the amount to 0.1 or at most 0.2 gram.

'20 druppels geurstof' is 20 drops of fragrance. Fragrance choice to your own liking. I would suggest none, or else bergamot or chamomille.

Due to the high amount of alcohol and alum, there's no need to add an explicit preservative.
 
henkverhaar said:
NO actually, it IS an antiperspirant. Aluminium salts will gel up under sweaty conditions and block pores. They are also somewhat antimicrobial, so will prevent or delay the development of body odour, which is caused by skin bacteria breaking down the fatty acids and other stuff in sweat.
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I have been using PitRok for a while. I have no idea about the chemistry but it definitely does stop the whiff, but does not stop the sweating. The main advantage I see is that it does leave the pores open so that you can sweat. I would have thought that was much healthier. It is also very convenient (I just leave mine in the shower and put it on just before I get out so that my pits are wet) and also cheap.
 
chicken neck said:
I have been using PitRok for a while. I have no idea about the chemistry but it definitely does stop the whiff, but does not stop the sweating. The main advantage I see is that it does leave the pores open so that you can sweat. I would have thought that was much healthier. It is also very convenient (I just leave mine in the shower and put it on just before I get out so that my pits are wet) and also cheap.
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So it's a deodorant rather than an antiperspirant. I agree that blocking pores may be considered less desirable (unless under special circumstances, where you absolutely must control the sweating itself - like using Imodium... ;-) ); however, countless millions use anti-perspirants with no apparent ill effects. Also note that to be a true deodorant, the product should not mask body odour, but actually kill the micro-organisms on your skin. A] it will thus also kill beneficial micro-organisms, and B] it contains 'toxic stuff'.

So there's pros and cons to both product types.
 
OK, I've had a look on PitRok's web site. I've checked their claims for the 'PitRok Push Up Crystal Deodorant'. First of all, their promotional text is, as with most cosmetics promotional material, not hindered by any scientific understanding or actual truth (how's that for PC terminology?).

No aluminium chlorohydrate or aluminium zirconium - both associated with underarm irritation
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Yeah, but it contains alum, which is even more irritating.

Does not block pores
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and
Ammonium Alum (pure natural mineral salts).
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But alum, when dissolved, does block pores. All acid aluminium salts form alumina gels with sweat.

I suspect that the type of formulation this alum comes in (looks like it is a solid bar of alum), and the instructions they give result in only a limited amount of alum actually transferring to the skin (less than with an antiperspirant spray), and probably 'well away' from pores. I would then also suspect -- but I could be wrong there -- that it's antimicrobial effects would also be minimal: too little alum present. This would also explain any reduced irritancy (purely dose-related). If you thoroughly wet the bar before use (which they advise against, and I think I know why...), you would transfer enough alum for it to be effective as deodorant and anti-perspirant, and as irritant...
 
I find that "under pressure" the ammonium alum seems to dissociate enough that ammonia gas is present in detectable amounts - and ammonia rash results... obviously no such distasteful side effects using potassium alum.

The big pain from chlorohydrate-based product to me is the progressive yellowing of the armpit of light cloth.
 
hunnymonster said:
I find that "under pressure" the ammonium alum seems to dissociate enough that ammonia gas is present in detectable amounts
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Well, that doesn't surprise me. Most ammonium salts are not very stable.

The big pain from chlorohydrate-based product to me is the progressive yellowing of the armpit of light cloth.
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Not sure that is a direct effect of aluminium chlorohydrate or a secondary effect of the altered kinetics of sweating, but it could be a relevant difference between chlorohydrate and alum. I've stopped using under-arm deodorants or antiperspirants a loooooong time ago. I have used chlorohydrate-based products to combat sweaty feet though, but haven't had problems in that area after using a zinc-based (? I think) ointment for a few weeks, and after switching to open flipflops in summer...
 
Well here's what I do:

I use a 100ml spray bottle, actually an old Bionsen one - which is what gave me the idea. They sell the bottle, empty except for a few "Japanese Spa mineral crystals" rattling around in the bottom. You are then meant to top it up with water and use it as an underarm spray until the crystals dissolve. As the spay is used up slower than the crystals you get several re-fill of water, so it *seems* like good value. When the crystals have all gone you are meant to buy another (which costs several quid and involves throwing away a perfectly good spray screw-top bottle).

Well, until you just start replacing the dissolved mystery crystals with lumps of alum instead. And then it's practically free.

Method:

I just tap my alum block with a small hammer until some chunks fall off and put them in the bottle, topping up with water and some sandalwood eo.

The exact amount I use depends on how much I can stuff through the narrow opening but I usually put in a couple of dice-sized lumps and any smaller bits. Just a few cc.

I then spray the resulting mix under my arms and my on my feet each morning.

When the crystals have all dissolved I add some more, and when the water level drops below the spray feed tube I add some more et voila! perpetual deodorant/anti-perspirant for practically nothing.

Interestingly, I was away last week and used a conventional commercial underarm product and it wasn't nearly as good.
 
Sounds like a perfectly adequate way to make your own alum anti-perspirant.

Differences in quality may well reflect differences in concentration. Your approach will likely result in a saturated solution of potassium alum in water -- that commercial anti-perspirant you bought may not have nearly that much aluminium.
 
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