Tom's of Maine deodorant?!

[Freedom~Mama]

Has anyone tried them? I bought the Wild Garden 24 hour deodorant yesterday. I haven't tried it yet but I am hoping it will work well. I love the Funk Butter (from oyinhandmade) and it zaps smell and wetness but I got a very itchy and weird scaly rash from it and so I need a break to heal and need something more gentle but also effective. I will not go back to a commercial anti perspirant you can't make me lol. I just don't feel good or healthy using that but I have yet to find a really good natural deordorant. I have tried the Crystal rock and like it but I am weird, I need to feel wetness when I am applying something and I like it to have a scent. When I use the rock I always feel like I am doing it wrong or not swiping it enough.

[maxwill129]

Tom's gave me a nasty underarm rash when I used it! I use Bubble and Bee's Pit Putty. Here's the link:

http://www.bubbleandbee.com/servlet/...dorant,/Detail

She has a couple of different deoderants and if one doesn't work for you she'll send you another to try and I think she'll only charge you shipping.

[*bejeweled*]

I use Tom of Maine's lavender daily. I have to put a lot on, but it works. And if I'm going out or something, I might reapply.

[ShadowMoon]

DP uses it and has for years. He loves it.

[Tres]

My DH uses it and loves it but I always notice an odour by lunchtime no matter how much I apply! Most of the time, I just re-apply when I notice it has stopped working. I refuse to buy regular anti-perspirant so I am just hoping my body gets used to less chemicals.

[ps4624]

My DH uses it and loves it. It makes me giggle because he's super macho and wears the apricot scent. Don't tell anyone, but he's got girly smelling armpits

[Freedom~Mama]

^aww that is cute lol.

Thanks for the replies everyone!

[HoldensMama]

I don't find that it works on its own, but if I put a little baking soda on after I apply then it lasts all day. Without the baking soda I'm smelly by noon.

[Freedom~Mama]

^thanks for the tip. I will try that.

I had to reapply it twice today and I still have a little BO and I shower every single day, it is frustrating! I will try the baking soda tomorrow and see if that helps.

[Shellie]

I use the Crystal in the roll-on form--love it! I have a rock too--you're supposed to wet it, btw, before applying it. It dries quickly though but definitely goes on wet!

Tom's of Maine might have something in it that's not that great--of course I can't remember right now but I read it in Renee Loux' book Simple Green Living. I know there's SLS in their toothpaste.

[Freedom~Mama]

^what is SLS?

[sunnysandiegan]

I prefer the Crystal liquid roll-on. That's what I use 85-90% of the time. On the days I don't shower, I use Tom's honeysuckle scent solid. Works well for me.

When I travel, I use a tiny Kiss My Face crystal liquid (unscented) and also works well. I have put a few drops of EO on the roller applicator while traveling for a "scent" a few times. Smells nice. I have tried the "summer" scent by KMF and the scent was WAY TOO STRONG for me. It worked well, but I gagged on the scent. Tom's scent in the solid deodorant is not nearly as strong as KMF's scent in the roll-on.

There is supposedly a transition phase from commercial anti-perspirants to natural deodorants. I did it slowly, using the crystal rock (wet it before use) on my non-working days and slowly eased into using it full-time. Never had a smelly day like that. I did forget to wet the rock a few times. P-U! Definitely doesn't work well THEN.

[bajamergrrl]

I had a horrible reaction to Tom's of Maine's lemongrass deodorant. My underarms felt like they were on fire. This was after I used it a few times with just a minor tingling resulting those times.

[ShadowMoon]

I use the crystal roll-on as well as the true crystal. I had tried Tom's of Maine in the past and it never worked well with me. With DP it works great.

Have you tried the crystal roll-on?

[Freedom~Mama]

I have never tried the crystal roll on but I have tried the KMF unscented roll on which I think might be similiar and it worked pretty well for me. I am going to try the crystal roll on!

[amber913]

Wet blanket alert: Tom's has been bought by colgate-palmolive. (And clorox owns Burt's Bee's--wonderful!)

I always felt Tom's was just underarm perfume, anyway--and it stings after you shave.

I haven't tried this yet, not sure if anyone's mentioned it: 1c. cornstarch, 1T. bs., mix, apply like powder.

[anniegirl]

Just FYI about the Crystal rocks, roll-ons etc. The alum of potassium alum is aluminum sulfate, so...aluminum, albeit in a different form than in commercial antiperspirants.

I've done a little research on them and the companies that make them like to claim that the aluminum molecules are too big to be absorbed by cells or something like that, but I've never been able to find a good explanation for it, especially an explanation that's NOT written by the companies that make them. The best I've found is this: http://www.chemicalforums.com/index....;threadid=3080

Anyway, to me there is no clear answer, so I don't use them. Aluminum and parabens are the two things I think are most important to avoid.

Like a pp mentioned I have had great luck with applying baking soda to my pits AFTER I apply a natural deodorant (I use a makeup brush to dust it on). If I apply baking soda directly to my skin, like if I mix it with coconut oil, I get the dreaded pits of fire. But thankfully not this way. Honestly, I think the natural deodorant is pretty useless on its own, it just acts as a protector on the skin and the baking soda does the actual deodorizing.

The other thing there is sometimes confusion about is the difference between baking soda and baking powder. Baking soda is just sodium bicarbonate and does not contain aluminum. Baking powder contains baking soda and other ingredients. SOME baking powder contains aluminum (interestingly it's usually alum, the same alum in the crystal deodorants! But sodium alum rather than potassium alum). So it's a good idea when buying baking powder to make sure it says "aluminum free". I think the aluminum free ones contain cream of tartar instead of the alum.

Okay, I'll get off my geek soapbox now.

[Shellie]

That's disappointing news about Crystal. The whole "the molecules are too large to be absorbed" argument used to justify the safety of traditional antiperspirants, isn't it. I suppose alum is a more natural form of aluminum than aluminum chlorohydrate.

[lovebug]

Originally Posted by HoldensMama

I don't find that it works on its own, but if I put a little baking soda on after I apply then it lasts all day. Without the baking soda I'm smelly by noon.

good tip! i use it and love it for the most part. but if i am in a high stress job that on any given day it can fail me. i am going to try the above tip. i hope it works because i cant find anything else to use!

[ambersrose]

Toms of Maine never worked well for me. I use this recipe and stay stink free and if essential oils are added, smelling nice all day. The link is to my sisters blog and she has a great recipe for toothpaste too