If you've never heard of a deodorant stone, that's OK. Until a few weeks ago, I hadn't either. Now it's all I use.
Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I don't believe in hippie nonsense. I spent 10 years of my life living in Eugene, Oregon, hippie capital of the United States (no, I'm not exaggerating — when people go to weddings, they wear their "newer" Birkenstocks).
People in Eugene are all about being natural, whether that means using chemical-free deodorants, homemade soaps, or just not showering at all. After a few years in Oregon, I decided to rebel against everything "hippie" — no granola, no old VW buses, no socks and sandals.
Now that I've been on the East Coast for a while, I've started to embrace things I once would have considered hippie mumbo jumbo. I even tested out a Himalayan salt lamp! While I didn't find any success with the salt lamp, it didn't turn me off natural products altogether. Instead, it had the opposite effect — I was more willing than ever to test out hippie alternatives.
So that brings me to the deodorant stone. A few months ago, a coworker asked me if I had any interest in testing out a new crystal stone product. At first, I thought she was talking about those crystals with "healing powers" (sorry for the quotes; clearly I'm a skeptic), but she explained it was actually a deodorant.
As a Pretty Sweaty Person™, I was intrigued. Back in the day, when I was a competitive gymnast, I had to use clinical-strength deodorant — and while I've transitioned back to normal deodorant, it doesn't always work. Because of this, I was cautiously optimistic about a deodorant stone.
According to a press release, "CRYSTAL Mineral Deodorant Stone offers safe and reliable odor protection using mineral salts mined from the earth." A stone that could replace my deodorant? I wasn't convinced, but I was willing to give it a try. After all, what could go wrong?
What Is a Deodorant Stone?
All right, let's start with the basics. What exactly is a deodorant stone? Well, it's essentially what it sounds like — the stone, made of clear minerals, is meant to be used in place of deodorant.
According to the website: "The Original Mineral Deodorant, this smooth, contoured mineral stone eliminates and blocks odor before it starts without harmful or harsh chemicals offering long-lasting, natural mineral protection for up to 24 hours. With daily suggested use, can last over a year."
What Is the Stone Made Of?
The stone has only one ingredient: pure mineral salt. This means that the stone is hypoallergenic and leaves no residue, stains, or white marks.
How Does the Stone Work?
OK, but if all it took to eliminate odor and sweat was salt, why wouldn't more people be rubbing salt in their underarms?
The stone, which is not an antiperspirant, "is a deodorant whose natural mineral salts prevent odor."
Benefits of the Stone
Unlike many traditional deodorants, the mineral stone is completely hypoallergenic, and you can use it on any part of your body. Many people use it on their chests, feet, and inner thighs.
Plus, it's even safe for pregnant women, children, and babies.
Testing the Stone
While I wasn't entirely sure about the science behind the stone, I decided the best way to see if it worked was to just try it — so that's what I did.
After reading the instructions, I ran the stone under water, then applied it to my armpit. Since I had just gotten out of the shower, I didn't have to worry about making sure my armpits were clean — I was starting with a blank canvas.
I rubbed the stone back and forth across my skin at least 20 times, then I wet it again and moved on to my other armpit.
I placed the stone into the little plastic dish that came in the package, then waited for my armpits to dry.
Once they were dry, I couldn't feel anything at all — and because the stone is fragrance-free, my armpits didn't smell like anything, either.
I threw on some clothes and left the house, not entirely convinced that the stone would keep me from sweating.
A few hours later, I was pleasantly surprised that my armpits were sweat-free and odor-free.
With one successful day down, I still wasn't positive the deodorant stone was working. The weather had just cooled down, so the colder temperature could have been a factor in my lack of sweat.
To make sure it wasn't just a coincidence, I kept using the stone over the next few days. I was shocked to realize it was actually working — I wasn't getting sweaty or smelly, and it was nice not having deodorant residue on all my shirts.
The real test, of course, was exercising. After a long day of work, I went to my favorite barre class. I hadn't applied the deodorant stone since early that morning, so I was hoping I wouldn't become a horrible BO monster during my workout.
Once again, I was surprised by the stone's effectiveness — even though I did get sweaty during the class, I wasn't any sweatier or smellier than usual.
Although I'd originally planned on using the deodorant stone for only a week, friends of mine who use the stone recommended I use it for longer, in case my body needed to detox from my normal deodorant.
It's now been over 15 days, and I'm still happily using the stone in place of my deodorant.
Final Thoughts
Will I continue using the deodorant stone? Yes! As I said, I'm still using it, even though my experiment is technically over. I still have my traditional deodorant at home, but I use it only if I'm in a rush (and don't have time for the mineral deodorant to dry) or in addition to the stone if I want to feel extra fresh.
Would I recommend the stone to a friend? Sure, why not? If you're looking for a practical alternative to traditional deodorant, this is a great option.
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