In defence of wool

That's great news, Doreen! My poor mom gets a rash every single summer, and she just suffers so much with it. I told her about this and she's already bought the Ban. LOL I can't thank you gals enough for this tidbit.

Karen Maslowski > Well, the roll-on (Ban) that I bought on Wednesday seems to have

What used to be really good is Mum. I have very sensitive/finicky skin and cannot just use any deodorant. However, Mum is no longer sold in the U.S., I believe. Now I am using Dove for sensitive skin and it works very well. Another one that works well is the one made by Bath and Body Works. There are also some on the market made of "natural" ingredients but I have not found anything that is that effective.

Have you tried antibiotic ointment? That would kill the bacteria that would cause the odor.

You might try "Yodora", though you may have to ask a pharmacist to order it for you, as it's not terribly commonly stocked. It's zinc based rather than aluminum based, and usually well tolerated.

I use one box of baking soda sifted together with one box of cornstarch. (Proportions unimportant; the cornstarch is just to make it less gritty.)

If you like it scented, you can sift in bath powder or put whole spices in the storage jar. One way to get a dispenser is to buy a small container of bath powder, sift it together with the soda and starch, refill the container, and store the rest in a tightly-capped glass jar.

It is a good idea NOT to use soda as a deodorant when wearing silk or wool. I have a silk undershirt that has been eaten away under the arms. One of these years, I may patch it. (Hey! An on-topic remark!)

Joy Beeson

Any of it will work as long as it is an antiperspirant. It can't be a just deodorant or it won't work. As far as I know anti-perspirant comes in spray (don't use) liquid, stick - all fine.

Deodorant comes in a crystal form. You can't use the crystal for PI because is has no anti-perspirant in it.

LOL! Talk about great minds thinking alike. I just found out the crystal deodorants are alum crystals. That got me to thinking that since I knew you could buy alum (mordant for wool - former spinner/weaver) I started think maybe you could buy aluminum chlorhydrate. Then I read your post!

If a pharmacy doesn't have it I suspect most would order it in for you. You could also buy a spray bottle and spray it on. That would probably be the best. I just knew the propellant didn't feel so good on bites.

You are welcome, but actually I have learned a lot on this thread. I love the crystal deodorants and I found out (by looking for more info online) that I can MAKE it and that it has other uses. I just hope that my "secret" (that I tell everyone I know) helps make your summer more enjoyable. AND the summers of children. Some of my unfondest memories is being make fun of because I had calamine lotion all over me.