After two years of receiving no complaints about my sweating, my Thai lady friend suddenly gave me a lump of something that looks like a piece of ice; or maybe rock salt; or even just a glob of plastic? She says I should rub it in my armpits to stop smell. Well, I gave it a go, and it actually works very well, but I would like to know what exactly it is. Chinese herbal remedies that may cause cancer come to mind, so before I start using this stuff regularly, I would like to know if there are any nasty strings attached. It seems like it's a lot cheaper than Right Guard, anyway.

Thanks for any info. Here's a couple of photos with a 10 Baht coin to put it in perspective.

It's most likely Aluminum Zirconium.

It's called Alum. There's a processed version found in corner stores, pharmacies etc called Grace Deodorant made by Novolife.

Edit to add info from wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alum

Alum's antibacterial properties contribute to its traditional use as an underarm deodorant. It has been used for this purpose in Europe; Mexico; Thailand, where it is called Sarn-Som; throughout Asia; and in the Philippines, where it is called Tawas. Today, potassium alum is sold commercially for this purpose as a "deodorant crystal," often in a protective plastic case.

Many thanks. You learn something new every day - it seems perfectly safe to use.

Alum = "san som" in Thai. It works pretty well under normal conditions but if you're going to be out in the heat all day before going to dinner with a prospective employer I wouldn't depend on it.

one of the suspected causes of early dementia

Chang chee, Not realy its called San Sum,

I started using some of the Grace crystal when my regular Nivea ran out a few months ago. I was amazed it worked fairly well in odor-prevention but it would run out of effectiveness quicker than Nivea on a long day and the dryness control isn't as good. My gf swears the crystal prevents the yellowing of white fabric (especially my cotton T-shirts) in wetness areas. I had my doubts but after buying a new white shirt a while back I noticed no yellowing while using Grace. Just last week I returned to Nivea for better odor protection but sure as heck the yellowing is starting to appear on the new shirt. Yeah, I know, real interesting

It works on feet also.

My feet to the nose now smell sweet as a rose.

It's called Alum. There's a processed version found in corner stores, pharmacies etc called Grace Deodorant made by Novolife.

Edit to add info from wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alum

Alum's antibacterial properties contribute to its traditional use as an underarm deodorant. It has been used for this purpose in Europe; Mexico; Thailand, where it is called Sarn-Som; throughout Asia; and in the Philippines, where it is called Tawas. Today, potassium alum is sold commercially for this purpose as a "deodorant crystal," often in a protective plastic case.

Alum it is! Main effect is to shrink or "dry" the pores of the skin. Hence lack of wet perspiration.

Just for interest (?) in the "old days", ladies-of-the-night were known to douche with Alum to tighten their you-know-what>

I swear by the salt product. I've used it for years in the States. The price there is only $2 for about a year's supply, compared to $$ for the advertised commercial brands. AND, it's an imported product from Thailand. The ingredient label says: "Ammonium Alum (Natural Mineral Salts)".

Since coming here I've found the same kind of product in local pharmacies, so it's widely available. And it works! Bacteria cannot grow in salt; if it did, the ocean would be a sewer.

For more information on the imported product you can check out "thecrystal" dot com.

Interesting fact ... Thais along with most Asians do not emit as much foul smells as westerners in places such as their armpits. Probably why you don't see too many deodorant products here and they are most just antiperspirants.

Edit: before somebody calls me a racists or some such thing, it is genetic, as is skin color, hair and so on. I don't have a link to the original article I read a while back but am sure you can find one to a scientific article regarding differences.

Gives me a rash under my arms. I have fairly sensitive skin though. Samui tap water causes my hands to break out in a rash too.

Buzzer