Ingredient Spotlight: Alum Mineral Salt
For more than two decades Deozein Natural Deodorant has been a best-seller for Source Vitál Apothecary. The reason - it really works!
And it really works because of our special combination of natural mineral salts, algae extracts, Babassu Oil and pure essential oils.
The magic of this blend is that it keeps you feeling fresh without clogging sweat glands and pores like traditional antiperspirants, and does not contain any potentially dangerous aluminums or irritating baking soda.
One of the key ingredients that is crucial to the effectiveness of Deozein for both men and women is Ammonium Alum.
What is Ammonium Alum?
Also known as Tschermigite, or just Alum, it is a naturally occurring mineral salt that has been used for thousands of years as a natural deodorant.
Using the same general concept as those crystal deodorants you have have seen, people figured out a long time ago that they could rub the alum crystals directly onto their underarms to ward off the bacteria that causes body odor.
The Ammonium Alum we use in Deozein is essentially a liquid form of the crystal deodorant stone.
By itself, most find the crystal stone ineffective for body odor, but when blended with our other active ingredients, it kicks up the protective properties making it quite effective at keeping you feeling clean and fresh all day long.
Source Vitál's Clean, Non-Toxic, and Cruelty Free Alum
Alum salts require low moisture levels to form, so they are typically found in mines in dry climates.
It is a versatile salt also used in the process of water purification, tanning, vegetable pickling, and to make vegetable-based adhesives.
With an EWG (Environmental Working Group) rating of 1 - with 1 being the safest rating, Alum is widely considered safe.
The Alum we source for our formulations is kosher and made in the U.S. specifically for food and internal use.
Contrary to information found on some online sources, our Alum is produced in a lab using all-natural components and is 100% Cruelty free (which means that our ingredient provider is also Cruelty Free and a small business providing more jobs for Americans).
What Makes Alum So Great for Natural Deodorants
What also makes Alum a great choice for Deozein is due to its molecular weight and structure, Alum sits on top of the skin and is not readily available for absorption by the skin.
One of the concerns about traditional deodorants and antiperspirants is the absorption and accumulation of ingredients in the body. This is what has led to the current trend of removing aluminums from personal care products.
Specifically the aluminums that are often considered “dangerous” are:
- Aluminum Chlorohydrate (with a molecular weight of 192.47 g/mol)
- Aluminum Chloride (with a molecular weight of 133.34 g/mol)
- Aluminum Zirconium (with a molecular weight of 145.19 g/mol)
There is a rule for absorption for cosmetic products called the 500 Dalton Rule, which in a round about way says that anything under 500 g/mol density or 500 Dalton can be easily absorbed by the skin.
However, this does not ring true for all substances. Lipid based ingredients (ie: fats and oils) are more readily absorbed by the skin due to the fact that our skin is essentially waterproof or hydrophobic.
Because our skin is hydrophobic, it loves lipid based ingredients like carrier oils and essential oils. It also means that aqueous, or water based solutions, are much less likely to be absorbed for that reason alone.
In the case of Alum, our active ingredient in Deozein, it has a molecular weight of 453.3 g/mol or 453.3 Dalton. Not only is this more than triple the size of the potentially “dangerous” aluminums, but it is also not a lipid based structure.
All this chemistry boils down to Alum not being easily absorbed into the skin.
This is also precisely why it's a great natural deodorant. Because it isn't readily absorbed it sits on your skin, protecting you from bacterial growth that causes body odor. Pretty brilliant, right?
However, this does not mean that some of it can be absorbed, it just means that the skin does not want to absorb it, especially because our formula is a water based solution with a larger, non nano molecular size.
Deozein Natural Deodorant, a Best Seller
As we like to say, we know this formula works because we have tested it and worn it for 20+ years in hot, humid summers in our hometown of Houston, Texas. If it can hold up here, it can work anywhere.
Our collection of Deozein Natural Deodorants come in easy-to use spray and roll-on formulas and four scents: outdoorsy Original, citrusy Zest, floral Fresh, and woodsy Cedrus.
To learn more about the detox process that happens when you switch to a natural deodorant click here to read our blog. Once you make the switch, you won't ever want to go back!
Sources:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6226111/
- https://www.aaextracts.com/the-500-dalton-rule/
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1034/j.1600-0625.2000.009003165.x
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10839713/
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