Pitty Pat asks… I read on the Cosmetics & Toiletries website about a new natural antiperspirant product from Tom’s of Maine. I really enjoyed the author’s explanation of the “recycled aluminum” claim but I’m still not clear on if this is really some kind of new and different natural technology. Can you guys please elaborate?
The Right Brain responds:
Yes, PP, we saw this article too and the discussion of “recycled aluminum” did bring a smile to our collective lives. The author, Susan Raffy, did a nice job of explaining the functionality of all the ingredients in the formula. (Click here for the C&T article on Tom’s of Maine Naturally Dry.)
More natural?
To answer your question we would add that aluminum chlorohydrate is by no means a new technology. A few decades ago, before the current generation of gylcine derivatives were developed, the chlorohydrate salt was one of the main antiperspirant active ingredients. Its advantage is that it’s an extremely powerful wetness control agent. Its disadvantage is that it can be irritating to some and it tends to bleach clothing leaving those yellows armpit stains that we’ve all seen. So, if you don’t mind those potential downsides and you’re looking for good wetness control then this could be the product for you. However, there’s certainly no need to switch from your current product just because of its so-called naturalness. It seems misleading for Tom’s of Maine to present this product as being more natural than others when it uses a standard aluminum salt as its active ingredient.
The Beauty Brains bottom line
Tom’s of Maine Naturally Dry does not use any new, natural technologies. You can pick this product up on Amazon.com for as little as about four dollars. While that’s certainly not a lot of money to spend on an antiperspirant you can find cheaper products on sale. As always we caution you about spending more money on a product just because it has found some way to weasel its way into a natural claim.
Image credit: http://www.public-domain-image.com/nature-landscape/earth/slides/cracked-and-dried-mud-at-the-beach.jpg
If you want to splurge, you can buy Tom’s OF Maine Naturally Dry Antiperspirant
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve been using Tom’s of Maine deodorant for years. I like how it smells, and I like how it feels. For my last replacement, I bought the Naturally Dry stuff. We’ll see how it goes.
She’s back with her cheerleading regarding milk of magnesia as a deodorant. I used to use Lavilin and Tom’s and a variety of deodorants but for over two years now, I’ve been thrilled with my use of MOM. Everyone at the gym is buying the blue bottle at Walmart. Even with my intense daily weight workouts, I am stink-free. Plus my underarm skin is now so silky.