thanks for your reply Carol. I have used Nature's Gate deodorant
crystal
which claims ingredients: "mineral salts, potassum sulfate, contains
NO
aluminum chlorohydrate". so you're saying that it may contain "alum"
and
there's controversy over this?

shoot...
lucia

On Sun, 11 Jun 2000, Carol S wrote:

> > oh dear. can someone provide some more information on this?
> > none of the natual crystals are ok?
>
> Lucia, there's a lot of controversy about this.  Some say that any and all
> aluminum is bad.  Others say that the form of it in these crystals (alum is
> a mineral salt of aluminum) is OK because it is too large a molecule to be
> absorbed through the skin.  Others counter that the bacteria present under
> the arms can break the aluminum off and allow it to be absorbed.  I really
> don't know who's correct, but I thought you should know that the issue seems
> far from settled.