Um.... Ethylene glycol is antifreeze.
propylene glycol is fairly safe, being used as a food grade solvent.

I'm a chemist, and I'm also fairly "green". I am really sick of people messing up science like this. Next there will be a resurge against dihydrogen monoxide.

Ethylene glycol is antifreeze.
Proplyene glycol is a food grade solvent.

I highly recommend Dr. Hauschka Dedorants. I used to use Crystal but it was not really strong enough. The Dr. Hauschka stuff has a nice scent and lasts all day. Also, it doesn't appear to have any of the bad ingredients listed in this article.

The Ingredients are:
Water (Aqua), Alcohol, Triethyl Citrate, Glycerin, Fragrance/Parfum (Essential Oil), Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Zinc Ricinoleate, Bentonite, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Limonene, Linalool, Geraniol, Citral, Benzyl Benzoate, Farnesol, Coumarin, Citronellol, Eugenol, Benzyl Salicylate, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil (Jojoba Wax), Sucrose Laurate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Lecithin, Sodium Magnesium Silicate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid

The only downside is it costs about $20 for a small roll on bottle, but I am willing to live with that.

Maybe she got her info from Wikpedia [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propylene_glycol#Applications ], which says that propylene glycol is used "as a non-toxic antifreeze" and "Propylene glycol is non-toxic and has similar properties as ethylene glycol (MEG). The industrial norm is to replace ethylene glycol by propylene glycol.".

I dunno who is correct, i know wiki isnt known for 100% accuracy, but just sayin! and either way, the less petroleum by-products, the better, eh?

KISS MY FACE has some "naturals" that work pretty well. Not that stick, though. That lasts ten minutes. But the Liquid Rock roll-on (liquified crystal salt stick, they say) works better for me than any non-"natural" deo ever did, even the strong stuff like Mitchem. I walk and bike everywhere, and this stuff keeps me from being offensive like no other.

Classic case of "don't sweat the little stuff." (pun intended)

Think on this with me.

Skipping anti-perspirant results in yellowed clothing in the arm pit region, which, especially if you prefer light tones and a clean look, means additional washings with warm water and whitening agents. Sometimes peroxides (non-chlorine bleach) will do the job. Sometimes you got to pull out the big guns and hit them with chlorine.

The functionality of deodorant is 99% aluminum chlor-hydrate. The other ingredients are all about modifying texture and smearing properties to gain market appeal. If organic emoluants and scents are added they are prone to biodegradation: hence, triclosan is used o add shelf life.
Bottom line is get your functional ingredient and skip the rest.

I just use a mineral salt block (Ammonium Alum). It's the only thing that actually works, doesn't irritate my skin, smell "artificial", or stain my shirts.

Okay, what about Thai Crystal deodorant from Whole Foods? Ingredients just state "mineral salts", but doesn't get more descriptive than that.

In principle I think anti-perspirants are just wrong (we're MEANT to sweat), but I do like Thai Crystal deodorant stone for its ability to keep a sweating person from stinking while not hampering the sweating function.

I'm always trying to replace my regular deodorant with a natural one, but I haven't found anything that works for athletes. You name it, if it's at Whole Foods, I've tried it. But midway through a tough workout, I realize it's just not doing the job. If I worked out alone, I wouldn't mind so much, but I've got a coach and teammates to consider. :) Does anyone have any suggestions?

I use crystal arm deodrant and with baking soda. Its work for me. Baking soda aborbs odor. Even, I sweat and its doesn't smell at all.

Why use deodorants or anti-perspirants in the first place? I haven't used either since January, and, if anything, the stains on my clothes (which used to be a problem) have gotten better, and I still wash in cold! Anti-perspirant does nothing for stains, that's for sure. If everyone stinks then nobody stinks, right? ;) I really haven't gotten any complaints about smell, though. It's musky, or so I'm told. Besides, all your doing is coving up those lovely pheromones.

JL,
Is is exactly the anti-persps that yellow clothing, not sweat. So using them requires more washing, not not-using them. Even bleach doesn't get that stuff out, only that weird bluing stuff -- another chemical.
And the ingredient you mention (Aluminum-Chlorohydrate) is, according to some studies, carcinogenic.

I've used plain old ordinary corn starch with a little bit of baking soda in it for years. Nobody tells me I stink. But then I'm not a heavy sweater either.

I too have had major issues finding a safe deodorant to use. In the meantime I've been using whatever doesn't irritate my skin.

Where can I buy more natural deodorant???

How weird.

I had some friends that stopped using deodorant and antiperspirant. I hadn't noticed. No one in our social group had.

I decided to do a trial of no antiperspirant, after years of use. It was a bit interesting. For a week to two weeks after I stopped using it, I perspired more than I had ever done in my life. Soaking wet pits. Then it went away.

That was a year ago. I was happy to find I don't smell bad. I shower regularly, so I don't stink. Folks are surprised when I tell them I don't use the stuff. Everyone says the same thing, that they wouldn't have known if I hadn't said so.

The idea came to me when I took a marketing class. It cited deodorant as an incredible example of anxiety sales. Before the companies did an anxiety related add campaign, there was not a market for the stuff. They created the market to sell the product. I found that stunning, that as a culture we fear the lack of deodorant, and it's source is a marketing campaign.

Nowadays, my husband and I don't bother with it. Neither do quite a few of my friends. We are all normal, clean folks. You wouldn't know it otherwise. It's one less product I need.

Regarding Solar Panals

Lets take a real look at this price. What is $1.00 per watt peak. Capacity factor of solar during daylight hours is less than 50 % and at night it is zero. You achieve peak for only one to two hours pre day due to incidence of the sun on the panels and the reduction in intensity when the sun shoots through the atmosphere in the early and later parts of the day. But really for only $1.00 per watt hour for two hours. For all other hours it is less than a watt for $1.00. At a 50% capacity factor during the day the cost must be looked at as $2.00 per watt.

How much is a watt in terms of what you use in energy? First of all a watt is an instantaneous measure of capacity and not a measure of energy. Energy is watt-hour or kilowatt hour for your home. You use about 3 KWH for the peak hour of the day. You pay about $.08 per kwh retail. Thus assuming a 100% capacity factor your solar panel needs would have cost $3000 for the peak hour but they have a less than 50% capacity factor. Lets say that the life cycle of the solar panel is 10 years (solar panels degrade in time and later in their lives do not put out their initial rated capacity) There are 8760 hours in a year. Use 10 or 20 years for depreciation of the resource.

Every time I see one of these articles I am absolutely amazed at what they don’t say. Great, it is $1.00 per watt. What they don’t say is what that really means. The only way this makes any degree of sense to me is when they get these prices down to at least retail. They also don’t say so much because their audience is not doing the math and is only looking with emotion. Even our gas plant at a cost of $310,000,000 for 604 MW and 95% capacity factor over the year and depreciated over 30 years is so cheap compared to this number that the difference is laughable. I think enthusiasm is great but the inability of this outfit to do mathematics is a disgrace.

Perhaps you could tell me the cost of the resource in average cost per KWH?

Um ... ethylene glycol is anti-freeze (toxic, but used because it is cheap)

... but wait, um ... propylene glycol is also anti-freeze (non-toxic but more expensive. ex: Sierra Antifreeze) It is also the primary antifreeze used in solar hot water heating systems -- I know this because I design and install them. (sorry I don't recall what the LD50 amount is, but you're not a biologist, are you?). And, yes it is more often used in processed foods.

Time to spend some time outside the chemistry lab or cubicle, and less time nit-picking -- unless that is the source of your odor issues ;-)

Some folks bathe and don't stink. Most of the odor issues are caused by bacteria, thriving in the sweaty nooks and crannies environment, and get worse with time. For some unfortunates, it is their sweat itself that is the source. A double whammy if they have 'hygene issues'.

What this basically boils down to is that everyone's body chemistry is different, find out what works for you, read labels closely, and talk to friends that will be staight with you. YES, it means more time and effort, but isn't that a big part becoming greener? Essentially: caveat emptor

I am fortunate in that I don't need any if I shower regularly, but I do often work for days in remote places, necessitating the occasional use of deodorant.
Tho I do empathize with (or avoid if unaware) those who aren't so lucky.

btw, Natasha, I loved the DHMO comment ... hilarious how many people I've had fall for it, if only to make the important point of knowing the facts before speaking/acting.

Are there foods that we can eat to help us smell better?

I haven't used deodorant for a little over a month. In the morning, I spray a mixture of water, rose oil, and lavender oil. As I get warm, I smell like lavender-rose. I don't sweat as much, and I certainly don't smell as strong as I used to. Your body adjusts.

The stench of sweat is probably so strong because your body is trying to overpower the smell of deodorants. It's natural to have a scent, so your body will do what it can to get that scent out there. I have no proof, just a theory.

Our family uses for deodorants from Melaleuca Inc (bought online - monthly subscription required).

Similar products in health food stores are more expensive. Our family uses at least four (4) per month. Melaleuca Inc is over 2$ cheaper per deodorant.

If a monthly subscription is not for you, just buy at a health food store, we've tried many, with excellent results.

Of course healthy deodorants don't last as long as the chemical ones, so keep spares.

I hate to clog up this comment thing, but I'll justify it first by responding to the article.
Most of these chemicals aren't a problem. If you have concerns, wiki now has good entries on almost everything imaginable and stays fairly up to date.
I was curious so I checked up on triclosan and others and I find no reason to be concerned. Then again, I only use the mineral salt version of deodorant to hold me over between showers. (Holy cow! Soap already kills bacteria by dissolving fats!)
I'm a fan of it in my toothpaste as it does make a difference with gum disease.
In reply to heresyoftruth though on solar panels (why's that here?):
$1/watt is a big deal because it's bringing solar panels that much closer to parity with other sources.
The average household uses 30kwh of electricity per day. The amount of sunlight varies and varies on if you have trackers or if you change the angle of your panels.
I'll just use my town, Seattle, not known for its sunlight as an example. It won't be great, but it's about two to three times as good in most other areas.
So, according to solar measurements, we get 3.8 kwh of sun per day. This is an average number for throughout the year. Much more in summer, much less winter, but it's the average.
So based on that to meet the average usage would take about 8 kw of installed solar panels. That's based on how the panel is rated. As in if I installed those, they'd be rated for 8 kw of energy in good sunlight. So their output in Seattle actually IS, according to the ratings, 3.8 kw/day. Not 50% of that, but that number. Otherwise the panels would be rated for 4kw. So that was the first problem. It doesn't matter peak hours or anything, we're just going off of the daily annual average.
Your "capacity factor" makes no sense. We're taking 888 kwh/mo US average (US Dept of Energy) which's about 30 kwh/day. In Seattle we get average daily insolation of 3.8 kwh/day. So we divide the 30 by 3.8 (or more depending on your area. It's 5.6 across the mountains) to get how many installed kw of panels we need, which is about 8. Which means that on a perfect sunny day over the peak hours we'll make 8kw/hour. But we're not counting on that but instead on the average for the year. It'll be putting out insignificant amounts during much of the winter.
Almost all solar panels are guaranteed for 30 years. (Not 10 years) During that time performance WILL degrade, but not by more than 15%. How many products do you know are guaranteed for 30 years with that much exposure? These are well made products, hence the price.
So, let's say that those panels are the $1/watt (holy crap it's going to be more with your BOS (balance of system: inverter, wires, etc)) but we're just going off the panels right now. So it's $8,000 for your array. We take the estimated output per day (that's our insolation, 3.8 times 8, or about 30kwh/day x 365 = 11,096 kwh/year x 30 for the guaranteed lifetime = 332,880 lifetime kwh. We'll degrade that by .9 (90%)for loss of output. 299,592 kwh total lifetime output. So we'll divide our initial investment of $8000 by that for the cost per kwh. And we get $0.0267/kwh. Now, in reality that installation would've been more like $20,00 for a professional and guaranteed install with inverters and hookups and everything. So that's about $0.07/kwh.
So what do you know? I just walked you through all the steps of a solar installation that I would do with a homeowner on if it was worthwhile to install except for how much standard power would cost. (average 7% annual cost increase for Snohomish PUD based on 50 years of rates, 15% based on the most recent 15 years)
This was an install I would NOT do. It's way too expensive. I would always ALWAYS recommend cutting your power usage with new bulbs, appliances, and other power saving measures which will often cut your usage by 30-50% because saving energy by conservation is WAY cheaper than making it with solar. Generally you'll save $3-5 of installed solar for every $1 you spend on new appliances and bulbs.
Any questions? email me at cardjesse AT hot mail DOT com.

I've used the Crystal stick for a few months now. For my body chemistry, it's the best thing I've ever used. I find it lasts a good 48 hours reliably for me. (If I don't have to go anywhere, I might only shower every other day, and the stick works the whole time between showers.) My husband didn't really like the stick, so we just bought their roll-on version the other day and so far, it also works like a charm.

I've read some less-than-favourable reviews about it, and I think it boils down to this: the mineral salts prevent bacteria from growing, so it's important to apply right after washing/showering when the skin is clean. It's not something that's meant to be slapped on because you already stink. From other reviews, it sounds like some people have transferred bacteria to the stick, and now the stick itself stinks. (Although, if it's supposed to inhibit bacteria growth, not quite sure how that works. . . )

It might not work for everyone, but it's one of my personal favourite finds!

Sorry The Rev. I didn't write the solar panel one. The person above me did. Our names are under our posts, not on top. They probably misclicked.

I have sought for an alternative for years. The crystal ones do not work for me, I smell strongly a few hours after applying it (properly). The same goes for Dr. Hauscka.

I have also tried spraying with salt water: One summer holiday, my partner and I were biking 4-5 hours each day in very warm weather on bikes carrying luggage. We washed ourselves by skinnydipping at the beach, used no soap and after that (on some days) no deodorant. We smelt less than we normally would. So I concluded that the salt did the trick. But I could not copy the effect at home with a solution of (sea)salt in boiled water.

Last week I was away overnight, forgetting to pack soap and deodorant. Day one I showered with soap, put on deodorant and biked for an hour, which always makes my whole torso soaking wet. I let it dry. I was wearing three layers of wool and did not change my clothes all day. In the evening I went for a walk, 40 minutes. Next morning I showered without soap and put on the wool again, no deodorant. Late that afternoon I biked back, getting all sweaty again and let that dry too, no shower and no change of clothes.
Going to bed on day two, I smelled just like I would at the end of any other day: My armpits do smell and the smell is often musky and a bit pungent. But it is also a "dry" smell and you will have to put your nose there to notice it. I have already noticed, and also heard from others, that woolen undergarments reduces the smell. And some, but not all, of my cotton, cotton mix and synthetic fabric blouses make me stink in a strange and unpleasant way, no matter what deodorant I use.

Then I read this and decided to experiment. Every morning after my shower (with soap) I use deodorant in my left armpit and nothing in my right armpit. Then I put on a thin wollen t-shirt under the rest of my clothes.
Today is day five. The first four days I smelt less than usual and there was no or nearly no difference in the smell - sometimes the left armpit smelt a little more, sometimes the right armpit did. I did not change the t-shirt. Today I took a clean one. This evening (9PM) there is a difference: The armpit with the deodorant has no smell. The "clean" one smells, but not more or differently than any other day. I will continue the experiment and I will also try without the wool.

To Savannah Brentnall:
I also sweat a lot when working out, but that doesn't smell untill later, so I just shower right after the workout. It works for me, maybe it will for you too.

To Lucynda Riley:
I want to try that! How much baking soda to 1 decilitre of corn starch? And how do you apply it, do you just scoop up a little with your fingers and "smear" on a thin layer? Does it show in dark fabrics? Does it wash out well?

I recently switched to baking soda. I've always been a heavy sweater having been blessed with an extra helping of body hair. I was researching some safe alternatives to deodorants and saw a minor blurb about Baking Soda. I figured I'd try it since I had some already and I simply can't believe how well it works. You just put about a tsp in your hand and rub it into your pits immediately after your shower. That's 1 tsp per pit, more or less depending on your size.

It easily keeps me odor free for 48 hours. Keep in mind I'm a heavy sweater, I live in a desert, and this includes not just day to day work/errands/shopping, but at least 1 good dog walk a day if not two out in 90-100 degree weather. I really can't believe more people don't know about it. I think back to all the money I've flushed on products that weren't even as good and had packaging that just needlessly added to landfill and I'm more than a little bitter about it. This includes the "natural" products too. The thai crystals, for example, came in a plastic bag.

Given that it cost between 50 and 80 cents for a 1lb box and that you can use it for a wide variety of uses like brushing your teeth, a mouthwash(1 tsp in 1/4 cup water and a few drops of peppermint oil is a very refreshing rinse), shampoo, pet deodorizer, etc... you simply can't beat it. One of the few true panaceas.