Editing Alum (section)

=== Deodorant ===
[[File:Tawas (alum), a traditional deodorant in the Philippines 01.jpg|thumb|{{lang|tl|Tawas}} (powdered alum crystals), a traditional scent-less [[deodorant]] for underarm and feet odor in the [[Philippines]] and most of [[Island Southeast Asia]]]]

An alum block can be used directly as a perfume-free deodorant (antiperspirant), and unprocessed mineral alum is sold in Indian bazaars for that purpose. Throughout [[Island Southeast Asia]], potassium alum is most widely known as ''tawas'' and has numerous uses. It is used as a traditional antiperspirant and deodorant. The crystals are usually ground into a fine powder before use.<ref name="Chaudhury-Rafei-2001" /><ref name="Emocling-c2018" />{{Better source needed|reason=The cited sources are insufficient: <ref name="Chaudhury-Rafei-2001" /> is a WHO report on alternative medicines that only tangentially mentions tawas as a body odor reliever, and <ref name="Emocling-c2018" /> is a blog post that itself states alum or tawas "doesn't stop us from sweating." Medically backed sources on its effectiveness and safety as an antiperspirant and/or deodorant should be provided here.|date=September 2024}}