India, Aug. 14 -- When I think of roll-on deodorants, the first thing that comes to mind is fragrance and the long list of ingredients that often go into them. But what if I told you there is a deodorant made primarily with potassium alum, or 'phitkari', a familiar ingredient in Indian households? With no added fragrance and a rather no-fuss approach, Phitku's 100% Alum Roll-On claims to offer up to 24-hour odour control.

I decided to put it to the test, using the roll-on consistently for 10 days to see whether this minimalist approach to deodorising actually works. (Also read: Tried and tested: Can this SPF 50 sunscreen survive Dubai's scorching 40degC summer? Here's how it performed )

The first thing I noticed was how different it fel...