The other day, I bought a $19 stick of antiperspirant. Believe me, it's even harder for me to admit this than it is for you to read it.

But let me explain. As a dude, I'm not very picky about my cosmetics, which mostly consist of toothpaste, soap, shampoo, shaving cream, antiperspirant and a little hair goo. What I am picky and passionate about, is buying products that aren't tested on animals. I won't delve into the ethical dilemma of testing medicine on lab rats, but I am convinced that many companies make excellent cosmetics without rubbing them on bunnies and puppies. My efforts alone might not make a difference, but the Humane Society is my personal charity of choice, and as an animal lover, I believe that buying cruelty-free products is the least I can do.

Which brings me to antiperspirant. To the best of my knowledge, and I've done considerable research on the subject, there are exactly two brands of antiperspirant that don't test on animals: Mitchum (owned by Revlon) and Jack Black Pit Boss. There are dozens of deodorants that are cruelty free, but none that stop the sweat before it begins.

Since I might just have a minor case of the ol' OCD, I've done ample research on that subject, too. Most of the experts say that the aluminum in antiperspirant that stops the sweat isn't very healthy, but it doesn't cause the cancer that some thought it did. But, just to be fair, for a few weeks I tried a few different deodorants, and I wasn't comfortable emanating odor-free sweat.

For months, I've been using the Mitchum product, which costs just a few bucks. But I don't find that it works particularly well, and I'm not a profusely sweaty guy. So I read some reviews on the Jack Black product (and yes, I, too, think it's hilarious that actor Jack Black is a big sweaty fat guy, but apparently the product is unaffiliated). Every review said this stuff is great, and Esquire Magazine gave the overall brand very high marks in a recent article. Only problem, the stuff costs $14, and with no local outlet that sells it (that I can find), I bought it online and paid $5 for shipping. Yes, I bought a $19 stick of antiperspirant.

My first impression was that this is strong stuff. It has a pungent fragrance, but Jack Black's Web site says you don't need to use much. And sure enough, just a little does the trick. While it contains the same 20 percent of " Aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly" as Mitchum, it does seem to work better. And, maybe I'm rationalizing, but if just a few swipes work so well, 2.75 oz. should last a long time.

But, ridiculous purchase or not, I'm happy that I could be true to myself in supporting a product that's cruelty-free.

Yeah, my wallet is $19 lighter, but I smell pretty good, too.