The invention comprises water-soluble complexes having the following formula when isolated in the pH range of approximately 7-8: X2HAIR2,YH2O in which X is sodium or potassium, R is an acid radical of glycollic, gluconic, lactic or a -hydroxy-isobutyric acid, and Y is an integer having a value sufficient to provide the complex with an approximate molecular weight of 355 to 365 when using sodium as X and the lactic acid radical as R.  They are prepared by slowly reacting 2 moles of glycollic, gluconic, lactic or a -hydroxy-isobutyric acid with one mole of a sodium or potassium aluminate complex in which the ingredients are present in the ratio of 1 gram atom of aluminium to 1-2 moles of sodium or potassium hydroxide and cooling the reaction mixture to a temperature below 40 DEG C.  Preferably the reaction product is subsequently neutralised with an acid or an acid salt to decrease the pH of the reaction product to a value in the range of 6,0 to 8,0.  The products have astringent and anti-perspirant properties and may be incorporated in astringent and antiperspirant compositions (see Group VI) and in soap gel sticks (see Group III).ALSO:Water-soluble complexes of formula XHAlR2.YH2O (X is sodium or potassium, R is an acid radical of glycollic, gluconic, lactic or a -hydroxy-isobutyric acid, and Y is an integer having a value sufficient to provide the complex with an approximate molecular weight of 355 to 365 when using sodium as X and the lactic radical as R) when isolated in the pH range of approximately 7-8 are used in soap gel sticks.  The soap gel sticks are in general composed of the complex, soap, water and alcohol, the proportions of which vary throughout wide ranges. The soap may be the alkali metal salt of a saturated fatty acid such as myristic, stearic, palmitic, lauric, behenic and tridecylic acids.  Ethyl and propyl alcohols are the preferred alcohols.  In addition to the above ingredients there may also be incorporated in the sticks small amounts of perfume, colouring matter, deodorants, and moisture-retention agents.ALSO:Water-soluble complexes of the formula XHAlR2 YH2O (X is sodium or potassium, R is an acid radical of glycollic, gluconic, lactic or a -hydroxy isobutyric acid, and Y is an integer having a value sufficient to provide the complex with an approximate molecular weight of 355 to 365 when using sodium as X and the lactic radical as R), when isolated in the pH range of approximately 7-8, are used in antiperspirant and astringent compositions., They may be used in the form of aqueous or aqueous alcoholic solutions.  In addition a perfume, an emulsifier for the perfume such as sorbitan monolaurate, monopalmitate and monostearate polyoxyethylene derivatives, and a thickner, such as glycerol monostearate, carboxymethylcellulose or a gum, may be present.  The complexes may also be incorporated into cream bases which include an oil phase which may be a synthetic or natural oil, and an emulsifier which may be the partial ester of fatty acids with glycerin, glycol or other polyhydric alcohols and their polyoxyethylene ethers, and stabilisers such as the sodium salts of sulphated monoglycerides of cocoanut oil fatty acids, sodium alkyl sulphates and salts of alkyl aromatic sulphonates.