03 July 2012

Handmade Home: Natural Deodorant

Last year I went on a quest to find a natural deodorant I like. I'd tried the crystal kind years ago and didn't like it and had been using regular commercial deodorant ever since.

I tried all different natural brands and the result was the same with all of them: by three in the afternoon I was stinky. I started to feel sorry for my office mates! I was ready to give up and start smearing chemicals on my underarms every day again when I stumbled across a stupid simple recipe for natural deodorant you can make at home. I was a bit skeptical, but since I had the ingredients on hand anyway, I gave it a shot.

Holy cow!! I love it! I love it so much I made some for everyone for Christmas. It was kind of a weird gift, but my family loved it after they tried it.

Handmade Deodorant Recipe
2 parts coconut oil
1 part aluminum-free baking soda
1 part arrowroot powder (you can also use cornstarch)
essential oil (optional) (I used tea tree oil)
Just blend all the ingredients together and store in a jar. Apply a small amount under your arms.


If you don't like the smell of coconut, use refined coconut oil.
Aluminum-free baking soda is important - It defeats the purpose of making it yourself if you're going to smear aluminum under your arms. The jury is still out on the effects of aluminum in antiperspirants, but I'd rather not take the chance. I get mine at a natural foods store near my house.
I used cornstarch the first time, but had a slight skin reaction, so used arrowroot powder for the second batch.
Tea tree oil is antibacterial and smells great, so that's why I used it, but you can use any oil you like the smell of, or just leave it out.

The best thing is, after using this for a couple of months, I discovered that I didn't even need it every day. The antibacterial properties of the coconut oil and tea tree oil created a less-stinky environment in my armpits! Yay!

So try this stuff. It costs very little to make, lasts forever, and works better (at least for me) than commercial deodorants!

I have one jar in my bedroom and one in my bathroom so it's easily on hand at all times!

6 comments:

  1. Hi There,
    Can you please tell me the measurments I would use for kitchen cooking epuipment, a bit more exact.
    Thank you and can't wait to try it!

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  2. It depends on how much you want to make. You just need to use twice as much coconut oil as the other two ingredients. For example, 1/2 cup coconut oil and 1/4 cup each of baking soda and arrowroot. The measurements don't need to be exact - I don't even measure.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so very much! I'm excited to try it!

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    2. Do you know how I would go about keeping it from melting in this summer heat? My place is on a top floor and it's pretty warm in here. Whenever I've left it out it seems to melt. I've tried putting it in the fridge for awhile but it takes some time for it to be pliable enough for me to apply it to my skin.
      Thanks

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    3. Unfortunately I don't have a better solution than putting it in the fridge. I do find that when it's harder all I have to do is scrape out a bit and as soon as I put it under my arm it softens right up and is easy to spread.

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  3. Alright, thank you!

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