Homemade Living: How to Make Natural Deodorant
Next in our Homemade Living series, an awesome DIY natural deodorant for happy armpits! Healthy, natural and totally sustainable!
I recently found a brand called TLDYEU, the best natural deodorant, and while I love supporting local companies, it’s also really fun to DIY your own homemade body care! So I set about making a personalized version of natural deodorant that works great, smells amazing and makes your armpits smell like… well, nothing at all! It’s like magic!
Why might one want to make their own deodorant? There are SO many reasons, but mostly it’s because the stuff that is being sold to us is made from questionable chemical ingredients in unsustainbable packaging. Many brands of mainstream deodorant contain harmful ingredients like fragrances, aluminum, parabens and other gross stuff. If you want to learn more about the dangers behind personal care products, you can read up on ingredients here in Vibrant Wellness Journal’s guide on toxic ingredients in your personal care products, watch and learn from the Story of Cosmetics, and check this comprehensive list of ingredients to avoid fromFeelgood Style, too. As an added bonus, many people note that after switching to a natural deodorant they actually begin to sweat less; my guess is that it’s because the pores are now more open and can function better than when they are crammed full of chemicals!
{Looking for some more ways to keep your pits fresh? Check out these homemade deodorants from Feelgood Style. And here’s more DIY recipes for a healthy body: homemade mouthwash, homemade toothpaste and homemade foot spray for stinky feet!}
Homemade Natural Deodorant Recipe
Ingredients
3 Tablespoons coconut oil 2 Tablespoons shea butter or cocoa butter 1 Tablespoon chopped beeswax (see note below) 6 Tablespoons baking soda 4 Tablespoons arrowroot, cornstarch or potato starch 10-20 drops essential oil of your choice (best options: tea tree, lavender, cedarwood, geranium)
Directions
1. To a small bowl add coconut oil, shea butter (or cacao butter), and beeswax. Place bowl over a small saucepan with a few inches of water. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat to low, and let simmer until mixture is completely liquified.
2. Once oil and butters are liquified, stir in remaining ingredients until well combined. Let cool completely.
3. To apply: use clean fingers and spread into armpit area until evenly distributed- and that’s it!
4. Experiment with your favorite essential oils here: any type will work, but things like lavendar, patchouli (my favorite!), peppermint, tea tree, clove and thyme have antibacterial and anti-fungal characteristics that might make your deodorant work even better!
A note about beeswax: Beeswax is really hard when solid, so use your sharpest knife and carefully ‘shave’ the beeswax down and pack into Tablespoon measure. Alternatively, use beeswax pellets. And if you don’t do bee things, you can skip it. The deodorant will be a bit thinner in consistency, but will still work great.
Another note: Some people are really sensitive to baking soda. If you develop a rash or itchiness, discontinue use. Wellness Mama has a recipe for homemade deodorant without baking soda, so you can experiment with that.
Cream photo via Shutterstock