Make All Natural Deodorant
Many people want to control body odor associated with sweating without having to use all of the chemicals found in commercially available deodorants. Here are a few recipes for effective deodorants made from all-natural ingredients. Each one will take you a little bit of time to prepare, but the batches will last you a while, and you can find all of the ingredients from your local health retailer and vitamin shop.
Contents
Steps
Making a Solid Deodorant
- Gather the ingredients. This method calls for just a few easy ingredients, and it makes a semi-solid stick of deodorant similar to stick deodorants you find in stores—minus all the chemicals. This recipe requires:
- 3 tablespoons wet-milled, virgin coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons Shea butter
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot (or cornstarch)
- 3 tablespoons baking soda
- 1-2 drops of your favorite essential oil (optional)
- Melt the Shea butter and coconut oil together. If you have a double boiler, you can use this to melt the Shea butter and coconut oil together. If you don’t have one, you can simply place both ingredients in a heavy mason jar and place the jar in a pan of hot water.
- Use low heat and stir often to ensure an even distribution as the two ingredients melt together.
- Remove the mixture from the heat as soon as it’s melted together.
- Stir in the arrowroot and baking soda. After you turn off the heat, slowly stir in the arrowroot and baking soda. Mix the ingredients in well but quickly before the mixture begins to harden.
- Add the essential oil. If you’re choosing to add an essential oil to provide a pleasant scent, then stir in one or two drops (more will be overpowering) of the oil now as well. Certain essential oils may irritate those with sensitive skin. Try rubbing a drop of the oil on your underarms to test for any skin irritation before adding it to your deodorant recipe. Some common options include:
- Lavender
- Patchouli
- Eucalyptus
- Lemon
- Orange
- Bergamot
- Tea tree
- Cedarwood
- Lemon balm
- Cinnamon
- Sage
- Frankincense
- Store in your chosen container. You don’t have to store this deodorant any special way. If you want, you can simply pour the mix into a jar and allow it to cool and solidify. You can then use your fingers to apply it your underarms as needed.
- As an alternative, you can pour the mixture into popsicle molds and place the molds in your freezer for an hour to shape the deodorant into a familiar stick shape. Wrap each stick in wax paper or parchment paper before storing to stop them from melting together.
- Keep in a cool place. You do not need to store the deodorant in the fridge, but it can melt in warm weather. Store the container out of direct sunlight in a cool spot in your home.
Making a Baking Soda-Free Solid Option
- Gather the ingredients. Some people also develop redness and irritation from using baking soda on their underarms. If this happens to you (or even if you just want to try another method), then this recipe is for you. Begin by gathering the necessary ingredients. You’ll need a digital kitchen scale to measure out the ingredients. This recipe calls for:
- 30g coconut oil
- 20g Shea butter
- 10g carrier oil (your preference of almond, castor, or avocado oil all work well)
- 10g beeswax
- 15g arrowroot powder
- 15g food-grade diatomaceous earth
- 1 vitamin E capsule (400 IU)
- 10 drops of essential oil
- Melt the coconut oil, Shea butter, carrier oil, and beeswax together. If you have a double boiler, you can use it to melt these ingredients together, or you can simply place all of them in a heavy, heat-safe jar and place the jar in a pan of boiling water.
- Use low heat and stir everything in evenly. The beeswax will take the longest to melt, but have patience.
- Remove from heat. Once the beeswax finally melts and you stir it in, remove the mixture from the heat and give it a couple of minutes to cool—up to five.
- Add the arrowroot, diatomaceous earth, vitamin E, and your chosen essential oil. Before the mix hardens and begins to solidify, mix in the rest of the ingredients (break the vitamin E capsule to add it). Whisk all of the ingredients together well to ensure an even distribution of the materials.
- If you’ve never tested the essential oil you’ve chosen on your skin before, then try a drop or two on your underarm first and wait several minutes to make sure that it doesn’t irritate your skin at all.
- Pour the mixture into your chosen storage container. This recipe will set into a roll-on solid deodorant fairly quickly. Once the final ingredients are whisked in, you can pour it into a storage container of your choice. A shallow jar will do. You can simply rub some of the deodorant onto your fingers and then apply it to your underarms as needed.
- If you prefer the familiar, roll-on stick form, then you can pour the mixture into popsicle molds and place them in the freezer for an hour before removing them. Wrap each individual stick in wax paper or parchment paper before storing them to help avoid having them melt together.
Making a Spray Deodorant
- Gather the necessary ingredients. If you prefer spray-on deodorants to chalky stick deodorants, then you will love this all-natural recipe. Additionally, this recipe cuts out the baking soda found in some other recipes, which can give some people a rash from constant use. Begin by gathering the simple ingredients. This recipe requires:
- 4 ounces of magnesium oil
- 10-15 drops of your favorite essential oil
- Make your own magnesium oil if you choose. You can either purchase magnesium oil from a health retailer or simply make your own at home. To make your own simply boil half a cup of distilled water and pour the boiling mix over half a cup of magnesium chloride flakes (in a heat-safe bowl). Stir the mix together well and then allow it to cool.
- Stir in the essential oil. Use your favorite scent of essential oils, or you can also experiment with a mixture. Stir the ten to fifteen drops of the essential oil into the magnesium oil. You should test just a few drops of the mixture on your skin to ensure that it won’t irritate your underarms.
- If the mix does irritate your skin, then you can dilute the mix with water until you find a ratio that doesn’t cause any irritation.
- Store in a spray bottle. You may have to test a couple of spray bottles to find one with an output you like. Find a bottle that spritzes your underarms and avoid ones that spray a stream of the deodorant. You don’t have to store the mix in any particular environment, so once you find the proper bottle, you can simply store it in your bathroom.
- Replace often. As you get toward the bottom of the mixture, you may find a higher concentration of the essential oil than the magnesium oil, which can sting your underarms, especially if you apply just after shaving them. To help avoid this, add a new batch of the deodorant to the bottle rather than using the last little bit before replacing it.
Tips
- No homemade deodorant recipes contain ingredients that completely stop sweat. You will still sweat when using eco-friendly deodorant, but your sweat will not be as heavy or smell as bad as it used to.
- If your underarm skin becomes irritated after trying a homemade deodorant recipe, it may be either the baking soda or the essential oil causing the irritation. Try a couple drops of your chosen essential oil on your skin by itself. If the oil doesn’t irritate your skin, then you can deduce the baking soda is the problem. Try one of the baking soda-free recipes instead.
Things You'll Need
- Container/Spray bottle
- Baking soda
- Cornstarch or arrowroot powder
- Coconut oil
- Shea butter
- Essential oils
- Mason jar
- Magnesium oil
- A carrier oil (your preference of almond, castor, or avocado oil all work well)
- Beeswax
- Food-grade diatomaceous earth
- Vitamin E capsules (400 IU)
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