An easy, 5 ingredient homemade deodorant. Much better for your health and your body, and it works!
I would say it was about 2 years ago when I started switching my body and home care products to natural sources. I realized, if I was eating clean, I should be wearing and living in a “clean” environment also.
It started in high school- my school would host a huge “craft” show, in which vendors would come from several states away to sell jewelry, lotions, soaps, quilts, etc. I would buy lotions and sore muscle rubs (think versions of bio-freeze and icy-hot). I found a consultant of a natural non-toxic product line and bought some of their face care, dish soap and detergent. From them, I learned so much about dissecting an ingredient list on products, just like you do for food. I learned about “fragrances” in scented products, and was really glad I barely bought scented products. At the same time, I learned that while some natural products I bought were definitely better, as they didn’t contain dyes (I used Neutrogena Naturals for a while- still not too bad, and Herbal Essences “Naked”– not the best, for a bit), there was still room for improvement.
Now, lets talk deodorant.
The skin is the largest organ of your body and completely porous. It will absorbs whatever you put on it, so you want to stay clear of harsh and toxic chemicals, dyes, and fragrances. My freshman year of college, I finally took the plunge and bought a natural deodorant. I looked online a bit, and ended up buying Tom’s of Maine. (Note: It’s also really important to stay aluminum free, as aluminum is a harsh metal and can be harmful when applied to your skin and absorbed into your body,)
It worked wonderfully! …for a couple months. Then, it stopped working. and within a week after that, I smelled worse than not using deodorant. I got by with just using a little bit until I was home for break, winter break, then looked into other brands of natural deodorants. Reading all the reviews, I found that it was very hit or miss whether the deodorant worked for a person, and some of them were really expensive!
I also found that many of them eventually began making their own. So I did a little bit of searching (a very little) and found a ingredients for homemade deodorant in the comments of a discussion on a very old Whole Foods podcast. Since then, I’ve been tweaking the recipe a lot every time I use it, and finally fell on a ratio that worked and I really liked!
Lets talk a bit about ingredients:
Vitamin E Oil– VE is GREAT for the skin! I’ve used it for several years, it’s an excellent moisturizer. It keeps your skin soft and supple and is great to put on after showers. More here.
Coconut Oil– has many benefits including acting as a moisturizer, skin softener, deodorizer, and being antimicrobial, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory.
Baking Soda– deodorizer.
Arrowroot Powder– filler and absorbs moisture
Essential Oils– essential oils obviously provide scent, but all oils also have other benefits, including (but not limited to) being antimicrobial, antibacterial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory.Each oil has a different benefit.
Now, if you can’t/don’t want to buy empty deodorant containers, you have two options:
1) empty out any current/old deodorant containers. Wash them, dry them fill them.
2) Do what is pictured below: Use a used up and sturdy (not bent) empty toilet paper roll. Take a LARGE piece of plastic wrap and stuff it all the way down the center linin the inside of the roll, and some still hangs outside the rim. When you start to fill it, pull the plastic wrap so the bottom of the wrap is towards the top (as if you were to “roll” up the container). Use a large spoon to add the mixture in. After each spoonful, pat it down, putting your fingers under to pat it together. Pack it reeeeal tight. Keep packing an scooting the wrap towards the bottom.
