You’re looking for a non-toxic, anti-stink potion for your armpits? You’re at the right place.
After months of scouring the internet, I have (in my opinion) developed the perfect recipe for homemade deodorant that puts drug store brands to shame. If you have ever glanced at the ingredients in your store-bought deodorant, you would notice the abundance of questionable, toxic and unnecessary ingredients hiding in the product.
For instance:
- Aluminum – found in the majority of antiperspirants, blocking sweat from escaping your pores and has considerable health risks
- Parabens – used as a preservative and linked to breast cancer
And who said sweating is bad? Sweat rids your body of toxins, and anyone who works out knows that sweat keeps us cool and prevents our bodies from overheating. The baking soda in this product will keep you dry and fresh without clogging your pores.
Gather your ingredients…
Keep in mind all of these ingredients can be found at your local health food store/market, or the click the link to each product to view from Amazon. These are my favourite/recommended ingredients; however, feel free to use any brand you’d like:
- You can use either GMO-free Corn Starch or Arrowroot Powder; the purpose of this ingredient is to add chalkiness so that it blends into your skin.
- Unrefined Coconut Oil: some of my favourites are Nutiva Virgin Organic Coconut Oil and Wilderness Family Organic Coconut Oil. You want to choose unrefined because it still has all of the nutritive properties of coconut oil and a scent to die for.
- Baking Soda: you can use any kind, but my favourite is Bob’s Red Mill Baking Soda
Optional ingredients:
- Vitamin E Oil: makes the deodorant smoother and aids in healing after shaving or waxing.
- Tea Tree Oil: anti-viral and anti-fungal. This ingredient will increase the shelf-life of the product and treat razor burn.
- Any other essential oils of your choice! Essential oils have individual healing properties, and they smell great!
Now put it all together:
Take two tablespoons each of the Baking Soda and Corn Starch (or Arrowroot Powder) and put into a bowl.
Add a few drops of the Vitamin E Oil and your essential oils.
At this point you will just have a powdery mess. The trick is to add a small amount of coconut oil at a time and work the ingredients together by pressing them between the back of a spoon and the bowl.
Once you get the coconut oil mixing, it will begin to melt (coconut oil melts at 76°F, so it will be easier to mix in the summer months.) You can judge how much you need to add by the consistency. It should feel like a really thick toothpaste or fondant. But again, you can alter the recipe any way you’d like! If you would like it creamier, add more coconut oil.
Put in a mini glass jar or reuse an old beauty product jar, and voila!
This recipe is really variable, so the more often you make it, the more you can alter the ingredients to your liking. This recipe was formulated for sensitive skin; if you find it still irritates you, add less and less baking soda until you find the perfect mix.
All said and done, this jar of deodorant costs about $2. Now is that thrifty or what? Oh, and did I mention it takes under 1o minutes to make? Faster than going to the store.
How to apply:
As I mentioned before, this product will become softer in the summer months. It will also become soft when it comes into contact with your skin. Use your finger nail to scrape the product and apply a small amount directly to your armpit and rub it in. That’s it! You don’t even have to wash your hands after, just rub in it.
Enjoy your DIY masterpiece!
Christin Speiran
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