Homemade Natural Deodorant

Okay guys, today we are gettin’ weird. We’re talking straight up hippie here, but I don’t care! I may have had you slightly convinced with the homemade toothpaste, but I know that homemade natural deodorant is a bit harder to wrap your head around. I can just hear you asking “um… does it work!?” and yes, I can assure you that it does work, it smells great, and you will not be stinky at all!! If you’re also wondering why anyone would want to make a homemade natural deodorant, just look at how regular antiperspirants have been link to breast cancer and alzheimers- a simple google search will turn up tonssss of articles. Although this is a widely debated topic, I can’t say I’m the biggest believer of anything the FDA has to say, so I trust my gut which always seems to tell me that natural is better. If you want to avoid all the aluminum, parabens and other icky ingredients from leaching into your armpits everyday, give this recipe a try! I filled one old deodorant stick with the mixture which worked great, and the other I made into a bar like above. I just kept it in a container and put it on with my fingers. It’s best to keep the deodorant in a cool place, as it will liquify if it’s too hot. **The thing to note about this recipe is that you must put the deodorant on, and wait a couple minutes for it to dry before putting on your clothes. I messed up one shirt by staining it with the oil** I also wanted to share with you a few natural brands that I have tried out and found to work well. Both of these can be found on iherb.com and you can use the code OKO712 to get 5-10% off your first order. First up is Weleda Citrus Deodorant. I have bought this multiple times, it has a nice, light, fresh smell, and sprays on lightly. It isn’t an anti-perspirant but it works great and lasts throughout workouts. It is aluminum-free and also free of preservatives and artificial colours. The scent comes strictly from essential oils. There are a couple of other scents you can buy, but I have only tried the citrus.   Next up is Real Purity Deodorant. This deodorant is aluminum-free and has many healthful ingredients in it. It’s roll-on and I really like it. It took awhile for my body to get used to it (and you may experience a ‘detox’ phase when you switch from aluminum-based deodorants to natural ones) but after that it’s been awesome and lasts all day.   I highly recommend either of these products and if you’re wondering why I haven’t mentioned a crystal deodorant, it’s because I have never used one. Contrary to popular belief, crystal deodorants still contain aluminum! They do not contain many of the common aluminum types used in regular antiperspirants and deodorants, but, they contain a compound known as an alum. An alum like potassium alum (potassium aluminum sulfate) is a natural mineral salt with molecules too big to be absorbed by the skin. That is why they are usually recommended- because the aluminum won’t be able to penetrate the skin. There is not much information out there to prove this to be true or false. So, just to be cautious, I stick with all natural aluminum and alum free deodorants. One other thing to remember is that anti-perspirants and deodorants are different, with anti-perspirants being the worst of the two. Anti-perspirants use aluminums to block your pores and stop the bodies natural detoxification process of sweating (and then perhaps go further into your body). Deodorants neutralize odour and fight bacteria that causes bad odours. Happy Hippie-ing! 😉

All natural, aluminum-free homemade deodorant. This recipe made enough for on deodorant stick (I literally filled an empty deodorant container) and one bar, seen in the picture.

Ingredients:

• Coconut Oil – 1/3 cup
• Baking Soda – 1/4 cup
• Arrowroot Powder – 1/4 cup
• Lavender Essential Oil – 15-25 drops

Instructions: Gently heat coconut oil until it melts. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda, arrowroot powder, and lavender essential oil. Pour into empty deodorant container and place in the fridge to allow it to solidify.