DIY: Homemade Deodorant

I'm all about saving money {so that I have more money to spend on travel!}. Not only does this mean not spending money, it also means trying to cut costs where I can-- including small things that may not seem like a big deal at the time, but in the long run can add up-- i.e. antiperspirant/deodorant.

I came across this recipe for homemade deodorant and I tried it right away and I have to say- I'm in love with this stuff!

But before I get into why I love it and the recipe, let's discuss antiperspirants for a moment. Our bodies are these complicated machines, each part doing its job to keep us functioning. Part of our natural bodily function is to perspire. Antiperspirants are designed to help fight body odor by reducing sweat by clogging up our sweat glands... they stop something that's supposed to occur naturally in our bodies. Um, that doesn't sound too healthy for us, right? Health risks have been found with using antiperspirants (duh!) {click here, here, here & here for more information about the risks of using antiperspirants}.

Natural is always best. And I'm really glad I found this recipe. This homemade deodorant is great because it's cost effective. I made my batch over 3 months ago and still have more than half left because you only use a tiny bit at a time. And the ingredients you use are most likely already in your cupboards! This stuff is also great because you control what's going in it. You know (and can pronounce) all the ingredients that you're putting on and into your body. This stuff only takes 3 ingredients and about 2 minutes to make. Total time and money saver!

Here's the simple recipe from Amy at Homestead Revival:

1/4 C. baking soda
1/4 C. cornstarch or arrowroot
5 - 6 T. coconut oil
Tea Tree Oil (optional)

Mix the ingredients until well-combined. Then apply a very small amount to your under arms. That's it!

The essential oils I used.

My notes:

- I used tea tree oil because it's a natural antibacterial and I like the smell.

- The coconut oil may overpower the scent of the deodorant. I also tried putting some lavender essential oil, like Amy did, but the tea tree oil was the most overpowering scent for me. Either way, I don't mind the scent at all- it's nice and refreshing.

- Some of the comments on the original post said that they had an allergic reaction to the cornstarch so they suggested doing the arrowroot. I use the cornstarch and haven't had any problems.

- I have never had a problem with this stuff staining any of my clothes.

- My coconut oil was in liquid form (because it's hot up in the Philippines!) so I just put it in the fridge for an hour or so for it to solidify. Since it is really hot here, I keep my deodorant in the fridge so the coconut oil doesn't liquify. So keep in mind your room temperature when storing it. Coconut oil starts to turn into liquid at about 76 degrees. Even though I store it in the fridge all the time, it doesn't affect it in any way.

I use this little thing to store my deodorant.

- Some of the comments on the original post said that they used an empty deodorant stick container to store their batch in, others said that they weren't able to do that. It just depends what consistency you make it. I just used a small Tupperware container to store my deodorant in. 

- The most expensive ingredient is the essential oils if you're going to use any. But even if you do, you only use a few drops so a little bottle of essential oil can last you quite a while. You can get essential oils at some health food stores or online. If you don't use the essential oils, then the most expensive ingredient will be the coconut oil, but even then you're only using a few tablespoons at a time.

- Both women AND men can use this. My husband uses it and really likes it.

- You really only need to use a very tiny amount of this stuff each time. It should be just like a dime-sized amount for BOTH armpits. Not for each armpit, for both put together.

This is how much I use:

- I highly suggest reading the original post. There are a lot of comments, suggestions, questions, answers, etc.

If you're using or have used this recipe or a different one, I'd be interested to know how you like it (or maybe don't like it?). And if you haven't used homemade deodorant, do you plan on trying it?  

I really like this stuff. It goes on really smooth and I love how it smells. It really works and I can feel at ease that I'm not putting toxins in my body. I've been using it for 3 months now and my batch is probably going to last me for at least another 6 months. I'm never going to use the store-bought stuff again!