March 04, 2013

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!




33 comments :

  1. I'd like to try natural deoderant. My in laws use milk of magnesia with some essential oils mixed in and they swear by it.

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    1. I've also heard just using rubbing alcohol works, too. There's probably a lot of different natural alternatives!

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  2. I didn't even know you could make deodorant, that's crazy and cool!! I think I'd like it best with tea tree oil - I might try it because my underarms are so sensitive! Although I think I will use the arrowroot, just in case!

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    1. I didn't know either until I saw the post I got the recipe from. The tea tree oil gives it a nice refreshing scent-- and definitely try the arrowroot if you have sensitive skin. Let me know if you try it & how it works for you!

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  3. I love the name of your blog. I've seen that recipe for deodorant on Pinterest a time or two. Now that i know it works i might try it if i get time. Does it smell like anything? I hope you've had a great weekend!

    Nikki
    www.TheCraftySideOfSarcasm.com

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    1. Thanks Nikki! Mine smells more like tea tree oil more than anything else. Some people say there's smell more like coconut. It just depends on how much coconut oil and/or essential oils you use.

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  4. I'll have to try this - I've been using baking soda w/ a little lavender essential oil, but I think mixing it with coconut oil would make it stay on and last longer.

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    1. It's really great stuff! Let me know how it works for you!

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  5. sounds like a good idea. I love making homemade products. Im going to try this out and see if I like it!

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  6. Visiting from SITS...thinking I might have to try this. Lately I've been making homemade laundry detergent and have been really pleased with the results...it might be time to try something new! Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thanks for visiting! I love homemade stuff. I've yet to try homemade laundry detergent, but I've heard nothing but good things about it! If you try the deodorant, let me know how it works for you.

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  7. I love making deodorant. I've tried recipes like yours, but never found the cornstarch made a difference, so now I make it super simple with just coconut oil & baking soda. Like you explain, the essential oil scents sometimes get lost. I tried lavender twice and could never smell it.

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    1. Oooo, good tip! I think I will try just coconut oil and baking soda next time. The lavender definitely gets buried under all the other scents. Thank you for stopping by!

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  8. Great posts and tips. I would have never thought making your own deodorant would be so easy. Most of the make your own soaps and stuff always seem like more work and will take more patience than I have! This seems very reasonable though!

    Thank you so much for sharing it at the Oh HAPPY Day party!

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    1. I never thought about making my own deodorant either until I saw this recipe-- definitely very reasonable. Thank you for hosting!

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  9. Great idea, I'm nervous about putting chemicals under my arms, lol, so I love how natural this is!

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  10. My husband and I have been talking about switching to a more "natural" deodorant. This sounds like just the thing! Found your link over on Semi Homemade Mom's show and share linky party.

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    1. I'm sure you won't regret it if you make the switch! Thanks for coming by!

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  11. Popped in from SITS! How does it hold up to hard core workouts?

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    1. Thanks for popping in! I work out for an hour to an hour and a half every day (Tae Bo & P90x) and it works great! I have a friend who just tried it and she said it works better for her than the store-bought stuff. And people on the original post commented that this works better for them than clinical-strength stuff.

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  12. This is amazing and such a money saver.

    Thanks for linking up :)

    Sarah @ A Cat-Like Curiosity

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  13. I just made my deodorant too! I LOVE IT!!!! I tested it out while working out yesterday and guess what?! I was dryer than I was when using antiperspirant! AWESOME!!!
    4littlepiglets.blogspot.com

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    1. That's great!! So glad you love it & it works really well for you! This stuff is the best.

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  14. Great post! I've been using it for a while and it works amazingly well, I used to sweat loads due to overusing this awful anti-perspirant commercial deos, and now not anymore! Like you i live in a very hot and humid country and travel quite a lot as well which is not great when you carry this deo that goes completely liquid with the coconut oil so am trying to adapt a bit the recipe for my climate. In all, I wont ever stop using this deo!
    Enjoy the philippines, lovely people beautiful place!!

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  15. I just made this - finally!!! (I couldn't bring myself to just throw out the Toms when I read this the first time) So excited about it :)

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  16. is it ok to use Extra Virgin Coconut Oil?
    its the only coconut oil I can find in local stores
    here in the Philippines..
    where did you brought yours?

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    1. Hi Jenn. Yes, that would work fine. That was the kind I used for this recipe-- which I made in the Philippines :)

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  17. thanks for answering my question!
    :)
    i really want to try this..
    i have another question leia
    what does "T" means in your ingredient list for
    the measurement of coconut oil?
    Is that tablespoon? :)

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    1. Yes, the "T" is for tablespoon. Let me know if you try this recipe and how it works for you!

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    2. ok ok.. i just tried a little amount of it..
      i just put 1tbsp. corn starch, 1 tbsp. baking soda, 3 tbsp. vco..
      just for trial version hehe..
      will let you know how it works for me! :)

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    3. UPDATE:
      day 1-3 it was still giving me that odor :(
      but after 7 days, viola! no more stink!
      I will have to make my next batch now with the tea tree oil :)

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