Homemade Deodorant Using Clay

I recently took the plunge into the world of homemade deodorant.  I tried for months and years to find a store-bought brand that worked for me.  After absolutely no long-lasting success, I made my own.

I was thrilled with my first go at it.  Click here to read all about it.  This recipe worked SO well for me!  In fact, it worked better than my regular store bought deodorant. The one complaint I had was with the consistency.  I found that it separated easily, requiring a vigorous stir prior to each use.  I was also concerned that it would not travel all that well.

I set out to find a recipe that was more solid and would fit into a deodorant stick.  I didn’t have to look that hard.  I went back to the Crunch Betty site and found a recipe that fit the bill.  Click here to see exactly what Crunchy Betty says. 

Unlike many other deodorant recipes out there, this recipe doesn’t use baking soda, cornstarch, or arrowroot powder.  Instead, it uses clay to help absorb extra moisture.

The Ingredients:

1.5 Tablespoons of Beeswax beads

4 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil

1 Tablespoon of Shea Butter

4 Teaspoons of clay ( I used White Kaolin Clay)

20-25 drops of Essential Oils ( I used Tea Tree, Rosemary, Lemon and Bergamot)

The Method:

I melted the beeswax, coconut oil and shea butter over low heat on the stove.  Had I actually done what the recipe said, I would have added the Shea Butter after the beeswax was melted.  Shea doesn’t do withstand heat all that well, so it’s best to heat it as little as possible.  Having said that, I was excited and put all three into the pot together.

Raw Ingredients

Once that was melted, I removed the pot from heat and whisked in the clay.  The mixture turned a gray colour.  Then, I stirred in the essential oils.

Deodorant in the Making

I cooled the mixture by putting it in a cold water bath.  It wasn’t elegant, but it did the trick.  The mixture started to set up in about a minute.

Makeshift Water Bath

Finally, I poured and scooped the mixture into 5 mini deodorant stick containers and popped them into the freezer for about 30 minutes.

Mini Deodorant Sticks

Did It Work?

I tested this stick for 3 days.  I even managed to convince two good friends of mine to give it a try.

The texture of the stick was pretty slippery.  After coming out of the freezer, the mixture softened considerably.  While applying it one day, I thought it might do better in a roll-on applicator.

The scent was unique.  One friend of mine went through several love/hate cycles with the scent each day that she wore the deodorant.  I noticed the scent, but didn’t find it offensive.

The deodorant was effective for a few hours at a time, provided there was no undue stress or mild physical activity (like walking).  Yes, you read that right.  This stick just didn’t do the trick.  I really wanted to love it, but after several days of this, I couldn’t justify using it anymore.  This was far less effective than the first homemade deodorant that I made.

It’s back to the drawing board for me.

Disclaimer

Deodorant is a very personal thing.  What works for one person may not work for another person.  Further, what works for you one day may not be the solution on another day.

While this didn’t work for me, it doesn’t mean that it won’t work for you.  If you walk down this path of homemade deodorant, I think you’ll learn, just as I am learning, that experimentation is key.  Don’t discount this recipe just because of my experience.  Who knows, this may be just the right concoction for you!

Homemade Deodorant

After many years of searching for a store-bought deodorant that works for my body, I have resigned myself to admitting defeat.  And in order to pick myself up, I decided to (finally) learn how to make my own!

Inspiration!

A few months ago, I was browsing some of my favorite blogs and I saw a post on Homemade Wellbeing by Kristina.  She had written about making her own deodorant and how successful it had been for her.  She made it sound so easy and I was inspired to finally get off my butt and do something about my deodorant situation.  Check out her post here!

Off I went to the Crunchy Betty website to read about making deodorant at home.  I almost fell off my chair when I saw how easy it is!  With nothing in my way, I was off to the races.  Click here to see the recipe that I used.

Making my Own Deodorant

It was really easy.  I followed the recipe on the Crunchy Betty site to the letter and I was not disappointed.

First, I took some coconut oil and some sweet almond oil and infused with dried chamomile and calendula flowers.  She recommends that you leave it alone to infuse for a couple of weeks.  I ended up getting a little busy and it sat there for about 7 weeks.  It wasn’t a problem.  If anything, the oil came out with a stronger infusion of the flowers.

Infused Oil

Second, I strained the oil.  I ended up getting about 8 tablespoons of oil.

Strained Oil

Third, I mixed in equal parts of arrowroot powder and baking soda.  You use 1/4 cups and 2 tablespoons of each one.   Stir well.

Homemade Deodorant

And Voila, you’re done!

Testing my Own Deodorant

It was easy to make, but did it work?

I tested it for 10 days.  I applied it once each day, in the morning after my shower.

During that time, I continued with my daily routine just like normal.  This included things like my Jillian Michaels workouts (there’s a lot of sweating involved in those!) and long walks in the sun with my little boy.  I even used it when I was around other people!

This deodorant worked for me for every single minute of the ten-day trial. That’s more than I can say for any of the other store-bought deodorants I have ever tried.  It simple works perfectly with my body!

I did find that the mixture separated in the jar throughout the day.  So, I kept a small spatula on hand so that I could give it a vigorous stir before applying it in the morning.

Three Jars of Homemade Deodorant

One Huge Step Forward

Finding a natural deodorant to use has been a long time coming for me.  I’ve learned how to make many of my own skin care products, like lotion, cream and soap, over the past couple of years.  I’m so excited to have a product that works for me.  It’s got a handful of ingredients, it’s easy to make and most importantly, it works for me!  The only drawback for me with this deodorant is the need to mix it up again each morning.  Perhaps I’ll have to keep experimenting with the recipe.

Do you use a homemade or natural deodorant?  If you do, what’s YOUR secret for the perfect product?

In Search of a Natural Deodorant

I’ve been looking for a natural deodorant for some time now.

Without a doubt, there are lots to choose from. I’ve tried many of them.  I’ve tested each one for days and days at a time.  I’ve given my body several days to get used to each one in the hopes that it would embrace the new deodorant.  Despite my patience, each one left me sporting quite the unpleasant odor.   While I’m sure that they may work for some, they have not worked for me.  😦

I won’t go into detail about each of these products, as I don’t want to make this into a product review post.    They are all great products and I’m sure that they work for other people out there.  After all, they were each easy to find on the shelves of my local health food store, so they must be doing something right!  In fact, if you’re looking for a more natural option, I encourage you to try some of these.

It’s Personal

Finding an effective deodorant is a very personal thing.  Everyone’s body is different and of course, it also changes over time.  When you choose to forgo the strength behind the more popular antiperspirants and deodorants, some fine tuning is definitely warranted.

Antiperspirant vs. Deodorant

Antiperspirants are used to keep your underarms dry.  They do this by preventing perspiration in the first place.  Most of them contain aluminum salts to help accomplish this task.  Basically, they work by blocking the pores from releasing the sweat.

Deodorants, on the other hand, mask body odor with a scent.  They do not prevent sweat or perspiration.  Instead, they work to neutralize or cover the odor with something more pleasant.

Complaints About Antiperspirants and Deodorants

Both products contain lots of ingredients that seem unnatural, including parabens and preservatives.  The ingredient that has the worst reputation, is aluminum.  It has been linked to both breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

Despite the bad reputation that aluminum has, there is quite a bit of conflicting information available concerning how bad or not aluminum is for you.  Some say there is no need for worry and there is no link to these diseases.  Others conclude that the chronic exposure is certainly linked to these illnesses.

I learned a bit on this subject when I read Gillian Deacon’s book, There’s Lead in Your Lipstick.

Why Choose a Natural Deodorant?

I’m no scientist or expert when it comes to the ingredients used in these products or their effects.  If you read enough material, you could find an opinion to support any point of view.

In my humble view, I believe that a product with fewer ingredients is usually a better choice.   I also believe that I should be able to understand the ingredient list of the products that I put on my skin.  With those two principles in mind, my only choice is to go with a natural deodorant.  And even some of those have a long ingredient list!

How do you stay fresh and dry?

Until I find a good alternative, or figure out how to make an effective deodorant on my own (hint, hint!), I continue to use my store-bought deodorant.  It works, but I’m not thrilled about using something with such a long list of ingredients.

What do you use to stay dry and sweet-smelling all day?