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?