Best Deodorant Ever!

Ok, some people totally freak out when I tell them that I make my family's deodorant.  But really, what's the big deal?  This stuff works waaaaaaay better than anything you can buy in the store, it's inexpensive, takes about 2 minutes to make, and has none of the nasty and scary ingredients in the store-bought stuff (like aluminum).  This stuff isn't technically an antiperspirant, because it doesn't prevent you from sweating (It's not so good to purposefully clog your pores anyway), but it helps absorb the sweat, so you still stay dry.  My hubby uses it, and still feels and smells great when he's been out working in 100*+ weather all day.

So, ready to make your own?  All you need are 4 basic ingredients:  baking soda, arrowroot powder, coconut oil, and the essential oil(s) of your choice.

***Ok, so in the picture below, I have tapioca starch instead of arrowroot powder.  I accidentally ran out of arrowroot powder, but I found the tapioca starch tucked back in the cabinet, and it works in a pinch.  I don't recommend using a starch, as they can feed yeast.  And nobody wants a yeast infection under their arms.  Also, if you are allergic to latex, DON'T use tapioca.  Tapioca comes from the casava tree, which is in the rubber tree family.  Rubber tree=latex=not good to smear on your body.***

You also need a container to put the deodorant in.  I don't recommend using an empty deodorant container for this recipe.  Coconut oil melts at low temperatures, so this deodorant is often very soft--especially in the summer.  If you keep your house freezing cold all the time, you may be able to get away with it.  I put mine in a tin.

Here's the recipe:

1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
4 TBSP coconut oil
essential oil (just use however much you want, until it smells how you want it to)

Simply measure out the ingredients into your container and stir.

All done!!

It just doesn't get any simpler than that.  My hubby prefers "manly" scents like patchouli, cedar, etc.  My daughter's favorite is lavender.  Like many other things in life, I get bored with the same thing all the time, so I use whatever excites me at the moment and switch it up the next time.  Let me also say that I do NOT recommend tea tree oil for deodorant, unless you use a very little bit and overpower the smell with a different essential oil.  Tea tree oil is bit stinky anyway, and once you apply it under your arms it seems to immediately smell like body odor.  It's just the smell of the oil itself, but you may want to use a different oil for this.

Unfortunately for me, however, baking soda makes me itch.  I'm not sure why.  But even if I just use plain baking soda, I get itchy.  So I use the following recipe for my own deodorant.  It works great, but it doesn't keep you nice and dry like the above recipe.  But if you have problems like I do with the one above, try this one.  I found it at Crunchy Betty:

1 1/2 TBSP grated beeswax
4 TBSP coconut oil
1 TBSP shea butter
4 tsp bentonite clay
essential oil

You melt the beeswax and coconut oil together (she does it on the stove, I do it in the microwave in short, 10-second bursts).  Add the shea butter until melted, then add the clay and essential oils.  (If you're allergic to latex, do NOT use shea.  The tree shea comes from is closely related to the rubber tree, so you may have problems with shea as well.)

This recipe is a lot more oily-feeling, so I use a small spatula to scoop it out and apply it.

If you don't have a local place to purchase your beeswax, clay, shea butter, and essential oils at a decent price, one of my favorite online stores is Majestic Mountain Sage--good prices, great quality!

So go, make some deodorant, smell good, be healthy, and enjoy!