Why make your own DIY deodorant? The biggest reason is that your typical store-bought variety of deodorant is filled with toxins. Things like:
- Parabens (used as preservatives and thought that long-term usage could cause cancer)
- Aluminum (causes gene instability in breast tissue)
- Tricolsan (kills bacteria but is linked to abnormal hormone activity in animals)
- Phthalates (the stuff that helps deodorant stick to your skin and is linked to reproduction issues among other things)
- Artificial fragrance (makes deodorant smell good, but is filled with chemicals)
Why smear all this stuff in your pits if there are other (effective) and easy solutions? Make your own DIY deodorant with essential oils and a couple other ingredients you’ve probably got at home already.
This is a recipe I’ve been using for years and love it. It’s my favorite of any I’ve tried. I think you might like it too.
Here’s what you need:
One empty deodorant container. I just recycled the container from last deodorant I bought, but you can buy new containers (like this). (affiliate link)
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup baking soda
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon grated bees wax, or bees wax beads (like this). (affiliate link)
10-15 drops of your favorite essential oils (use one oil or a combination of several). Good oils to use include: Lavender, Melaleuca, Cypress, Cedarwood, Geranium, Thyme, Rosemary, Patchouli, Frankincense, Sandalwood. (Find out how to get our favorite oils here)
(The last batch I made contained 5 drops of each Lavender, Cypress and Melaleuca—it smells great and gets the job done!)
Here’s all you need to do:
First, prepare your deodorant container. if you’re re-using an old container, clean it out and make sure the screw up base is all the way down in the ‘start’ position.
Next, mix the corn starch and baking soda together in a glass bowl.
Then, melt the bees wax and coconut oil together. The best way to do this is to use a double boiler. Or make your own like I do for these sorts of projects. I take a saucepan and fill it with water, add a couple of canning jar rings to the bottom, and dump the bees wax and coconut oil into a Pyrex (or other heat safe) glass measuring cup. Let the water come to a boil and then turn down to medium heat. Stir until the oil and wax are completely melted.
Lastly, dump the liquid into the dry ingredients and add your desired essential oils. Stir until mixed together. This will make a paste the consistency of frosting. Fill the deodorant container with this paste and stick the filled container into the fridge for a couple of hours to chill.
Waaaa Laaa. It’s ready to use.
The bees wax in the mix helps keep the deodorant ‘harder’ (ie not as easily meltable on hot days). I find it’s generally find to keep in the bathroom cupboard, but if you live somewhere super hot, you might have to keep it in the fridge, or add a bit more bees wax to the mix to get it how you need it.
This recipe makes enough for an extra large deodorant container. That IS NOT what I had. So, I stuck the leftovers in a jar with a lid and I’ll use it when I run out next time.
