So you're probably thinking its impossible to make homemade deodorant, right? Well young little grasshopper, I am here to show you wrong. A few years ago I realized that the deodorant I was using wasn't covering my odor. I'm not loyal to one brand only, so I knew it must have been the general formulas in all these deodorants we buy off the shelf. It was then that I started to have two problems with my deodorant: 1. The unknown "Secret" formula and 2. The cost.
Let's face fact betty boop: Deodorants can be expensive and after reading some controversial articles about some deodorants containing aluminum, my pits beg to be slathered with something healthier. Let not forget the countless other toxic ingredients, like Mr. Big Bad Paraben for example.
So alas, my green intuition kicked in and did some research. I found that some people swore by just using baking soda. Sounds fine, but I wanted something that was more like the texture of store-bought deodorant. Here is the recipie that I made for all you hippie pits--I mean chicks ;)
1. Clean out an old deodorant bottle. I saw other people using bizzare things like the cardboard in your toilet paper roll. That's just too messy. Others used a jar to store their stuff and applied with their fingers, but I think an old, cleaned out deodorant container is the best "less mess" way. You are also upcylcing something to give it a second life! Yay! Remember to keep the lid and the little plastic piece that pushes up the mixture every time you turn the bottom wheel.
2. Measure you ingredients.
1/2 cup baking soda
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup coconut oil (organic/unrefined/cold pressed if possible)
5-8 drops tea tree oil
*This is just an estimate of your ingredients. You will find in the next step that you will have to add more or less powder/oil to get the right texture.
3. Blend those ingredients like your mama taught you. That's right, put all ingredients in a food processor and blend until it turns into creamy goodness. But not too creamy. You want it firm enough to glide on, but not too runny that it won't hold form. Strive for a pasty texture. I haven't tried it, but you may be able to do this with a hand blender. I might try that for my next batch.
4. Transfer to container. Make sure you put that small plastic piece at the bottom of your deodorant container before putting in the mixture. Then scoop out the mixture into the container. Press it down to the bottom, making sure there are no air spaces. Then wala! You have your own homemade deodorant and it only cost you mere cents!
Why baking soda? If I have to explain it to you, then I'm sorry. It's known as a natural cleaning agent and can be used for simple house cleaning too.
Why tea tree oil? Because its a natural antiseptic and antifungal. But hopefully your pits aren't so bad that you need to de-fungal it?
Why coconut oil and cornstarch? Coconut oil does wonders for your skin, soothing and moisturizing it. Both the coconut oil and cornstarch act as binders to hold everything together.
Results!
I have been using this formula for almost a year now and love it. I noticed that that weird smell (not B.O. type of smell though) went away after I stopped using shelf deodorants and started using my homemade. If you don't like the smell of tea tree oil, you can add other essential oils to it like orange or vanilla essential oil to mask the tea tree smell.
Let's face fact betty boop: Deodorants can be expensive and after reading some controversial articles about some deodorants containing aluminum, my pits beg to be slathered with something healthier. Let not forget the countless other toxic ingredients, like Mr. Big Bad Paraben for example.
So alas, my green intuition kicked in and did some research. I found that some people swore by just using baking soda. Sounds fine, but I wanted something that was more like the texture of store-bought deodorant. Here is the recipie that I made for all you hippie pits--I mean chicks ;)
1. Clean out an old deodorant bottle. I saw other people using bizzare things like the cardboard in your toilet paper roll. That's just too messy. Others used a jar to store their stuff and applied with their fingers, but I think an old, cleaned out deodorant container is the best "less mess" way. You are also upcylcing something to give it a second life! Yay! Remember to keep the lid and the little plastic piece that pushes up the mixture every time you turn the bottom wheel.
2. Measure you ingredients.
1/2 cup baking soda
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup coconut oil (organic/unrefined/cold pressed if possible)
5-8 drops tea tree oil
*This is just an estimate of your ingredients. You will find in the next step that you will have to add more or less powder/oil to get the right texture.
3. Blend those ingredients like your mama taught you. That's right, put all ingredients in a food processor and blend until it turns into creamy goodness. But not too creamy. You want it firm enough to glide on, but not too runny that it won't hold form. Strive for a pasty texture. I haven't tried it, but you may be able to do this with a hand blender. I might try that for my next batch.
Why baking soda? If I have to explain it to you, then I'm sorry. It's known as a natural cleaning agent and can be used for simple house cleaning too.
Why tea tree oil? Because its a natural antiseptic and antifungal. But hopefully your pits aren't so bad that you need to de-fungal it?
Why coconut oil and cornstarch? Coconut oil does wonders for your skin, soothing and moisturizing it. Both the coconut oil and cornstarch act as binders to hold everything together.
Results!
I have been using this formula for almost a year now and love it. I noticed that that weird smell (not B.O. type of smell though) went away after I stopped using shelf deodorants and started using my homemade. If you don't like the smell of tea tree oil, you can add other essential oils to it like orange or vanilla essential oil to mask the tea tree smell.
