Ok guys, this is not going to be a post about WHY you should stop using commercial, toxin-laden deodorants.
Hopefully you are here because you already know those are horrible for you, and you want to try something else! If this is news to you, just do a search and you will find a wealth of information.
Anyway, now that you know those deodorants and antiperspirants are awful, you need something to use that is actually good for you! There are quite a few options out there, but what I prefer is a homemade deodorant, and I'll show you how to make it.
I have tried several different natural deodorants, and this one works the best for me. You may need to tweak the recipe, since all our bodies are different and what works for one person, may not work for another.
Ok, here is your ingredients list:
- 1.5 tbs beeswax
- 1/2 cup oil of choice (more details later)
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 1/4 cup arrowroot powder, cornstarch, or zinc oxide
- essential oils of choice
Disclaimer: I am not known for my accurate measuring skills, and for making things the same every time. This is how I made it yesterday, but it tends to vary depending on what ingredients I have available, and how distracted I am...
So let's start off with our beeswax. Now, most recipes recommend doing this all in a double boiler, and if you have one, great! Feel free to use it! I do NOT have one, so I just use low heat on the stovetop.
Place beeswax into the pan over low heat and melt it. Now, we live in the south, and it gets hot here! Our house temperature is pretty warm on a regular basis, so even though the recipe calls for 1.5 tablespoons, I usually round it up to 2 to make sure the stick stays firm enough to apply, even on really hot days.
I use beeswax pastilles that I find on Amazon for a good price. I buy them by the pound, since I use these in lotions and salves also.
After you have melted the wax, you need to add the oils. You basically need a half cup of whatever you choose. This time, I used half lard and half coconut oil. I like lard as a lotion because it seems to work better. I read that since the fatty acids in lard and tallow are closer to the oils produced in your skin, they are easier for your body to use than plant-based oils. You can use whatever mixture of oil you like, lard and coconut, like I mentioned, or others, like olive, tallow, avocado, grapeseed, almond, and any others that you like. Things like cocoa butter and shea butter can also be used as part of the oil mixture. Keep in mind the solidity of the oils you use. If you use coconut oil, (which solidifies at 70 degrees), and the butters, your end result will likely be thicker and you may need less wax. Likewise if you choose all liquid oils, you may want to add a little more beeswax to make sure it is solid enough to apply. Use your common sense! I'm sure you have plenty!
Once you have your 1/2 cup of oil mixture, add it to the beeswax and allow to melt. If not already liquid...
It doesn't have to be hot, just liquidy.
While the oils are melting, measure out 1/4 cup of baking soda, and 1/4 cup of whichever powder you choose.
Some people like cornstarch because it is inexpensive and easy to find. Some people insist arrowroot powder is the best. Personally, I prefer the zinc oxide powder. I happen to have a big bag of it on hand anyway, to make sunscreen. Zinc is used in diaper ointment because it is soothing, so I figured it would be soothing on sweaty pits, and I was right.
Now comes the smelly-good part! You can add whichever essential oils you like!
There are different uses for different oils. I would suggest using some that are known for antibacterial purposes, (since odor is caused by bacteria), some that are soothing, and some that just smell lovely! (Or manly, whatever you're going for!)
Go ahead and add the oils to your powder mix. By the way, rose geranium smells AWESOME, and is a great insect repellent. Not that you have bugs in your armpits or anything, but, you know, for future reference...
Most recipes call for about 20 drops of EO's, but I don't really count. To be honest, I like my deodorant to smell NICE so I am probably adding in 30 or so...
Now it is time to whisk the powder into the liquefied oils! (You don't want the melted oil to be too hot, since heat can damage the properties of your essential oils.) Whisk it in there very well; you do not want lumpy deodorant!
Whisk it well! Don't be shy!
All that's left is to pour it into the desired containers!
You can put it into used deodorant containers, empty deodorant containers which you can buy online, or any old tub if you don't mind applying by hand. I like to pop it in the fridge when I am done so it can harden quickly, but if left at room temperature, it will harden on its own. That's it! This can be kept in the cabinet in the bathroom. Some people like keeping it in the refrigerator to keep it harder, but I feel that if it is not hard enough, why not just add some more beeswax? Although, I have to admit, putting on cold deodorant CAN be refreshing on a hot day... Haha!
I had three 2oz containers empty and ready to fill. This batch made enough for two and a half containers full, so approximately 5 oz.
Some tips you may find helpful:
- Beeswax is difficult to wash off pans once hardened. I recommend wiping down all pans and utensils used in making this with either paper or regular towels before putting into the dishwasher. That works fine for me.
- Like I said, too much heat can damage your essential oils, so only heat the oils as much as you have to to melt them.
- Play with the recipe and figure out what combination works best for you! This isn't a once-size-fits-all recipe, but a basic formula for you to experiment with. It works great for myself, my stinky teenage son, and my husband, but that's no guarantee that it will work for you. I hope it does though!
- Beginning to end, this only takes about 5-10 minutes to make, so you don't need to set aside much time for this; it's quick to make!
I hope you all find this a useful tool in ditching the toxic deodorants and using something that is good for you!!
Thanks for reading, and have a blessed day!! ♥
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.This work by @SquishySquid is licensed under a
Interested in joining a lovely group of mamas on Discord? Click the banner above!
Thanks for this great post 😄 I started making my own deodorant a couple of months ago and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to store bought ones! I made it a little different, only stirring together coconut oil, corn starch and baking soda. I am super happy with it, but it’s good to try different ways of making it. 😁
Great! That is a good and simple way to do it.
That's basically all you need. The beeswax is just for firmness so you can make it into a stick.
The EO's do provide antibacterial protection and soothing the skin, (depending on which oils you use), but you can have an effective deodorant without them.
Congratulations! This post has been chosen as one of the daily Whistle Stops for The STEEM Engine!
You can see your post's place along the track here: The Daily Whistle Stops, Issue #146 (5/26/18)
The STEEM Engine is an initiative dedicated to promoting meaningful engagement across Steemit. Find out more about us and join us today.
Thanks!! ♥
Nice and helpful post! I've made my own deodorant for about 7 years, with coconut oil, cornstarch or baking soda, tea tree oil (anti-bacterial) and essential oil. I put it in an old altoids tin and apply it with my fingers, adding some drops of water if I need it softer.
I'd like to try making it with beeswax, so thanks for the tutorial. And I'd never heard of using zinc oxide powder; you're the first! Interesting idea. :-)
Haha! Thanks!
Id never heard of using zinc this way either! I had a big bag on hand, though, for sunscreen, and with my sensitive pits, I needed all the help I could get. Since zinc is a main ingredient for diaper ointment to sooth baby butts, I figured it might help, and it does! :D
It actually makes great sense!
Oh wow, I personally don't use deodorant but I enjoyed the read! Homemade is always good since commercial ones often are out to get you by the smell but at the expense of your health. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks!
Any tips for ditching it altogether? Like I told @movement19 above, I have tried this, but since it is so hot and muggy here, and we have lots of outside work to do, it ends up being a rather smelly endeavor...
Yea I know, Malaysia's tropical weather can be rather hot and humid too so I feel you! I once read that our sweat smell is also caused by our diet, other than the external cause of bacteria from our surroundings. Some people smell nice even when they sweat, I mean they don't smell like walking dead at least 😂 and it's because they don't eat too much meat too. And drink lots of water! At least we won't feel like salted fish lol!
Bah ha ha!
Well, I dont mind smelling like sweat if I have been working and sweating, that is just inevitable. The thing I dont want is the funky armpit smell that is worse than just sweaty...
I know diet is important. We are pretty clean eaters here, but of course, there is always room for improvement.
I also find that shaving my armpits irritates them and when they're irritated, they start to smell easier. I wonder if quitting shaving altogether would help. I may have to do some experimenting! I like my non-toxic deodorant, but I would like to skip it altogether even more!
Haha I agree! Maybe you can try by giving yourself a timeframe on holding off using it? Say, 2-3 weeks? And perhaps cut down the frequency of shaving too? I think it does take time for the body to adapt to small changes like this, too... Especially when you've been using deodorant for some time.
You guys have inspired me, Im gonna start working on it! ♥
Do keep us updated on the progress, I'd love to know how things go from here. All the best! Xx
I appreciate this post!!! My husband and I were just discussing trying to make our own deodorants again. I haven’t used commercial deodorant in over 3 years. I only use a natural spray deodorant that I purchase from Wholefoods. He hasn’t found a Natural one that works for him yet. We always have essential oils and a variety of other oils on hand. Thank you for sharing how you make yours and the ingredients you use. I look forward to showing this post to my husband tonight! 😃😉👍🏽
Nice write up and photos!!!
Give it a try! I hope he finds it helpful. I know it took us a while to find a recipe that works for us.
I found a natural spray one that I liked, but I had to keep reapplying it throughout the day, and if I forgot and got sweaty, well, it was no bueno.
I tried to make my own spray with EO's, ACV, pink salt, and a handful of other things, and it was a little better than the store bought one, in that it lasted longer, (but not as long as the one above), but it did not smell as nice...
I would love to find a recipe for a spray that smells nice and lasts all day!
I’m sure he’s gonna want to give this a go! It’s funny you say that because I have to apply my spray on at least twice a day most times. Since I stay home most the time it’s not that bad for me but I would still love to have one that stays on longer. Thanks again for this awesome tutorial!
No prob! ♥
Great post, and no doubt it will help a lot of people.
I've convinced a lot of people to ditch antiperspirant due to its strong correlation with Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
And deodorants and antiperspirants are notoriously overpriced, with homemade deodorants costing pennies, so its just good economics.
That is true! Great point! The homemade one is SO much cheaper.
Yes, the aluminum in commercial antiperspirants and deodorants is one of the many things that are just terrible for you. You can find aluminum-free versions, but they still have other things in the ingredients list that are no good, so homemade is really the way to go, in my opinion.
You can also find lots of homemade deodorants on etsy, if making it yourself is intimidating. :)
Yeah, I've always made a lot of things myself, both to save money and because I enjoy doing so.
Plus, with some basic ingredients, I don't have the need for dozens of different specialized products taking up precious space. ;-)
That's true! I like making one product that does lots of jobs. For example, when I make lotion, I make sure and add lots of antibacterial EO's, that way it can also be used like neosporin. When the kids get a scrape, they put that same lotion on and it keeps it from getting infected. Peppermint and lavender are also soothing for injuries. :)
I do the same thing, for the same reason. ;-)
If you didn't catch it, I also did a post a while back on an effective cure for tick bites and poison ivy, that was the result of an experiment.
We both swear by it, it's worked for everyone I've given it to, and it's also easy and cheap to make. It also only takes a drop or two, so a little goes a long way.
It even brought the burning pain of my husband's bout with shingles down to a dull roar. It didn't eliminate the pain, but it made it bearable.
With kids, if you've got ticks and/or poison ivy/oak in your neck of the woods, and really any biting bugs, you may want to check it out. ;-)
Just went over and read it. Fantastic!! I have to make this!! Thanks for sharing it!
Very nice post, you always write good information...
Thank you for the kind comment! ♥
This sounds like fun!
My middle child loves slathering on lotions and deodorants - maybe I’ll have her mix her own for a home school project.
Your tutorials are very easy to follow, have you posted in making lotion or sunscreen before?
Thanks so much!
Yes, I recently did one on sunscreen: link
You can check that out.
I am going to do one on lotion here soon, since I have a neighbor who requested some homemade lotion, and apparently all her family love it too, so I have a lot of jars to make, haha!
Ive read before that its "very important" to have separate heating/kitchen/cooking utensils when you make your lotions and such. Do you have dedicated materials?
And if you had to, put some color in that sunscreen of yours. A little tint of sorts, what would you add?
Lots of people DO have dedicated utensils for these things. I don't, though. Then again, all my ingredients are safe, and if a trace of it ends up in the food, its no big deal. As long as I wipe the things down before washing, they come out squeaky clean. :)
That is an excellent question! I do not know, since I have never tinted any of my products! I would probably just do a google search and find out what organic tints people use. Something mineral based, probably.
LOL! I was more worried about getting beans in my deodorant 😂😂😂.
Being a part of steemitmamas gives me more project ideas!
Bah ha ha! I get it, no one wants beany deodorant, haha!
Another great article. Commercial deodorants are full of so much crap being put on a highly absorbent skin area. Another great make at home item that uses bee wax.
Thank you! Yes, I love beeswax, I use it in sunscreen and lotion as well. So much better for you than other things!
Deodorant is my preferred option as well! I love how well written and how clear the directions are. I'm going to get my supplies together and definitely add making deodorant to my to do list!
Yay, Im glad you enjoyed it!
Give it a try! :D
Love this!
I just ran out of the natural deo I had been using.
I tried a coconut oil & baking soda mix, pit paste kind of, years ago and it tore up my arm pits :/
But i think this would work well! Im pretty sure i have most of the ingredients too!
What brand of lard do you like? Or is it home rendered lard?
Thanks!!
It is actually home rendered lard, from a neighbor's pig. (They dont keep the fat so I get it for free.)
Grocery store lard should be fine also. If you have a local butcher, you may be able to find pig fat to render.
I know what you mean about tore-up armpits. Mine are more sensitive than anyone else in my family, so I was relieved to find something that didnt give me a huge armpit rash AND kept me smelling nice. :D
Ive found that i have far less arm pit sensitivities now that I've stopped shaving!
I bet! I havent stopped altogether, but I have lengthened the time between shavings and it helps. I have very sensitive skin, and shaving gives me issues...
Wow! Thanks for sharing on how to do it! I'm pretty bad with D-I-Y. I try to stick with organic deos as much as possible.
No problem! It is actually very easy and fast to make. I am bad about putting off DIY things like this because I dont want to take time to do it, but this one is always a breeze.
:D
:) It sounded so easy when you were talking about it. Thanks for sharing and dropping by on my posts. :)
What an amazing idea, everything eco-friendly is a good option to contribute our bit in conserving our environment. Thanks for the tip @squishyquid, I will try to do it this weekend: D
Thanks for the kind comment!
:)
Thanks for sharing this great recipe, squishy squid, I agree commercial deodorant may not be the best to use.
Laughing at your remark-
Bythe way, rose geranium smells AWESOME, and is a great insect repellent. Not that you have bugs in your armpits or anything.😂
Thanks for the kind comment!
Haha, yes, I use humor as a tool to help me keep my sanity! :D
Gotta find reasons to laugh where ever you are!~
WOOHOO! I ditched deodorant altogether. Good to meet another stay-at-homesteader. We unschool here. Would you like to come on my podcast sometime? Message me on Discord - Movement19#0266
Thanks for the invite! Ill try and find you on discord later! :D
So.... ditching altogether? I have tried this once or twice, but it just didnt work, for reasons that smelled less than ideal. Any tips? I would love to not have to use it at all.... Its hard though, being a homesteader in the deep south, we sweat a LOT.
I find eating healthy and using less hygiene products makes you smell less offensive. Also, at first I was super self conscious and hyper aware of my own "smell". At the time I was knee deep in full time college so I was surrounded by very hygienic people all day every day indoors and at close range. I'm from the city and have always been slightly metro. I thought for sure everyone around me could smell me, and it's possible that some did and were just being polite. But I happen to know that I was sensitive to it because I wasn;t used to my own natural odor. You and everyone around you becomes accustomed to it as it is a perfectly natural state. I no longer detect any odor unless I've gone a few days without a shower in the summer. And I no longer use shampoo and I only use bar soap since my family is now zero waste. Again, the healthier you eat, and the healthier you are overall, the less you will stink. And you will be more attractive to people as you will be secreting more natural organic pheromones. That's not just for sex you know!
Great tips! I also don't use many hygiene products. Most are homemade. There is room for improvement though... Also our diet is pretty clean, but probably could use improvement also... I dont mind the sweaty smell if I am sweaty, I just dont want the armpit funk... if you know what I mean.
I noticed that shaving my pits makes then sensitive, and when they're sensitive and irritated, they smell easier. Perhaps quitting shaving entirely would help...
We drink loads of water here too. And coffee, in my case. I dont know if that hurts my natural odor or not...
Good point about the pheromones, haha, most people only think about the sexual pheromones, but there are a lot more than just those!
Thanks for your responses!~
Oh yeah, we also only drink water in our home. No juice. Occasionally organic soda in glass bottles as a treat. Remember, your body is made of 70% water. Clean water is completely odorless.
I've been making my deodorant for quite some time now- had a bad reaction to the store-bought, chemical induced one (bad rash) and have never had an issue since making my own.. but I've never added cornstarch! Thanks for that recommendation... in the summer I think it will help!
Good to hear you make yours too! Lots of times, when I tell people I make mine, I get weird looks... haha!
I have used cornstarch before, but I didnt like it as well as the zinc. I feel like the zinc one helps my armpits not be irritated as much. But this is really only an issue when shaving, as I have super sensitive skin! Maybe TMI, but I am considering quitting shaving altogether, as I get major razor burn every time I shave them, and it is just miserable for a week after shaving...
I love making my own products and love that you do as well!!!
Thanks!! ♥
I really need to start making my own. Would be so much cheaper than importing non toxic deodorants from the US, and it looks so simple! So, I remember we chatted about cloth diapers, but I can't remember if you said you used them or not. I'm asking because you mentioned zinc oxide which I know can damage cloth diapers, so I'm wondering if you've ever noticed any kind of stain on your shirts?
It is simple and easy!
I didnt know zinc can damage cloth diapers! Does it just stain them, or what?
No, I didnt use cloth diapers because I didnt know how and wasnt really aware of how bad the disposable ones were. (Dont judge, I was young!) ;)
Now I would use them if I had a baby, and I DO currently use family cloth, and mama cloth.
I have been using the deodorant with zinc for years now, and I have never noticed any staining on mine, or any of my families, armpits. We arent loading on tons of deodorant though, not like smearing on diaper ointment. Just a regular, light application.
If it worries you, perhaps try the arrowroot powder? I have never tried that one, but it is commonly used by crunchy mamas making deodorant.
Oh, don't worry. I don't judge on that kind of stuff. It leaves almost an oil like stain and doesn't come out, but you're right. The quantity is different with rash cream.
I was mostly just curious. I would have to use cornstarch anyway because it's the only one I can find here in belize. Thanks for sharing and answering all my questions!
No problem, and thanks for answering mine! ♥
Have a lovely weekend!
Beautiful post mama. I'm bookmarking it. It would be great not to buy these anymore. We found the magnesium deodorants to work real well.
Thanks! ♥