Making Your Own Herbal Deodorant
Deodorant was one of the products that I had the hardest time switching from a conventional brand to a natural alternative. But I knew how absolutely toxic the store bought versions were, so I was determined to find one. I tried so many brands, all of them expensive and none of them working. Then when I started experimenting with recipes found online, I started to realize what worked and what didn’t. Then herbs came into to play, did you know there are herbs that have natural deodorizing properties? I didn’t either…talk about a game changer. With this new found knowledge I set out to make the perfect deodorant recipe, one that was moisturizing while keeping odors at bay, and I am going to share that recipe with you today. The idea in this recipe is to combine some of the best odor fighting herbs and essential oils with moisturizing Shea Butter to make a gentle natural deodorant, that actually works.
The Herbs
Calendula- is the go to herb for skin care in my book, and that is because it has strong antiseptic, antimicrobial, and anti inflammatory properties while being full of antioxidants that help protect and soothe skin.
Witch Hazel- is very soothing to the skin, reducing inflammation, and redness which is great for after shaving. It also has antiseptic and antibacterial properties which makes it a perfect addition to this recipe.
Lemon Balm- is an herbs that has been used since ancient times as an antibacterial agent. It Is also very high in antioxidants and soothing to the skin.
The herbs you use are defiantly up to you, I have chosen these herbs because of their availability and healing properties. Lavender, Chamomile, Nettle, Rose, and Spearmint would also be great additions. When you have chosen your herbs, you will need to infuse them into the oil of your choosing. I like to use an Organic Olive Oil because it is easy to add into just about any recipe. There are two different methods of infusing herbs into oil, the cold or the warm method. The cold method just consists of adding 2Tbsp of each herb into a jar and covering with your oil. Then just cover your jar and place in a cool place out of direct sunlight for at least 2 weeks. I use this method and just measure out what I need, replacing the oil to cover herbs again. This way I always have some on hand when I need it. The warm method consists of placing your herbs and oil over low heat for 1-2 hours, this is great if you are in a pinch but you have to be very careful about how much heat is added. The heat will break down the properties of the herbs and should be kept as low as possible.
The Recipe
30g (2Tbsp) – Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil
20g (4tsp) – Organic Raw Shea Butter
10g (2tsp) – Infused Olive Oil
20g (4tsp) – Local Beeswax
15g (3tsp)- Arrowroot Powder
15g (3tsp)- Aluminum Free Baking Soda
6 drops of each Tea Tree, Rosemary, Sweet Orange, Lavender and Lemon Organic Essential Oils.
These essential oils have great antibacterial properties to help fight odor, but you could do any combination of essential oils. Find some essential oil combinations here to get you started. Also, if you would prefer a baking soda free version, feel free to switch the baking soda out for bentonite clay.
The Process
First we are going to take the Beeswax, Shea Butter, and Coconut Oil and place them in a jar. Then we will put that jar into a small pot of water over low medium heat, making a double boiler effect. Once your solids have melted down you can remove them from heat and add your infused Olive Oil. Then stir in your Baking Soda, Arrowroot Powder, and Essential Oils until well combined.
Then just pour the mixture into a container of your choice. I prefer to use a roll up style container but a small jar would work just as well.
Let the mixture cool for about 30 minutes before using... and there you have it, you just made your own deodorant.
If you have been using a conventional deodorant, then you might have a detox period. This is simply your body ridding itself of toxins, it can last up to 2 weeks. During this time you may need to apply this deodorant multiple times a day until your body regulates itself.
We hope you have found this post helpful and that it encourages you to make your own products. If you have any questions, we are always here to help.
Thank you for reading,
Happy Homesteading
I need to make a new batch of deodorant soon; as mine is starting to run low. But what I learned... is do not use a jar. I have two old deodorant stick containers I'll be using this next time. The glass jar was nice to pour into, but when using the deodorant, I'd rather have the old stick container. Too much of a difficulty using fingers to apply.
Years ago I had a chemical/body reaction to a commercial deodorant and it was painful. I vowed never again...
Yes! I personally hate using a jar...I can't stand trying to dig out the deodorant..I just can't haha. I have actually heard some people prefer it though. I also like to resuse the roll up stick containers. I just wash them inbetween and they are good to go. Thanks for reading!
Yes, I use old stick containers too! I have tried the jar method, and it is just too annoying to dig it out, spread it around your pits, and then try to get it back off your fingers... LOL
Nice! I love the idea of steeping the herbs to get the deodorant properties from them! I had not thought of that. I have made homemade deodorant for years now, and it is GREAT for everyone, except me. Well, it DOES deodorize me, BUT it irritates my pits and leaves my skin itchy and sometimes painful. I think I may be sensitive to the baking soda.... Not sure.
I actually just tried making a spray deodorant with totally different ingredients, and if it works better, Ill have to share my recipe. :D
So far so good with the deodorizing, but my skin is still irritated from the other deodorant. Im hoping that this spray will clear that up and help sooth and heal the skin. We shall see...
Oh that sounds nice! Yes, I try to sneak herbs into everything..infusing them in oil seems to be the easiest way to do so. I always had an issue with sensitivity and irritation even with the first few recipes I tried. This one, I believe because of the soothing Shea Butter has fixed all of that. I know that some people are sensitive to baking soda though and should avoid it. If you ever wanna give it a try just replace the baking soda with clay or DE. Thanks so much for your support!
Oh, I have lots of DE, I have never thought to try it in my deodorant! Ill have to try next time.
I generally use zinc powder instead of cornstarch, (I didnt have arrowroot powder on hand one day, and just gave it a try, since I had zinc to make sunscreen). It works great in deodorant, by the way. :D
Thanks for the tip!
I love the zinc idea! DE is versatile...I have had great success with it in this recipe.
thank you for this, there you have created something great recipe, I like such plant products
Thank you!
Chemicals everywhere, sad really. Thanks for sharing :).
I plan to try this but I don't have arrowroot powder. Is cornstarch a good substitute or is there something else I could us? Thanks for posting this!
Yes cornstarch would work! Just try to look for a non gmo one if you can find it. I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for your reply...yes, I'll look for some organic corn starch.
I bookmarked this post. I don't have everything in the list of ingredients but I will come summer time. Thank you very much for these how to posts. beautiful!
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for posting
Sweet! I order organic / natural deodorant on Etsy but I think I should mess around with making my own! May I link this article and feature your username @llfarms in the next Weekly Homesteading Newsletter? Let me know, thanks!
fantastic post! thank you so much for sharing a post with us in which the herbs used are whole (and not essential oils). ini has had bad reactions to essential oils in homemade, natural deodorants and i love to see one this natural! resteemed by @mountainjewel's curation page @the-hearth. thanks again!
You have been scouted by @promo-mentors. We are a community of new and veteran Steemians and we are always on the look out for promising authors.
I would like to invite you to our discord group https://discord.gg/vDPAFqb.
When you are there send me a message if you get lost! (My Discord name is the same as here on Steemit)
I tried doing this sort of deodorant before, and something in there burned my underarm skin pretty badly. I am not sure which ingredient it was, and I have yet to do any troubleshooting to figure it out (I am guessing it was the baking soda). But as you said, deodorant is one of the hardest things to make on your own. I have yet to be successful!
Hey there! I actually had that issues as well when trying different recipes. I believe it was do the high content of baking soda and lack of moisturizing oils. While I have had no issues since coming with this recipe, I do find that switching the baking soda out for DE or benotonite clay works great.
Hey LL,
I was nice to know how herbal deodorants are prepared at home.
We have a lot of companies trying to sell deodorants and perfumes here in India. But the best perfumes are the ones prepared at home. Known as "Itre" , fragrance stay for longer period of time, sold at much lower prices and we use just a few drops.
Thank you for your contribution - this post and the one about throwing out the toxic deodorant.
I am a chemical engineer - education and practice for 8 years before switching to Artificial Intelligence. I was ignorant when I signed up for chemical engineering education and I could be the one to help produce the many harmful chemicals in the marketplace.
I also want to help people understand the harm that GMO and the giant chemical that produces harmful pesticides have done to the world - the tragedy of historical proportions if not stopped.
Your post has been featured in this week's earth-centered curation @the-hearth.
Thanks for writing such fantastic and inspiring content!
Happy Sunday! This comment is to inform you that your article has been linked and featured in the most recent Weekly Homesteading Newsletter! Thank you and have a great day!
This is awesome. I've been wanting to find a recipe for this for ages but keep forgetting, so it's good this came up today for me in my searching. Herbal deodorants ARE EXPENSIVE here - like 16 bucks Australian for a block - are you kidding me! I'll get around to doing this on the holidays, but I really appreciate you sharing this stuff!
I made this recipe about a week ago now and have used it almost everyday since. I love it! It was easy to make, easy to use, and smells amazing. When I first smelled it (still warm) I was skeptical, but when it cooled off it was perfect. :)
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I can see myself using this for years to come!
Quick update: I took my left over infused oil and made soap with them same essential oils as well, topped it with some of the herbs - and it's both beautiful and smells amazing!