Homemade 3 ingredient deodorant

Hello, friends! 

So as I mentioned last week, I’ve been working diligently to test out more natural (homemade) cleaning and health & beauty products. I started off this inquiry by switching almost all of my household cleaners for baking soda and vinegar. You can read about that here. 

Today I would like to share my recipe for very easy homemade natural deodorant. 

I need to share a little TMI, just to really make a point. I sweat sooooo much. It’s something that I’ve been extremely self-conscious and sensitive about for years. 

There was a short time when I used a prescription strength antiperspirant (a real one, not those ones seen on tv), but it worried me. It really, really worked. I had zero sweat wherever I applied it. As much as we hate it though, sweating is a natural bodily function, and stopping it completely with the use of chemicals can’t be healthy. So I went back to regular antiperspirant. 

Then I stumbled across the idea of homemade deodorant and thought “why not?” 

There are two notable differences between the results seen between this recipe and store-bought antiperspirant. 1) This is deodorant, not antiperspirant. You will sweat, it just won’t stink. 2) Those gross yellow pit stains you have on all your favourite shirts? Those stains are actually a chemical reaction between your sweat and the ingredients in your antiperspirant. With these natural ingredients, those stains don’t happen. 

 

Straight from the laundry, dry and clean, but stained :(

That being said, here are your ingredients: 

• Baking soda 
• Corn starch 
• Coconut oil 

That’s it, that’s all! When I make a batch, I use about 2 Tbs of each ingredient. That makes enough deodorant to last about two months when applied once daily (which is how often I apply it). 

Let’s break down how these ingredients work together to make a fantastic homemade deodorant. The baking soda works to absorb your sweat’s odor, the corn starch absorbs the moisture of your sweat, and the coconut oil is the base that holds everything together. Coconut oil is an ideal base because it is a great moisturizer and it has antibacterial properties. 

I told a few close friends and family members about my deodorant switch in the interest of thoroughness, because people are less sensitive to their own body odors. I asked them to tell me if I smelled at any time, no matter how embarrassed they thought I might become. No one said a thing. I even specifically asked on occasion if I smell, just in case they forgot to pay attention. They would get up close, take a whiff, and shrug with an unoffended “no”. 

A note about the drawbacks of this deodorant: Coconut oil is very unstable in its consistency at room temperature. At about 17°C it is rock hard, but at about 24°C it is a liquid. Because of this instability, your deodorant will likely be liquefied at some point. It is still entirely usable in a liquid state, but it can get just a little messy. 

I’ve heard of people putting this sort of recipe in an old cleaned out antiperspirant tube, but I just don’t see how that’s possible when the coconut oil melting is such a real possibility. I keep mine in a well sealed glass container, and apply it with my fingertips. 

One more note about this deodorant. I’ve read reviews saying that the baking soda creates a burning sensation on the skin. I have not experienced this at all, and I would assume those people used too much baking soda in their mixture. To be totally honest, there was one day I ran out of my homemade deodorant and used the same store-bought antiperspirant I used to, and that antiperspirant stung like a bee! I had to wash it off before the day was over and switch back to my homemade goodness. 

Some people also like to add essential oils to this mix. Lavender is a popular one for its scent. Also popular is Tea tree oil for its antibacterial properties. These oils are purely optional, and a good addition if you don’t favour the delicious coconut scent (if you don’t like the smell of coconut, there’s something wrong with you). 

All in all, my experience with this homemade deodorant has been 100% pleasant. All natural and very cheap ingredients, easy to mix, very effective, and less abrasive on my skin and favourite shirts. I’m never going back to the store-bought stuff!