Make Your Own Deodorant

8th July, 2010 - Posted by carsi - 4 Comments

My younger brother teases me about being a hippie pretty much every time he sees me. I’m a hippie because of this blog, I’m a hippie because I recycle, I’m a hippie because I buy Seventh Generation hippie toilet paper, etc. So this post isn’t going to help my case at all because making your own deodorant is a pretty hippie thing to do. But it works, I swear!

About a year ago, I made the transition from using regular deodorant (Secret was my brand of choice) to using the aluminum-free kind (Tom’s of Maine). As with a lot of chemicals, there have been conflicting studies regarding aluminum in regular deodorants and antiperspirants, but there are some studies that show a link between aluminum and breast cancer and Alzheimer’s. I’d rather not take the chance and wait for more research if there are alternatives that work just as well. So I tried out the hippie deodorant. What I found was a little disappointing–it smelled good and I never smelled bad while using it, but it was pretty ineffective at stopping me from sweating, especially on hot days. But, not wanting to be wasteful, I used up the whole stick.

Looking for a better alternative, I came across some make your own deodorant instructions that seemed to have a lot of positive comments about its effectiveness. So I tried that one out too, and I’ve been pretty happy with the results! The corn starch is a natural moisture absorber, the baking soda is a natural deodorizer, and the tea tree oil has natural antibacterial properties and adds a nice smell. I’ve used my DIY deodorant this past week, and it’s lasted through a rigorous workout and my walks to and from work on hot days with approximately the same results as regular deodorant and much better results than the Tom’s of Maine kind. And it hasn’t left any white residue on anything.

Not only is it effective and non-toxic for your body, but it’s also eco-friendly because you aren’t using all those weird chemicals and you’re just refilling an old plastic deodorant container, so you’re cutting down on the plastic you use. Buying all the ingredients for this was probably about $15, which is obviously more than a standard deodorant stick at the drug store, but I have a ton of the ingredients leftover and will be able to make several more sticks in the future and eventually save money. Anyway, here’s how you do it:

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup baking soda
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 10+ drops tea tree oil
  • 2+ TBSP shortening (I used Central Market’s organic coconut oil, but the website I looked at used Lou Ana Coconut Oil. Any kind would work, I’d imagine.)

The ingredients I used

Directions

  1. Put baking soda and cornstarch in a bowl with tea tree oil.
  2. Stir enough shortening in until it’s a consistency you like.
  3. Smash into empty deodorant container. It will be a bit sturdier once it sets a day or so.

I followed the directions pretty closely, but I think I was a little too aggressive with the coconut oil because my mixture melts on contact with my skin. I would recommend taking the time to thoroughly mix together all the ingredients after you add the recommended amount of coconut oil and then see if you need more. If you add too much, like I did, just mix in some more of the powder ingredients until it’s a good consistency. And ta-da! You have your very own, homemade, hippie (but still effective!), non-toxic deodorant.

Posted on: July 8, 2010

Filed under: crafting, green tips

4 Comments

Mom

July 8th, 2010 at 12:35 pm    


How cool! I was a bit skeptical when I first read this, thinking, OH NO! She’s gonna smell like pachuli…(sp?) But I’m really glad to hear it works. And yeah, you’re a hippie chick but that is how your mama raised you! I am finding baby powder quite helpful in all this heat too. By the way, I think you smell great!

carsi

July 8th, 2010 at 1:36 pm    


haha thanks! yeah, i was a bit skeptical at first, too, but it ended up working better than some things i can buy at the store.

Greening Austin Daily » How Green are Your Cosmetics and Beauty Products?

July 14th, 2010 at 11:37 am    


[...] looked them up on the database and they’re not as green as I thought!), soap, toothpaste, and deodorant. But I still have eye makeup remover, makeup, and lotion, among other things, that have all sorts [...]

A Long Hot Summer of Natural Deodorant | Greening Austin Daily

September 15th, 2011 at 5:37 pm    


[...] wrote awhile ago about her experience making her own deodorant using items you can easily find in your grocery store [...]

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