One thing I have always wanted to try is making homemade deodorant. Don't get me wrong here, I don't really have a problem with deodorant. I wear it daily, as honestly we all should. But, have you noticed how pricey it can be? And if you sweat heavy, the clinical strength versions aren't very kind on the wallet.
There have been studies that say chemicals in deodorants, and especially antiperspirants, can cause many health problems, including but not limited to Alzheimer's, and even cancer. And as scary as that thought is, I shamefully must admit that health concerns are not my biggest reason for wanting to make my own. It takes second place to saving a few dollars. Does that make me ridiculous? Probably. Being more earth-friendly and "crunchy" is a huge plus, but money is sadly something that we have to keep in mind at all times.
I started doing some research, for the best recipe for deodorant I could find. Much like the laundry detergent, I imagine I'll end up creating my own personalized blend to get exactly what I want. I wanted to start this endeavor while it was still cold outside. From what I've read, it takes your body a few days to get accustomed to the homemade deodorant. Which makes sense. I didn't notice right away how much money I was saving by making the detergent. When I started the no-'poo dry shampoo thing, it took my hair a while to adjust to not being slathered down with chemicals. But the end results were worth a bit of adjusting. Starting this experiment while it's still cold outside seems like my best bet at really letting it work. Some of the recipes I found called for arrowroot. I couldn't find any in our local grocery stores, and buying it online seemed more trouble than it was worth. Cornstarch was suggested as a cheaper and equally adequate substitution. Many people said that it caused rashes or discomfort in too large amounts. I kept that in mind as I started trying things out.
The trip to the grocery store was a simple one. I already had most of what I would need in my cabinets here at home. If I hadn't, none of it was really pricey. The most expensive item needed is pure coconut oil, but even that only cost about $7 for a rather large jar. Finding something to put it in after I make it has proven tricky. I recently cleaned out most of our cabinets and drawers. I fully regret throwing out those couple sticks of deodorant that were almost used up, but not quite yet. I should have saved them longer, for exactly this purpose. Luckily, fellow blogger Jenny had some empty baby food jars. So I brought them home, and for good measure, boiled them to sanitize them. I also boiled the bowl and utensils I used to mix the deodorant in. Better safe than sorry!
It took me two tries to get what I wanted. My first attempt, I put the dry ingredients together, then mashed in the coconut oil. No joke, it was a bit of a mess. Coconut oil has a pretty low melting point, around 74 degrees. But our room temperature of 68 degrees did not make the oil very cooperative. So I popped the bowl in the microwave for about 20 seconds. I didn't want to heat it too much or for too long, because I didn't want to risk zapping out any of the good nutrients or vitamins in the oil. That certainly did the trick, the oil melted easy and made mixing it far easier. But then I realized I had a bit too much oil, and not enough of the dry ingredients. The next batch, I added more of the dry ingredients, then added the oil that I had melted in a sort of double boiler. I filled a large bowl with steaming hot tap water, then sat a mason jar with the coconut oil in that bowl. With a little stirring, I had melted oil that was easy to then pour and mix. I poured the deodorant into the empty little jars, then moved the jars to the fridge. They would set up just fine at room temperature, but I wanted to make sure it solidified with all the ingredients still mixed. Don't leave the jars in too long though. If you poured into small jars like I did, being cold for too long makes it hard to use without heating it up somehow before use, such as in the microwave. As far as for the possibility of stinging and/or rash from using cornstarch, I added a little more coconut oil than I originally had planned on. If that does occur, the popular advice is to rub a pea sized amount of plain coconut oil on your armpits before applying the deodorant. I would imagine this would help with moisture as well, since this recipe is NOT an antiperspirant. It does absorb moisture, but it won't be the same as chemical laden, store bought deodorant.
Now comes the fun part. I have distributed the jars between a few friends. A few are fellow Partially Organic bloggers, one is a dear friend of mine that I know will not lie to spare my feelings, and my always brutally honest but still incredibly supportive husband. Personally, I don't sweat much. So I didn't want to simply report my own findings and assume they'd work well for everyone. We are all going to try out the deodorant. Most of us for a whole week; my husband might last a few days. (He is begrudgingly "partially organic". Not a huge fan of the "hippie dippy stuff", even though being in love with me makes that not entirely true ^_^ )
So, here is my recipe. Feel free to experiment with me! Much like myself, you'll probably only have to spend money to get some of the coconut oil. And I'll tell you the same thing I told my husband - If the deodorant is a bust, there's still a MILLION things you can do with coconut oil. It won't be a wasted purchase one way or the other! Be sure to keep checking back, to see how this works out. Hopefully you'll be able to share positive experiences in the comments.
K's Homemade Natural Deodorant
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6 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons baking soda
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons corn starch
essential oils (optional)
Mix together baking soda and corn starch in a bowl. Add in coconut oil, melted or solid. If solid, microwave for about 20 seconds, or until melted. Stir well. Pour into container of choice. Move containers to a safe place to sit undisturbed, and leave at room temperature to set up. Does not need to be refrigerated.
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Note: I have started my trial period of natural deodorant wear sooner than the others. I have applied this deodorant to my freshly shaved armpits, with no discomfort. My skin is VERY sensitive, so this is a very good sign! I used a plastic spoon to apply mine from the jar, after putting it in the microwave for about 10 seconds and stirring. It went on very smooth, and dried very quickly. And no stains on my black tee shirt! Day one of natural deodorant is going great for me. How about you? Have you decided to try it?
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