Homemade Deodorant
Here is a little after Christmas gift from me to you.
HOMEMADE DEODORANT (and yes it really works!)
Our skin absorbs whatever we put on it. We should all be careful about any personal products we use on our bodies largest organ. Talking about skin here. So lets take a look at something that most of us use every day: antiperspirants and deodorants. Antiperspirants main active ingredient is often aluminum. Aluminum mimics estrogen, is linked to Alzheimer’s, and may impact breast cancer risks. Deodorants often contain chemical preservatives known as parabens which have also been linked with causing cancer.
So here is my safe and natural alternative and YES it really works. This recipe is for a deodorant not an antiperspirant. So it will not block your sweat glands like aluminum will and personally I think that is a good thing. Sweat is a bodily function that serves a purpose. It is one of those natural and healthy functions that the beauty industry has taught us to feel completely ashamed of. In my experience with this homemade deodorant, I can and will sweat a little when I am doing something strenuous like lifting crates of soap up large flights of stairs to set up for craft shows but I still smell good and feel fine afterward when I have to chat up my customers.
The basic recipe is this
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup cornstarch
5-6 TBS coconut oil
a few drops of essential oil
This is all you need really. Melt the coconut oil and stir in the other ingredients. Pour it into an empty deodorant tube and let it cool.
BUT … coconut oil has a melting point of 76 deg making it the perfect carrier oil as it is solid at room temp and melts as soon as it touches your skin. Disappointingly though, it can completely melt on you during just one hot summer day. You will be left with a tube of liquid mess. You could store it in the fridge during the summer. Your body heat should soften it enough to use it properly when you need it. That solution never really cut it for me so….
This is what I do: I add some castor wax flakes. These may be hard to find but they are worth it if you can hunt some down online. I order mine with my other soapmaking supplies and essential oils from New Directions Aromatics. I have tried using beeswax and just got frustrated with the high melting point and quick cooling rate that made it maddening to melt and pour and to clean up after. Castor wax flakes work BEST!
I make a batch of six tubes and then I am set for many months to come. I like to use my Nantucket Garden scent of essential oils: clarysage, cedarwood, lavender, and bergamot.
This is my practical recipe:
4 oz baking soda
4 oz cornstarch
6 oz coconut oil
2-3 oz castor wax flakes
1/2 – 1 oz essential oils
I melt it all in a double boiler like you use to melt chocolate. Wax first, then coconut oil, then the dry ingredients. Add the essential oils at the last minute so that they don’t burn off from the heat. Then I pour it into my empty deodorant tubes and let it cool. I have been using this for years and LOVE IT! My underarm skin feels so soft and razor burn is now a thing of the past!
Ok I will leave you with that lovely thought.
Enjoy.
Eva said,
January 31, 2011 at 6:45 PM
Oh my, I found this via your Facebook Fan page. I so want to try this, but I’m worried it is only the gateway to a larger hobby/problem. :)
driftawaysoap said,
February 1, 2011 at 2:01 PM
I would say this is a good problem to have. Good luck!
Jenn @ Dishrag Diaries said,
April 21, 2011 at 1:09 PM
I’m really excited to try the addition of castor oil flakes to my current recipe, which is melting now that spring is here! One question – in your practical recipe, which appears to be by weight, does that mean that you actually use about half the amount of baking soda as compared to cornstarch? (I would think BS is twice as heavy…)
Thanks!
Jenn V.
driftawaysoap said,
April 24, 2011 at 8:31 PM
I do measure by weight but I have not noticed a significant difference in volume. It looks about the same to me. :? It is meant to be equal amounts baking soda and cornstarch with just enough coconut oil to hold it all together and juuuust enough castor wax to keep it from melting. Hope that helps.