Adventures in Deodorant

Concerned about the chemicals in standard deodorants, I started experimenting with more natural brands and making my own. Here's what I've learned in the past year…

First, I went commercial and bought Tom's of Maine. It worked great for awhile, but then I started feeling smelly. Next, I tried rubbing a pinch of just plain baking soda in my underarms. It totally eliminated odor, but after a few weeks my underarms freaked out, turned red and splotchy, and started peeling. Eek! Plus, grains of it stood out on black clothing. Back to the drawing board--or rather, back to the Tom's. When I finished the Tom's, I gave J/A/S/O/N Organics deodorant a chance. That was a nightmare for my body chemistry. I am not a particularly sweaty person, but that stuff made me smell just awful. (In J/A/S/O/N's defense, they did respond to my complaint and gave me a coupon good for any of their products.) At that point, I came across a recipe from Little House in the Suburbs that looked awesome. I made it as instructed and even put it in an empty deodorant container. I loved how well it worked, but it kept crumbling out of the dispenser on colder days and melting out of the container on hotter days, and my pits started doing the peeling thing again. So, I shelved that and bought Nature's Gate deodorant. It did absolutely nothing for me. So, I decided to go back to making my own, but this time I'd take the Little House ingredients but make a custom blend for my sensitive pits and make it creamy rather than a stick.

More Green for Less Green Creamy Deodorant

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Baking Soda
• 1/2 cup Cornstarch
• 1/4 cup Coconut Oil
• Tea Tree Oil

Supplies:

• Lidded, microwave-safe container, 1 cup (or larger)—I use my beloved lidded Pyrex
• Sturdy Spoon
• Measuring cup
• Microwave (optional)
• Small cotton cloth (optional)
  

Instructions

1. Add cornstarch, baking soda, and coconut oil to container.


2. Microwave for 10-15 second and stir thoroughly. (You can omit microwaving, but it makes stirring easier.)


3. Add 15-20+ drops of tea tree oil.


4. Let cool. It will thicken as it returns to room temperature.


5. Take a small swipe of the deodorant using your middle and index fingers and massage it into each underarm. It will look slightly shiny on your skin briefly, but won't be visible.


6. If you are not applying this near a sink, keep a small cloth with the deodorant container to wipe your fingers clean with.
   

I do not use this immediately after shaving because the baking soda irritates nicks. One thing I do is shave less—just once or twice per week—and then use hubby's conventional deodorant on those days. Or, better yet, I'll shower at night, go clean-pitted through the night, and then apply the deodorant in the morning.

I have not had any problems with it staining clothes, being visible, quitting on me midday, etc.

Do note that the mixture changes viscosity based on temperature—it will be semi-solid in cooler conditions (right) but runny when warm (left). It works the same at either temperature range. I made a batch on hottest day of the year thus far and it was so runny that I thought my recipe must have gotten screwed up somehow. Now that normal spring temperatures have returned, it is thick like canned frosting.

Why it works: baking soda combats odor, cornstarch absorbs moisture, tea tree oil has natural antiseptic properties and smells good, coconut oil is the perfect base—it makes the deodorant spreadable. This oil is solid at room temperature but has a very low melting point. Simply touching it will transfer heat enough to melt it. You can find coconut oil at many grocery stores, just ask where it is.

P.S. For emergency pit spruce-ups, I keep a repurposed, small lip balm container filled with baking soda in my purse. Very occasional use of straight baking soda doesn't irritate my pits too much. Nothing combats smell like baking soda! Just grab a pinch and rub it in.