Since showering 5 times a day isn't practical for most, the rest of us rely on underarm deodorant to keep us feeling fresh and clean...and frankly, not smelly. Well, who would have guessed that you can make your own deodorant with only THREE ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry! Here's a quick and effective how-to, and best of all, its aluminum free!

Interestingly enough sweat, itself, does not cause any sort of smell. It is the bacteria on the underarm skin that may contain bacteria, that is your smelly culprit! And our armpits, which are usually covered by clothing, are consistently the warmest places on our bodies. Coupled with the dampness of perpiration that bacteria thrive on, and you got yourself quite an unpleasant odor!

So whats all this buzz about aluminum in our anti-perspiration deodorants? Different forms of aluminum salts are the main ingredients in anti-perspirants, which believe it or not, the FDA considers a Drug (albeit, over the counter.) The aluminum salts coupled with enzymes in our sweat create a physical barrier in the form of gel plug within the pours, which then, of course, cannot excrete any liquid, thus preventing any sweat reaching your skin's surface.

Many people have begun to find aluminum-free cosmetic alternatives, as it can be a skin irritant and debatable carcinogen (although the FDA and the American Cancer Society (ACS) have not found a direct link between anti-perpirants and cancer)

Whatever your opinion about the dangers of aluminum present in underarm cosmetics may be, aluminium zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly, is the proven cause of armpit stains on many of your favorite shirts!

So without further delay, lets get this party started!

Step 1: Gather the Ingredients

1/4 cup Baking Soda
1/4 cup Corn starch (plus a couple extra tsp's if needed to solidify end product)
6 tbsp coconut oil (room temp, solid form)

this will yield about 8 ounces of glorious underarm deodorant

You're probably thinking putting coconut oil on your armpits will definitely leave a weird stain on your shirts, but that coupled with your sweat is no obstacle for the ultra- absorbent powers of baking-soda! So why even use coconut oil? Because the lauric acid in coconut oil kills bacteria, viruses and fungi. This will help eliminate any smell that may come from bacteria.

Step 2: Mix It All Up

Throw all of your ingredients into a bowl, and mix until a deodorant-type texture is achieved. I ended up adding about 2 extra teaspoons of cornstarch to get the texture I wanted.

Step 3: Put Into Containers

This mix will yield about 8 ounces of deodorant.

Option 1: I put 4 ounces into 2 small mason jars. For application, I use small popsicle sticks .These can be bought at any craft store.

Option 2: I put 4 ounces into a cleaned-out preexisting deodorant applicator. This gets a bit messy, but makes applying really easy.

Et voila! You're ready to enjoy your new homemade aluminum-free deodorant!