Deodorant

In 5 minutes, you can make your own natural deodorant at home without all that icky Alzheimer's disease!

Using a few simple ingredients, you can make your own all-natural, skin soothing deodorant, scented exactly the way you like it. It's so simple and gratifying, you'll never go back!

Step 1: Materials

To make your own deodorant, gather up:

• Corn starch
• Baking soda
• Coconut oil
• Essential oils (opt. - adds smellpretty!)
• Vitamin E (opt. adds ooohskinsoft!)
• An empty container to be filled with your new deodorant

Some great essential oils for deodorant also act as antimicrobials (since bacteria is what causes the smell, using something to wipe them out is even better!) While the oils of bay, cinnamon, clove and thyme are the most inhibitory, they can also lead to major sensitivity in the pit-ular area.

Tea tree, sandalwood, lavender, lemon, and neem oils are all good alternatives. Use one, none, or create your own blend!

Step 2: Mix it up

Combine 1/4 cup (60mL) cornstarch with 1/4 cup baking soda.

Add essential oils - I used 8 drops of lavender with 3 drops of sandalwood.

Add 2 Tablespoons coconut oil and a few drops of vitamin E oil (opt). Though the coconut oil I got for this project had a low melting point, the stuff I have at home has a higher one, which I would recommend. That kind I bought in my grocery store near the Crisco and other baking needs.

Mush the ingredients together until they start to form a silky mass. Add more of the coconut oil or dry ingredients to adjust. Then you're ready to start packing it in to your container.

Step 3: The Genius Part

If it's ever bothered you that you don't know when your deodorant is going to run out until suddenly the whole thing has dropped out onto your bathroom floor rendering it scuzzy and no longer useful (though you pick out the gross and use it anyway) I suggest cutting out a piece of colored tissue paper to use as a flag.


Fill your container with about and inch or so of deodorant, insert your flag, and fill the rest of your container!

Step 4: Finis!

Clean up the container and make your own clever label for it (like you won't remember what it is. . . )

Let it set up for a day or two.

Use liberally, and encourage others to do so as well!

_

Some final notes based on early comments:

Odor is caused by bacteria, not by sweating. The essential oils I mentioned are great antimicrobials and should do a real number on all that nasty bacteria. But I do look forward to hearing about some of the more interesting scents you all try too!

This product will not keep you from sweating. Aluminum is the key ingredient in antiperspirant, and that's the bad guy in our story here. It took me a long time (and many Texas summers), but I was finally able to get over my discomfort of sweating.

Enjoy!

Comments

[dummy1977]

Surprisingly, oregano oil (though potent at first) can smell quite refreshing and is an excellent anti-microbial/bacterial agent.

[blister04]

 just made it! Thank you|

I've made an amount of (about) 3 sticks (like the one in the pictures) adding 15 drops of neem oil. Good but I should add more (maybe 30).

Anyway, great one!

[HollyMann]

Thank you!!!!! I keep discovering your awesome all natural non toxic instructables now...wish I would have seen them sooner! I love it..will be making this shortly!

[ngio64]

I just mixed corn starch and baking soda with a few drops of peppermint oil. It worked better than Mitchum. After a few days I had a bad rash under my arms. I can't find a toothpaste that does not irritate my mouth either. Dentist said it might be baking soda. I am going to replace the baking soda with arrowroot and see how that works.

[underarm]

I have a terribly bad funky armpit odour, like cockroach smell, so I need deodorant. however not just any deodorant, because I don't want it to clog up my skin or give me bad smell afterwards. I've been using UARMSOL deodorant for many years now and I have no more armpit odours. Even when I sweat I don't have any odours, this deodorant works great and I'm loving it. I can't go out in the day without putting it on. Even when I sweat my armpits don't have any smell. I applied 1 pinch and it's all to it for the whole day without worries about any smell afterwards. There's no after sport smell or odour masking.

[soonersseth]

coconut Oil I used was liquid It kinda is all mushy so I leave in the frig. Is the lard crisco type better for not having to put in frig ?

[whitneyvegan]

Call me dense, but do you heat up the coconut oil first? This is my first time using the stuff, and it's hard as a rock.

If you do heat it up... how? Microwave? Stove?

I feel dumb, haha >_>

[otoy1]

It may be too late to respond to those who are experiencing some skin sensitivity, but here it is! Please be aware that essential oils are very potent. If you are using an oil that you are not familiar with, you should do a skin patch test prior to using. Some oils can cause skin irritation. Do do a skin patch test wash the area in the crook of one arm. Place a drop of oil on the area and cover with a sterile bandage. Wait 24 hours and see if any irritation develops.

[GettingNatural]

I've been using this for a few months now and it works great for me! Only thing though is it's making my underarm area turn dark :( Wondering if I got the proportions wrong! It's a shame, 'coz I really like it and am trying to get my husband to shift to this too..anyone else having this issue? Any tips/advice is greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!

[gheuberger]

I was wondering if anyone had been using cream of tarter also?
I went to an herbalist a few years ago, and she had instructed my brother and me to use it for acne treatment. It worked well, but I was wondering if anyone had any personal experience with it.

[ebbstarr]

This combination works very well for me, but for those who break out, get an empty spray bottle and fill it with apple cider vinegar. spray that under your arms and it works very well as well. The smell disappears after a few mins so don't worry, you wont be walking around smelling like vinegar all day :)

[elzarn]

i made it yesterday and it's still pasty will it harden like regular deodorant?

[Shippygirl]

I broke out in a vicious rash from a recipe that contained cornstarch, baking soda, and coconut oil in the same amounts. It didn't include the other ingredients. It worked until I broke out. :(

[starspinner]

I agree with the comment by deannac.cut back on the baking soda.

bakins soda is awesome. I used it to save pans that fall victim to people forgetting their macaroni on the stove. mmm burnt pasta. but think of how effective that makes it. if you've ever used it for cleaning, you can feel the spotless cleanliness on your fingertips. cut it back. it's just like diluting vinegar - different strengths for different purposes.

[ToniRose]

I haven't broken out (yet), but it hasn't worked as well for me using the same formula (except cocoa butter instead of coconut oil). I'm wondering if the essential oils are more, well, "essential" than I'd realized.

In other words, without some antimicrobial, perhaps the butter or oil is acting as a culture medium. Any thoughts on my theory, scooch
 or other folks?

[HollyMann]

I have a tip or idea...i have yet to make this though. BUT, i have been researching great deod. recipes (all natural) recently and one of them looked interesting. It had included 2 capsules of acidophilus ...which might do the trick - look it up!

[deannac]

My daughter broke out too. I think that the next time I make deodorant, I will cut down on the baking soda. When I use cornstarch as a body powder by itself, I have no problems, but when I add too much baking soda, it dries my skin out and cracked skin develops on body creases. Unfortunately, my daughter (11) will probably never want to use another one of my "experiments" again. Too bad because it really worked for her too.

[klofquist]

Because regular old Arm and Hammer baking soda contains aluminum (my main reason for making my own deoderant) I use either aluminum free baking soda bought through Azure Standard or I have also used Arrowroot powder with wonderful results! Hope this helps!

[suckrpnch]

I am almost positive (almost) that baking soda does not contain aluminum. Baking powder, on the other hand, mixes baking soda with a few ingredients, one of which, often has aluminum in it. You can always make your own baking powder, though, with baking soda and cream of tartar (optionally with corn starch added).

[scoochmaroo]

That sounds horrible! I remember breaking out in a rash after using some particular Burt's Bees product for a week. It sucked because up until then, it had been one of my favorite products. It just smelled sooo nice.

[Shippygirl]

I wish it hadn't broke me out because before I broke out, it was working great. In the communities I'm in, the majority of people don't have this problem with it and it works for them. I used diaper rash ointment with zinc oxide as a deodorant until the rash went away. It controlled the smell and helped heal the rash. I kept extra shirts at work and the ointment because it wore off sometimes on active days. I haven't found any other natural deodorant that worked as good as coconut oil/baking soda/cornstarch recipe. I discovered coconut oil because of this, so the experience had an upside.

[picklet]

You wonder if it's necessary to avoid the aluminium. Well, if you look at the research of what they found in tumors in the breast, you might change your mind. Also, it's no surprise that the most frequent quadrant for breast cancer is the upper outer one. That's right next to where all that stuff from the deodorant or hair removal product gets absorbed by the skin. Hope this helps :)

[dejure]

It has become increasingly obvious to me there is a trend of erring on the side of "no caution." It is often associated with terms like "generally recognized as safe." It is most evident in matters with which the FDA deals. Such matters often involve large corporations, significant amounts of money and paid for reports. Because of this trend, my brother is now a millionaire, after being compensated for damages out of having used an "approved" medication purposed to aid in weight loss.

Do those who cite things like "no link has been shown between _________" not see how strange promotion of such statements appear? At one time, there was no link shown between:

1) Lead and diminished thinking capacity
2) Fish oil consumption and improved health
3) Mercury ingestion and death
4) Consumption of limes and reduction of scurvy
. . . . . .

[ejgertz]

The much more likely reason that many breast cancers are in the upper outer quadrant is that this is the area containing around 60% of breast tissue. So far, studies of this very question have not found a link between anti-perspirant use and breast cancer, nor a link between the parabens in some anti-perspirants and breast cancer.

[Esmagamus]

I've been using blocks of alum. There are "good natural stuff" stores that sell big chunks of it as deodorant from the start. I hope I don't have to tell you how expensive that thing can be! Then, since I know a bit of chemistry, I just go to a hardware store and by a barber's stone, which is a rectangular block of "cast" alum. It doesn't have aluminium in it, so it's not irritant for my skin. The only downside is that I tend to drop my stones and curse at the small useless chunks on the floor!

[scoochmaroo]

Oh no! Look what I just found: Alum is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a food additive, but in large quantities — well, an ounce or more — it is toxic to humans. Alum is short for potassium aluminum sulfate. (Notice the aluminum in there?) Should have been obvious, but I guess that's what kept me looking.

[GDParduhn3]

you've done a great job staying neutral (ha) keep up the great work, , this for one is a bang up topic for ible and discussion and keeps people talking for who knows how long. . good choice..

i believe you did an ible on toothpaste as well. . ??
(fluoride)


i hear baby food is in debate now that a new baby food maker is one the market clouding late night tv with adds for overpriced equipment.

i did think you could run with the whole pvc tubing thing for homemade chap stick.

(cooked down aloe and beet juice for that one !!)

Good luck and again keep up the good work.

[kirnex]

True, true. Alum is used in the traditional process of pickling (which, really, is somewhat archaic, as technology has afforded other, less-harmful ways of pickling things) , but is definitely toxic if directly ingested. There was a case several years back of a woman who....well, used alum as an alternative to divorce. 'Nuff said.

[Esmagamus]

Potassium alum, ammonium alum, chrome alum, rubidium alum and caesium alum.

[Esmagamus]

I have never said all chemicals that contain aluminium are harmful. I know perfectly that, for example, biodiesel is made with highly poisonous and highly caustic chemicals such as methanol and sodium hydroxide and still the end product is perfectly safe. Water is toxic to humans: drink a lot of it at once and it will mess up your electrolyte balance.

[mje]

1. You don't eat it. You put it on your pits.

2. Aluminum does NOT cause Alzheimer's. The early finding of Aluminum in the neurofibril tangles of Alzheimer's patients was due to a problem in the tissue fixing process.

The notion that Aluminm caused Alzheimer's was disproved DECADES ago, yet continues on as a folk legend... in large part because people trust what someone emails them instead of looking up primary sources!

http://www.alzheimer.ca/english/disease/causes-alumi.htm

[maggiesbiz]

The skin is an ingesting organ. That is why some meds are given in cream forms like estrogen, vitamin D, etc.  Everything you put on your skin , eventually, ends up in your blood system and runs around your body.

[bigjeff5]

From what I understand, the vast majority of the aluminum absorbed by the body comes from food, not from deodorants or anti-persperants.

See, aluminum is the third most common element on earth and is the most common metal - as such it isn't surprising to learn that just about every organic creature contains some aluminum.

That's right, every time you eat a plant or an animal you are ingesting aluminum.

The kidneys happen to be very good at removing aluminum (again, not surprising, since aluminum bonds to ammonia, and ammonia is found in urea - the major constituent of urine).

So, like any other mineral, what aluminum is not required by the body is flushed.

Like just about every other medical topic, however, the issue is always up for debate. The human body is essentially an absurdly complex chemical reaction, and understanding each component's function and potential malfunction is never easy and rarely (if ever) completely understood. That said, after 40 years of study the link between aluminum and disease has only gotten weaker, not stronger - such that it lives on primarily as folk wisdom, not sound medical doctrine.

tl;dr:  Like a great many topics of folk wisdom, fears of aluminum in anything but very large quantities are almost certainly unfounded.

[junket2mars]

and cigarettes don't cause cancer either, right? after all, Philip Morris put a LOT of time, effort, lawyers and $$$ into that one... all i know for certain about the aluminum/Alzh connection (controversial as it remains) is that: my granddad died of Alzheimers, and -quite by coincidence, im sure- he just happened to have aluminum toxicity.

[Esmagamus]

So what? Are you going to say metalworkers who work on aluminium all day have a substantially higher chance of getting alzheimer? And they do touch it, smell it and might even get some swarf or dust in their food.

Could you say someone died of smoking too much just because you found tar in their lungs?

[Meuryn]

And you think that one case is enough to prove a whole link? Oh please, this is pseudoscience at its best.

[jackfaciale]

there was an hoax mail saying it causes breast cancer as well.. any way i learned a lot about baking soda ... thanks ! I like ton make my own wax for a haircut "surf style" which is matte not glossy, havent you any idea ?

[Esmagamus]

Try to heat some beeswax and dilute it with something like coconut oil. I'm not the best person to advise you on that but... try stuff! You might come up with something extraordinary!

[Esmagamus]

I never mentioned alzheimer's did I? The safety of anti prespiration chemicals such as aluminium chloride are still being studied. I'll prefer a simple, cheap, odorless deodorant made of a substance that is known to be safe.

[VRAndy]

"Known to be safe" is a tricky concept. Many substances that were known to be safe fifty years ago are now off the market for safety concerns. Many of them perfectly natural. I assume you've read studies on the safeness of underarm Alum, but, are you also confident that scientists have stopped studying it forever? Because you seem to distrust anything that is the subject of current research. In either case, you're far more likely to get smashed flat by an automobile or train than to be offed by anything you dab under your arm. But I'd be willing to bet you don't go around telling people to avoid those. (And car and train fatalities are "Still being studied"!)