Deodorant

Deodorant. Why make it yourself? Well, have you looked at the ingredients on your deodorant label? Even the natural stuff has some funky ingredients. You wouldn’t put these in your mouth, why put it on your body? Consider the amount of time you wear deodorant. 8, 10, 12 hours a day? That adds up to a lot of exposure time to toxic chemicals over the span of a week. Plus, it’s cheap. I like that.

Sweating is a necessary function of the body. Sealing that off that by applying anti-perspirant doesn’t make the body happy. You want a happy body, don’t you? This deodorant soaks up a modest amount of sweat. I’ve found that I’ve stayed pretty dry even in the high humidity of Okinawa. And, my pits smell awesome! So, there’s that.

The recipe:

• 5 tbsp coconut oil
• ¼ cup of baking soda
• ¼ cup cornstarch (organic if you can find it)
• 10 drops tea tree (anti-fungal)
• 10 drops lavender (disinfectant and soothes the skin)
• 20 drops lemongrass (anti-microbial and cooling

Ingredients

Or, you can use any essential oils you prefer. I’ve also made sandalwood rose, orange lavender, and cedarwood. Lemongrass is my favorite essential oil, so I pretty much stick to that. It’s uplifting.

Husband uses this at his job and it works for him. He occasionally gets a compliment on the scent after a long hot day. If you find this isn’t strong enough for your typical work week, at least use it over the weekend to give your armpits a chance to air out.

Heat the coconut oil until melted, stir in the baking soda and cornstarch. Add your essential oils and mix well. Store your deodorant in the refrigerator overnight to prevent the essential oils from separating to the top. I keep mine in the fridge because I live in a warm (blazing hot) climate. Coconut oil melts at 76 degrees. I’ve put this in an old (thoroughly cleaned out) deodorant jar, but recently I’ve been making molds and keep it in some wax paper in the fridge. Or you can keep it in a jar on the counter and mix it up before applying with your fingers.