Homemade Aluminum-Free Deodorant

Let's talk deodorant, people!  Are you one of those people who smells like a water buffalo at the end of the day?  Nope?  Me either, thank God!  However, I do sweat at times, like everyone does.  Like when I go for my three mile run every morning.  Wait a minute....I don't do that!  But I'm sure some insane healthy person does.  Like millions of people, I wear deodorant/anti-perspirant every day.  I like my Suave deodorant.  It smells good and it works well.  But it has one teeny tiny itsy bitsy wee lil' flaw.  It's filled with aluminum that leads to something....what was it?  I can't recall.  Oh, gosh. It's on the tip of my tongue....oh, yes...Alzheimers!!!!  Now, my husband's grandma died with Alzheimers, as did my grandma.  Not wanting to suffer the same horrendous fate, I'm going to start being proactive about it, and hopefully I'm not too late.  So I made myself up a batch of homemade deodorant that contains all natural ingredients and best of all, no aluminum!  Here's what you'll need:

 

3T Arrowroot Powder

3T Baking Soda

3T Coconut Oil (any kind is fine)

2-3 Drops Essential Oil(s)

An empty jar or deodorant container that has been thoroughly cleaned

Okay, first an explanation as to why I have two different kinds of Coconut Oil shown.  The taller one (SWAD brand....what an appetizing name...I mean, really people!) is one I got at the regular grocery store in the Indian Foods section.  It is 16oz and costs about $6.99. That's a pretty good deal.  This is what is called Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil and has been heat treated to remove the coconutty smell and taste.  While it doesn't quite retain the same nutritional value as the other, it's still one of the best oils you can consume on a daily basis.  Of course, we're not eating it today, so that doesn't matter.

The shorter, white container is what is called Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.  This smells and tastes like coconut.  If you don't like coconut, surely you will not care for this if you are eating it.  If you like the smell of coconut, use it only for applications like this deodorant, or for body lotion.  Coconut oil makes your skin sooooo smooth.  NO lotion on the market can compete, really.    As for consumption, this is the absolute best oil you can use because it retains all of its nutritional value.  When you eat coconut oil, that fat goes to your ENERGY to be burned.  Crisco goes to your ass.  Avoid Crisco.  Anyway, I'm getting off subject here, especially since we're not eating it.  The white container also contains 16 ounces, but cost me $13!!!!  Yikes!!!  I got it at GNC before I knew anything about coconut oil.  While it's a good quality oil, I will NOT be buying from there again.  For this deodorant, you can use whatever kind you like.  Just know that if you use Extra Virgin, it will have a coconut smell to it.

 

I'm going to opt for using the non-coconutty-smelling Swad brand.  What you want to do is scoop 3T into a heat-proof dish.  

 Zap it in the microwave on 20% power for about 30 seconds.  Keep an eye on it as microwaves vary.  Coconut oil only remains solid until it reaches 76 degrees, so it won't take long.  

Next, you will add your 3T Arrowroot Powder and 3T Baking Soda. You may hear some people talk about making sure your baking soda is aluminum-free.  Don't worry about that.  All baking soda is aluminum-free. It's baking POWDER that you need to watch out for.  Now that we have that out of the way, just add it already!  :)  If you didn't have any arrowroot powder, you could always use corn starch.  The only thing about corn starch is that it is sometimes bothersome to some peoples' underarms.  I've never used it, so I cannot say.

Mix well until all lumps are gone.  This will just take a minute.

Then add in your essential oil(s).  I am using two drops of Lavender because I like the smell and because it's not only calming, but antibacterial.  And what makes us smell when we sweat?  Is it the sweat?  Nope!  It's when the sweat dries and bacteria starts forming.  Now, that's what smells.  On other people.  Not me. Ha ha.

I got this old, empty deodorant container clean by wiping out as much as I could with a paper towel, then ran it through the dishwasher.  See that little piece that is all the way to the top?  That is what deodorant professionals call the thingy dingy.  I poked the deodorant out of those holes with a toothpick if memory serves.  Anyway, turn the little dial at the bottom so that little piece goes all the way to the bottom again, unlike what the picture shows.

Set your container down and fill it with the frosting, uh deodorant.  That's what it reminds me of anyway!

 

When I did the one below, I only used 2T of everything and it didn't quite fill it up.  I have adjusted the recipe above so it should fill it up most deodorant containers.  If you live in a warm climate, opt for a small jar or tin as it may get very soft if your home is over 76 degrees.

 Because I am impatient, I put mine in the fridge to 'set'. About 2 hrs later, here's what it looked like:

In my excitement, I promptly turned the dial to make it rise up.  Big mistake.  I heard a big cuh-lick and the deodorant wouldn't budge!  Dang!  I broke the thingy dingy inside!  Now, I'm not entirely sure it would have worked if I had taken it out of the fridge and let it come to room temp first, but it seems logical.  That's the whole reason I went through the trouble of cleaning the darn thing out in the first place, grumble grumble!  Undaunted, I put the container in the microwave and zapped it for a few seconds.  Then I poured it into my NEW deodorant container that is cute and sweet, but not as handy.

I labeled it so my husband doesn't throw it out.  I have it upstairs in my bathroom drawer.  So far, it's stayed nice and solid, about the texture of 'real' deodorant, actually.  If it's summer or you live in a warm climate, it may be soupy, but that's okay, it'll still work the same.

To use, I just dip my fingers in and swirl them around.  It doesn't take much.  It usually stays in a solid form on my fingers, but by the time I took the picture, it kept melting!  I use just about the amount you see here on my fingertips under each arm.

                           

NOTES:

I have used it for about a week now and I can confidently say that there is NO stinky B.O. coming from these pits! But in all reality, I've never been a huge sweater and really never had an odor problem...or maybe no one has told me and I'm just used to my stench, lol!  I was kinda surprised because I thought since this isn't technically an anti-perspirant that I'd experience some sweating.  If nothing else, at least initially, until my body acclimated.  I'm happy to say that my underarms smell as fresh the next morning as they did the moment I put it on!  Note: I haven't had a good day of sweating either, so I can't vouch for that yet.

UPDATE:

Well, it has been about 3 weeks since I've been using this deodorant and something unusual has happened.  At about week two, I noticed an unusual smell emitting from the ole pits.  It wasn't exactly B.O., but it wasn't exactly a smell I was enamored with either.  I'm not sure how to describe it except for maybe acidic????  I'm starting to wonder if the body takes a couple of weeks to detox off the old stuff.  A few days later, it started smelling a little closer to B.O., but I only really noticed it if I was sticking my nose in my pit, lol!  I (probably unethically) asked my son if my underarm smelled gross, or smelled like deodorant.  Sorry, the hubs was out of town and I knew my son would be honest, lol.  He said, "It stinks, Mom!"  I said, "Really?  Like what?"  and he said, "A smelly skunk".  LOL!  While I can attest it wasn't THAT bad, it does have me a little depressed about my deodorant making skills.  Since I had to be close to people the last couple of days (church, etc...) I have worn commercial deodorant.  I'm not sure if I should switch back to my all natural stuff because I don't want to stink either!!  Maybe I should pick a time I know I won't be around others and detox in exile, LOL!  I'll let you know how it goes!  Now that I think about it, I'm starting to wonder if the cheap SWAD brand makes a difference.  I know it makes a difference when I made lotion with it.  The cheap stuff doesn't seem to sink in as well, but rather sit on top of my skin.  Maybe I'll make myself up a batch using the good stuff and report back.

I haven't calculated up how much this deodorant costs, but I bet it's way less than half of the $2.75 I was paying for the Alzheimer-inducing stuff!  

Will this work for a man?  I dunno.  I'm assuming a man would fare better with an actual 'stick' deodorant, like my initial attempt, since they have hair to work around and will require more than a woman will.

You can use whatever essential oils you like, but use them sparingly as they are really strong. I only used two drops of Lavender to the whole batch and it's plenty strong.  You could also use Tea Tree oil (stinky, but one of the best anti-bacterial oils) or Lemon or Orange Oil (which sounds good and fresh to me) and still receive the anti-bacterial properties.  Use whatever smell appeals to you.  I'd also recommend oil of Oregano, but who wants to go around smelling like a sub sandwich? LOL! 

I haven't experienced any discomfort or irritation from this deodorant so far. The only 'odd' thing I noticed the first day I used it was a tiny little sting in the left underarm for a few minutes. Only the left side.  BUT, as a disclaimer, I think that was because I got over-zealous with my razor, thinking I was actually going to take a picture of my underarm to show you.  #1) No one wants to see that  #2) Since I've been using the same razor for 3 months, I'm not getting a clean shave, but rather scraping off extra layers of skin!  However, I'm anticipating having some lovely soft underarms pretty soon from that fabulous coconut oil.  Well, maybe if I ever change my razor out.

Overall, I'm very happy with this stuff. I'd be interested in knowing how this would work for someone who cannot typically use the deodorant sold in stores due to irritation or allergies, etc.... If you decide to make this simple deodorant, let me know how you like it.  Especially if you normally stink like a yak in a Calcutta outhouse in July.  Have a fresh and clean day!

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