DIY Deodorant. Oh yes, I did...

I have been wanting to try a DIY deodorant for a long time.  So long in fact, I have two empty deodorant containers just waiting for use.  There is no doubt for me, that I would like to use something that isn't toxic, and includes natural ingredients.  The trick though, is, does it work?  Am I going to make this stuff, and stink like a dirty hippie half way through the day?  Well, high time I found out.

The chosen recipe:

1/4 c Baking Soda
1/4 c Arrowroot powder (or corn starch)
4-5 T Coconut oil
10 drops of essential oil
A container to put it in

Ready to go!

Start by adding in the dry ingredients.  I whisked them together to make sure they were well blended.

Well Blended!

Add in the Coconut oil.  I used a fork to blend in. Add in your Essential oil.  I used Lavender, a little Sandalwood, and some flowery, unknown oil that is not labeled, and I forgot what it was.  Both Lavender and Sandalwood have anti-bacterial properties, which I thought would be a perfect for a deodorant.  After you mix in the oil, just stir it up into a paste.

Sometimes pasty is good.

Next, put the mix into your container of choice.  I used my empty deodorant container after washing all the nasty commercial stuff out of it.

Ready to fill!

I filled this one up and still had a lot left so I got my other empty and filled that up too.  Notice my specialized tools.

Right tool for the job. Ignore bananas.

After filling, they looked like any other deodorant, but smelled lovely, and were safe enough to eat.  Eww, I know, but you could.  

Ready to de-stink.

I put both in the freezer to harden up for a bit.  The next morning, I grabbed one, put it on like regular deodorant, and squished my arms around.  There definitely seemed to be too much on, so I wiped some off, and put on my work shirt.  About 15 minutes later, I noticed that my underarms looked "wet" and realized that there was still too much on.  I still have to scrub it out to see if it stains, so I will have to get back to you on that.

Coconut oil melts at a very low temp so applying like normal was not a good idea. I wiped it all off and applied again, this time just swiping my fingers over the top and rubbing into my armpit. I went to work and the real test began.  

I want something that is non toxic and healthy, but also something that works.  Testing it at work would be proof enough for me as I work in a very fast paced bakery.  About an hour into my shift, I felt pretty good and warned my boss of my experimental deodorant project.  That made my pits fair game, though she never said a word about it.  When I got home, I smelled my underarms, and, to be honest, there was a little smell, but not anymore than with conventional deodorants.  I am thinking I may need a little more than I put on, so I will have to play with that. All in all however, a complete success!  I would probably recommend putting it in a jar or tin with a lid instead of deodorant tubes.  I hope you try this or some other recipe, and replace that nasty conventional stuff!