Homemade Natural Deodorant

Homemade Natural Deodorant 

Everyone perspires and given the chance for bacteria to grow the moisture will eventually smell. How can we maintain this natural process? Conventional deodorant/antiperspirants do it with harmful chemicals, but there are other natural effective options.

Conventional deodorant/antiperspirants serve two unhealthy functions:

1. Clog underarm pores with aluminum to prevent sweat

2. Mask odor with a chemical-created fragrance

They do this with chemicals that have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease, kidney failure, and breast cancer. To learn more about the harmful ingredients found in deodorants/antiperspirants read this article. 

Homemade deodorant is made with natural products that do not clog your underarm pores. Unclogged pores are necessary for your body to regulate temperature and remove toxins. Sweating is a natural process, but there are natural healthy ways to prevent odor and wetness. 

The base ingredient used in homemade deodorant will depend on the desired type application and consistency. I will show you how to make two types of deodorants with coconut oil and 100% PURE cocoa butter. Coconut oil is creamy in texture which is best applied with your fingers and 100% PURE cocoa butter is a solid which is applied with a deodorant applicator stick.  Before picking a base keep in mind the different melting points of each: 100% PURE cocoa butter melts at 93–100 °F and coconut oil melts at 76 °F.

Each ingredient serves a natural purpose:

Baking soda: Neutralizes odor; Baking soda can be an irritant especially for those with sensitive skin, if this is an issue leave this ingredient out and replace it with your choice of starch.

Arrowroot powder or cornstarch: A starch to absorb wetness 

Tea tree oil: Anti-bacterial; kills bacteria - the source of body odor

Vitamin E oil: Preservative and moisturizer

Coconut oil: A base to hold the ingredients together; Anti-bacterial - kills odor caused from bacteria 

Cocoa butter: A base to hold the ingredients together; Antioxidant that fight free radicals, which protect your skin from pollutions and aging

Creamy Deodorant:

You will need: 

Coconut oil, baking soda, arrowroot powder (or cornstarch), tea tree oil, vitamin E, essential oil, a disinfected container or deodorant applicator, and a spoon.

Homemade Natural Deodorant:

2 tablespoons baking soda

1/4 cup arrow powder 

1 ounce base - coconut oil or 100% PURE cocoa butter

5 drops tea tree oil

2 drops vitamin E oil 

Desired amount of essential oil for fragrance 
Total time: 10 minutes

Step 1: Combine the 2 tablespoons of baking soda and 1/4 cup of arrowroot powder and mix

Step 2: Add 1 ounce of coconut oil and mash together the ingredients. If coconut oil is hard melt in microwave or a double boiler.

Step 3: Mix 5 drops of tea tree oils, 2 drops of vitamin E oil, and essential oil

The final product should feel like a moistened snow ball. 

Step 4: Store in an air tight container. To apply, rub a small amount under your arm. 

Solid Deodorant:

You will need:

100% PURE Cocoa Butter, baking soda, arrowroot powder (or cornstarch), tea tree oil, vitamin E, essential oil, a disinfected deodorant applicator, and a spoon.

100% PURE cocoa butter is hard, so you will need to melt it in a double boiler. 

Once melted, follow the same directions as for the creamy deodorant. 

To use a deodorant applicator, make sure the plate inside does not have holes.  These holes will cause the deodorant to drip through before it forms a solid. I use an old Tom's deodorant applicator. Wash and disinfect applicator after every use.

Once deodorant is made, quickly fill the applicator before deodorant hardens. With the plate pushed to the bottom, scoop or pour the mixture inside the applicator. Tap down the container to push down the deodorant and prevent gaps. Finally, place deodorant in freezer for several minutes to let harden.

Final product is stiff but easily rubbed on the underarm with the deodorant applicator stick. 

Tips:

1. You can use the deodorant applicator for both recipes, however the creamy deodorant will smear when applied. If this happens rub excess into your skin. 

2. If using creamy deodorant in a deodorant applicator stick do not roll the deodorant up too far. This will prevent the excess from smearing.  

3. You can replace coconut oil with cocoa butter, shea butter, beeswax, 100% aloe vera gel, or any other natural cream. 

4. When traveling, place deodorant in a zip lock bag in case the temperatures cause the deodorant to melt. 

5. If solid deodorant is too hard, soften the next batch with a tablespoon of coconut oil. 

6. To prevent the coconut oil from melting in the summer months store the deodorant in the refrigerator.

If you try this recipe allow your body 7 days to transition and purge the clogged pores. 

I challenge you to try this recipe! Let me know in the comments how it worked for you!

Homemade Dish Soap

Homemade Natural Dish Soap

What you use to wash dishes is just as important as what you put in your body and on your skin. While washing the dishes, the chemicals in the soap are absorbed into your skin and later any soap residue left on the dishes will be consumed. I make a quick and easy natural eco-friendly soap that can rival the cleaning power of any conventional dish soap. 

You will need:

Dr. Bronner's bar soap, washing soda (NOT baking soda, found in the laundry aisle), distilled white vinegar (cuts grease, antibacterial, and removers odors), cooking pot, empty soap dispenser, storage container, grater, mixing spoon, funnel, & measuring spoon

Optional: tea tree oil (antibacterial), essential oil (for natural fragrance), vegetable glycerin (moisturizer), and vitamin E oil (preservative)

 Basic ratio: 1.5 cups of water per 1 tablespoon soap shreds, 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar, 1 tablespoon washing soda

I customized the basic ratio to one that works best for me and generates about 1.5 galloons of soap:

24 cups water, 1 cup soap shreds, 1 cup distilled white vinegar, 1 tablespoon washing soda

How to make your own natural dish soap:


Step 1: Fill pot with 24 cups of water and let boil

Step 2: Shred a bar of soap. I do this over a piece of wax paper so clean up is easy. I reuse the wax paper and store the extras in a reusable plastic bag with the soap label.

Step 3: Once the water boils add 1 cup of each: soap shreds, washing soda, and distilled white vinegar.

Step 4: Stir until soap shreds melt then remove from heat to let cool for several hours.

Step 5: Once cooled stir in optional ingredients: 10-15 drops of tea tree oil, 1 tablespoon of vegetable glycerin, essential oil, and vitamin E.

Step 6: As it cools, the mixture will start to gel. This process can take several hours, so let is sit and stir on occasion. When mixture is ready it will form into a thick gel-like consistency.

Step 7: Once gelled use a funnel to pour soap into a disinfected dispenser and storage container. 

Step 8: Shake dispenser before use.

The end result:

 

I use a reusable an eco-friendly dish sponge that you can find here.

Unlike conventional dish soap, this soap does not contain a surfactant, a harmful chemical designed to create suds. While this soap recipe naturally suds on its own, do not expect the same amount of suds as from conventional dish soap. Society created the false belief that clean is defined by large amounts of soapsuds, however we know this is not true. 

As you will learn from this blog, the ingredients for the recipe are repeated for other homemade products. If you are new to making homemade products, purchasing the required ingredients will cost more than buying one bottle of conventional dish soap, but the ingredients will last you a long time and are used for other homemade recipes.

This dish soap is the basis for several other homemade products. 

Check back to learn other ways on how you can use this dish soap recipe!

If you try this recipe let me know in the comments how it turned out!