Avoiding the Pits of Despair... Naturally.

I've been making a lot of my own personal care products for a while now because...

a) I don't trust all the chemical ingredients in most of them, 

b) it's usually significantly less expensive, and

c) I enjoy it. :)

 I've been using a really simple deodorant recipe for a while and decided it was time to change it up and try a few other recipes. 

P.S. None of these recipes will yield an antiperspirant, because I'm of the opinion that the body sweats for good reasons. They will yield deodorants though, because even though I think sweating is healthy, I prefer not to stink.

This is the recipe I used for over a year and had good results with... except that lavender essential oil irritated my skin, it gets really soft in the summer, and due to the softness it tends to go on a little thicker than I like (leaving icky white residue.) In spite of it's shortcomings, I used it for over a year. It's easy and works well- a great way of starting into DIY deodorant if it's new and frightening for you. (Not that any of these are really "hard," some just require a few more minutes and/or ingredients.)

So I decided to try a spray deodorant. I tried the first recipe on this page and I really like it... except that I have to reapply 2-3 times a day to avoid pungency. It's incredibly simple, and completely clean and non-irritating, so that's definitely in it's favor.

Deodorant Spray

2 parts witch hazel

1 part aloe vera gel

a few drops essential oils

spray bottle (stainless steel or glass is best since essential oils will slowly eat away at plastics)

Combine ingredients and shake before each use.

When I mixed up the spray deodorant it was SO EASY I felt a little disappointed. I actually enjoy making this kind of stuff and the 2 minutes it took to whip it together left me unsatisfied. 

So I decided to try a slightly more complicated recipe I've been eyeing for a while. I figured the addition of beeswax would make it a little harder (consistency, not difficulty) if nothing else.

Natural Deodorant

2 T beeswax (I recommend pellets because they melt down the best)

1/3 C coconut oil

1/2 T aloe vera gel

1/4 t vitamin e oil

1 T baking soda

4 T arrowroot powder (or use cornstarch, but it's more likely to be an irritant)

1/4 t essential oil

Empty deodorant stick container (use an old one or purchase regular or travel size here)

Melt beeswax and coconut oil in microwave or double boiler (my preferred method). Remove from heat and stir in aloe and vitamin e oil, then baking soda and arrowroot. Essential oils are sensitive to heat, so add  last to preserve as many therapeutic benefits as possible. Pour into empty container, cool until firm (a few hours or overnight) and use as needed.

And since I had all the stuff out already... I decided to try a probiotic deodorant too!

Probiotic Deodorant

1 T coconut oil

1 T cocoa butter (I didn't have any, so I substituted extra shea butter)

1 T shea butter

1 T beeswax  (I recommend pellets because they melt down the best)

2 1/2 T arowroot powder  (or use cornstarch, but it's more likely to be an irritant)

1 T baking soda

1/4 t vitamin e oil

1/4 t essential oil

2 capsules powdered probiotics (the ones I had on hand were tablets, so I crushed them with my mortar & pestle)

Empty deodorant stick container (use an old one or purchase regular or travel size here)

Melt coconut oil, cocoa & shea butters and beeswax in microwave or double boiler (my preferred method). Remove from heat and stir in baking soda, arrowroot and vitamin e. Essential oils and probiotics are sensitive to heat, so cool mixture to the consistency of pudding and then add them last to preserve as many therapeutic benefits as possible. Fill empty container, cool until firm (a few hours or overnight) and use as needed.

 I already mentioned that the lavender essential oil irritated my skin, and I did try some other essential oils and blends (clary sage, melaleuca or tea tree oil and lemon are some of the most common suggestions), but my favorite by far is doTERRA's CPTG Purify Essential Oil Blend. This blend is a natural deodorant with a light, unobtrusive scent which works perfectly for both men's and women's deodorant. I've been adding a couple drops to my laundry and treating bug bites with it for years, but I'd never used it in deodorant, and I don't know why I waited so long to try. I absolutely LOVE it.

I haven't been using these new concoctions for long, so I'll be sure to update you on how well I like them. Be sure to comment and let me know how they work for you as well, what essential oils you use, and which recipe is your favorite!