DIY: HOMEMADE DEODORANT
This post may get a little too personal, you've been warned...
So a couple years ago I started making my own deodorant and when I did I thought I officially crossed some sort of invisible line, into "over the top health nut" territory. However, when I made it and used it I never looked back and this is for a couple of reasons. First, over the years I have always struggled with what I felt like was excessive sweating. No girl likes to have giant sweat marks in their clothing and this became something I was conscious of at an early age. I also trained in dance from and early age and I always hated that I over thought what tops I would wear for rehearsal/practice so that I didn't show all my armpit sweat. Don't get me wrong, I love a good workout and the proof that you put in hard work but sometimes back then I wished it would just go away.
This resulted in me using clinical strength antiperspirants to try and control all the excess sweating that was happening. Unfortunately this didn't really help me, it only left me with irritated underarms and lots of stains in my shirts. So after years of trying these products only to realized I wasn't getting the results I desired (and somewhere along the way I became a little more health conscious) I decided to make another change.
I switched to all natural deodorants, with one little problem... I really didn't like any of them. I would go as far as saying "hate." They all smelled to me and not in a good way, they didn't help my sweating problem one bit and to top it off they still left some nasty stains in my shirts. So my "natural deodorant" tale ended right there for a while. I completely gave up until I started thinking "I bet I could make my own." I started to do a bit of research (mainlypinterest haha) but I realized I could easily make my own.
Once I made my first batch I have never once bought deodorant again. For one, it is incredibly inexpensive. Two, no more underarm shirt stains. Three, this deodorant recipe not only keep any unwanted smells away but it also has reduced my sweating worries. I do want to make note that sweating is a natural and healthy bodily function. Our bodies were made to sweat, it is how we naturally detox. By using antiperspirants we are clogging our pores to keep the sweat from coming out. Remember how I was saying that I kept getting stains on my shirts, well this is exactly why, because our bodies are still trying to detox, resulting in those nasty stains.
So have you ever struggled with some of these issues? If you have I would recommendtrying the out, it's so easy to make and you wont be busting the bank to try it out.
DEODORANT RECIPE:
1/3 cup coconut oil
2 Tbs baking soda (You can even use less if you have super sensitive skin…)
1/3 cup arrow root powder (you can get this at most health foods stores or you can sub cornstarch).
10 – 15 essential oils (optional)
a small mixing bowl and spoon
a small container for your finished product (I love using a tiny mason jar)
Directions:
1. Mix the coconut oil, baking soda, and arrow root powder in the small mixing bowl. Use the back of the spoon to help “cream” the ingredients until you have a consistency similar to deodorant.
2. Mix in essential oils. This is an optional step, but I think it makes it more fun. You can choose whatever oils you want. I love
lavender, eucalyptus or lemon, but you can add/ mix whatever you want.
3. Put mixture in small container (I use my cute little spatula for this step). To use simply swipe two fingers gently into the mixture and rub on your underarms. Wait two minutes before dressing to avoid any smearing on your clothes.
Note: Coconut oil melts when temperatures get warmer. Some people like to keep their deodorant in the fridge during warm months. I don’t bother since I can still use it… even if it gets a bit melty during those hotter months.