Does Homemade Deodorant Work? (+ Recipe)
A review of my experience making and using homemade deodorant – did it work against my seemingly deodorant-proof smell and would it work for you?
This article is going to get a little personal. As in: something I’ve never told anyone.
And since no one (including Brian) has ever mentioned it, I’m assuming (fingers crossed) it was only me who was bothered so much about this thing.
Huh?
OK, here goes. *deep breath*
The Problem
I smelled. Stunk. Couldn’t stand the smell of myself in certain situations. Like after a workout (OK, that’s not that unusual…), or when I was nervous, or just a little warm, or the worst- in the summer when I wore sleeveless shirts. It got so that I didn’t want to wear tank tops, even when it was super hot.
And this is the clincher: I’d even smell myself right after taking a shower. No kidding. And sweat wasn’t really the issue- I’ve never been a person who sweats a lot.
As a matter of fact, I hardly ever wore deodorant in my 20’s and 30’s because I didn’t sweat much and I didn’t smell then. Really. The smell issue started in my early 40’s.
Trying to Solve The Problem
I spent years trying every deodorant on the market, even the “clinical strength” varieties. I mean, most of the time I’d get them for free (the most I paid for deodorant was .50, I think – don’t you love those old days of extreme couponing?), so even though I heard of people making homemade deodorant why would IĀ do that?
Plus, isn’t using homemade deodorant and little “out there?”
But in the back of my mind was something I read a couple years ago on Passionate Homemaking’s popular homemade deodorant post: she said she had issues with smelling and after using the deodorant, she didn’t smell anymore.
After spending a nerve-wracking day in jury duty one July (don’t ask- it was awful), the proverbial straw broke: I didn’t sweat, but I stunk. Again.
Making Homemade Deodorant
I came home that night and whipped up a batch according to Lindsay’s video. It’s just three ingredients:
1/2 c. coconut oil
1/4 c. baking soda
1/4 c. arrowroot powder
Note: you can use cornstarch instead of arrowroot, which I’ve read will keep you drier, but some people can react to cornstarch, so arrowroot is recommended – since I did have it, I used the arrowroot.
It took less than five minutes to whip up in my food processor (much easier than doing it by hand, I found- no powder poofing up).
My coconut oil was half melted (we were having one of our hotter days, surprisingly), but I didn’t worry about it and just poured the deodorant into a mason jar and stuck it in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to harden up again.
Even though you’re not supposed to, I did use refined coconut oil because it’s cheaper and I didn’t want the smell of coconut- it’s not my favorite smell and I was afraid people might think I was wearing coconut perfume.
So, Does Homemade Deodorant Work?
I used just a little bit and used my fingers to rub it in (I also found that Kitchen Stewardship has instructions if you want to fill an old deodorant container to apply easier, plus more information on how to travel with it).
So here’s the million dollar question: did it work for me?
Amazingly, yes!
In the months (update: years!) I’ve been using it, I very rarely smell myself. Seriously, I’m a little shocked that the simpler deodorant with the least ingredients works better than all the commercial deodorants I’ve tried. Wow.
On a side note, the deodorant in the jar doesn’t melt totally, but it will get pretty soft in warmer months and will liquify if it’s really hot. That is a definite issue. Fortunately our house stays pretty cool most of the time and it’s actually easier to apply if it’s a little softer.
Now there are other reasons why people want to use natural products, which are all good, but my overriding issue was smell. And it is gone. I’ve worked out, worked in the garden under the hot sun, traveled and laid on a sunny beach and done all the normal things I do that caused me to stink before. I’ve even worn sleeveless shirts.
I can’t believe it. But I am happy to share my secret with you and say (who am I kidding- shout!):
IT WORKS!
Have you tried homemade deodorant? Did it work for you?
If you’re interested in more on health and weight loss, check out AOC’s category here.
Ok, so I made it with the bentonite clay. After letting it harden in the fridge, I ended up remelting it and adding 2 Tbs or cornstarch (I didn’t have arrowroot) as it was just sooooo oily. It hardened just fine in the fridge, but melted the instant you touched it. After adding the cornstarch, it still did this, but not quite so bad. I probably could have added more cornstarch, but didn’t want to overdo it in case I found myself sensitive to it. Considering this is the first batch I’ve made, I don’t have anything to compare it to, so I don’t know if this oiliness is normal.
I have it in the fridge in a used-up Jasons container and this works quite nicely. I did pat myself with tissue after having it on for a minute in order to blot excess oil. Again, I don’t know how my batch compares to the original recipe, but I have no problem doing this for now while I use this batch up. To be honest, a refrigerated deodorant feels kind of nice. ;^)
So to conclude, I would only add 1 or 2 tsps of bentonite clay as an additive. I’ll definitely get arrowroot to make the next batch, which may be soon since hubby wants his own natural deodorant now. I’ll be sure to note any differences.
Thanks so much for updating us on the clay, Stephanie. It must not be as good a thickener for the oil as the arrowroot or cornstarch. Good to know!
On a side note- it’s nice that your husband WANTS to try it- I’m still bringing mine around to the idea. š
Sorry I took so long to get back. I KNOW I have a bottle of tea tree oil somewhere in this house, but I just can’t find it. I just finished making it using bentonite clay instead of arrowroot, and used patchouli oil for fragrance. I melted the coconut oil and poured it over the dry ingredients to minimize powder while mixing and to achieve an even product. One thing about the clay is to not let it get in contact with metal. Use plastic or wood to stir it. (I used a plastic fork) Now it’s in the fridge to cool. Coconut oil does have a very low melting point, so you may have to keep your deodorant in the fridge if your house isn’t cool enough.
I’ll let you know how it works!
just made this and I love it! Added sweet orange essential oil for fragrance but the coconut is still really strong. I also had to use an extra 2/3 cup of arrowroot powder to change the consistency to be what it should be. I ran out though and it could still use more! Stuck in the fridge and now it’s perfect. I hope I can keep it cool. Thanks for the inspiration!