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.
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!
Anonymous- What a great tip- thanks for sharing that with us!!
-Jami
Sam I use a bar soap called Hog Wash on all stains and it is amazing. I’ve not had anything yet that it wouldn’t take out. You can purchase it from http://sallyeander.com/. This is a family run company that started making homemade soap due to there son’s allergies.
Stephanie, these are such GOOD suggestions- so glad you took the time to write them up! I’ve heard that, too, about coconut oil. Yes! Please remember to let us know how it works for you with the b. clay. š
-Jami
Sara, coconut oil is used to fight internal candida (yeast) infections, so it is definitely worth trying for external yeast. You may also want to look into the possibility of having an internal candida infection. You mentioned being on various prescriptions. If they included antibiotics, chances are high for candida infection. Candida can be very hard to get rid of, but taking coconut oil is effective, healthy, and tastes good! It’s great to use in your cooking, too. I’m not a doctor, so please do your own research. I’ve just dealt with my own candida issues as well as seen them in friends and family.
Back to the deodorant, another additive to try is bentonite clay. NOW brand sells a bentonite powder that is silky smooth with no grittiness. Bentonite draws out toxins and is very soothing to the skin. I don’t know if it would control sweat or not, but maybe it would help with sensitivities to the baking soda or cornstarch. In fact, I think I’m going to try this recipe using bentonite clay instead of arrowroot or cornstarch first, since arrowroot is the one ingredient I’m missing. Bentonite also swells, so it should act as a good substitute. I’ll write back and tell everyone how it goes.
I love how basic this recipe is! It allows for all kinds of variations. I only wish I had a dozen or so empty deodorant containers to fill. ;^) The best part is that I can get a big jar of extra virgin coconut oil for about the price of two of the Jason deodorants, and I looooove saving money!
How do you use coconut oil on candida infections, both internal and external!?
Bummer, Ann! Good to know about the diaper cream, though, for others who can’t use the baking soda.
-Jami
I’ve tried this recipe, and versions of it, and it works fabulously. Unfortunately, the baking soda also gives me a horrid rash. I’ve since moved on to Weleda diaper cream for my pits. I wish I could tolerate the baking soda – if I could have, I would totally have stuck with this recipe.
Goodness, Sara – so sorry you’re having such a hard time with your underarms! That must be frustrating. I do hope this works for you, too. Maybe the antifungal properties of coconut oil will do something for you.
Anonymous- Hope it works for you- it never sticks on my clothes. š
-Jami
So excited to try this. I’ve always had the smell- just in my genes. I also have the deodorant stick to my shirts and I HATE IT!! (Hence the reason I’m looking for ANYTHING else). I just tried a mixture today for getting stains out of clothing and it was a miracle so I’ll give this a try as well as my cleaning solution (equal parts hydrogen peroxide and Dawn). Thank you!
I’m extremely happy to have stumbled across this site. I’m going to try this recipe ASAP. For this entire past year I’ve really struggled with finding a deoderant that works for me. I’m 25, but all last year I started breaking out terrbly under my underarms. I would get boils so large that if I put my purse on my should and it hit my armpit I would literally SCREAM out with pain, I was going to the doctors constantly to have them lanced, and they were putting me on perscriptions left and right. I decided to stop using regular deoderants and switched to the organic Crystal Stick and that REALLY helped a lot, almost immediately, and I was really impressed the smell was great too, I was clean and fresh. However, another issue has arose since then, and now I’ve been getting yeast infections under my arms now instead because I don’t have a working anti-perspirant to keep me dry. I haven’t discovered what to do yet to cure this problem. I try washing, and reapplying the cyrstal stick to remove bacteria but it doesn’t help, as well as using powder, I’ve also tried using tea-tree oil as that kills the bacteria and although that has helped very little it has helped some, but I can’t stand the way I smell with tea tree on so strongly under my arms. I’m really hoping and praying that this may be my perfect find now!
I struggled with horrible rashes in my armpits for about 4 months- I tried about every deodorant/antiperspirant on the market and nothing helped. I finally resorted to going to the doctor and got a prescription, which only helped a little. I decided to try making my own deodorant after getting fed up that I had to use a prescription steroid cream just to tolerate deodorant! I use a recipe similar to this one, however mine includes two tablespoons vitamin E oil and cornstarch rather than arrowroot powder. I also put about 10 drops each of tea tree essential oil and lavender essential oil in mine, for their anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. I don’t like the smell of tea tree oil by itself, but when combined with the lavender essential oil I like it. Good luck!
Stephanie- Wow, what a great tip about Milk of Magnesia — I didn’t know that! If you try this, I hope you’ll come back and tell us if it works!
-Jami
I’m definitely going to try this! I’ve used the Jason brand and liked it, but it’s so expensive! Not to mention that while it’s aluminum-free, it still has a ton of stuff I can’t pronounce.
I have not tried it, but I’ve heard of using milk of magnesia as a deodorant/anti-perspirant. I used to use it as a facial scrub to control my oily face and blackheads that I dealt with in my teens. Worked great for that, and didn’t dry out my skin in the process. Used it for years! Maybe milk of magnesia could be added to this recipe for those needing an anti-perspirant, but are sensitive to corn starch.
As easy and inexpensive as this recipe is, there’s lots of room for playing and experimenting. So glad I found this!
GA Anonymous- A few times I’ve had an irritation after shaving, but not often. Don’t know why the difference. Try using the cornstarch to see if it helps with the sweating. I know the soda-oil combo helps with the smell! š
i live in GA and it is still 89* here.. i sweat which causes the smell.. i usually wear a tank top under everything just to catch the sweat so it isn’t so noticeable.. I find that i have to use a paper towel and dry off several times a day and re-apply deoderant.. which gets old.. i would love to be able to control both but either would be a start… will have to try this and see if it works
Do you have any problem applying it right after you shave?
Sam- On Lindsay’s site (linked in my post) she addresses this in the FAQ’s:
“3. Will this deodorant stain my clothes?
Not likely or not any more than a standard deodorant or antiperspirant. I have only noticed slight staining on white garments, but this can be avoided by soaking with soap after wearing and before washing. Dishwashing soap and hot water are very effective stain removers.”
I haven’t had that problem, so I hope this helps!
Another update/question: I noticed on a couple of nicer shirts my husband wears that in the pit area there was a darkening to the material or somewhat of an oil stain but not oily looking like if it were grease… I can’t get it to wash out. Has anyone had this happen? Help!
Sam- Yeah! I’m glad it’s working for your husband- now I know it’s not just me. š
Since I posted this it’s warmed up here and on days when I just knew I’d smell- it’s still worked and I’m wearing sleeveless styles with no worries!
Update: My husband has been using this recipe for close to 2 weeks and he absolutely loves it! It works great and he has been through some stressful moments and hot days working outside with no smelliness what-so-ever, even on the days he forgets to put it on! I just made a batch to mail to my brother and someone from hubby’s work asked me to make him up a batch too!
This stuff is awesome!!!!!
Catherine- Good idea to do a cool weather/hot weather deodorant. š I’ve thought about adding some essential oil, but am so happy with what I’ve got, I don’t want to mess with a good thing. š
Here’s what I read about coconut oil:
“These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc.” (from http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/organic-coconut-oil/health-benefits-of-coconut-oil.html)
Though I think it’s the baking soda that does the anti-smell work I’m so happy with. š
I have not heard that coconut oil is an anti-bacterial. I use cocoa and shea butter in my deodorant. After melting the ingredients, I add a few drops of tea trea oil and lavender. Both are anti-bacterial/anti-fungal. I also add some peppermint so when I am putting it on I get a burst of zing but the smell is not enough for anyone, even myself, to notice after it’s been rubbed in. Also, if your home gets warm, the coconut oil may melt but cocoa and shea butter don’t. I plan on trying the coconut oil deodorant in the winter, when the chance of it melting in my gym bag in the car is not so great.