OK - you may think I've gone completely bonkers with this one! I made my own deodorant. After great success with home made laundry detergent and home made liquid hand soap I decided to go step further and try my hand at deodorant. WHY you might ask...
Well there are actually several reasons. Most over-the-counter deodorants contain aluminium chlorohydrate, parabens, propylene glycol, triclosan, TEA, DEA, FD&C colors, and quaternium 18, among other toxic chemicals. Some of these have been linked to higher incidences of developing Alzheimer's and cancer. I've tried many "natural" brands over the years with varying degrees of success - the ones that worked really well were far more expensive than the national brands (for which there are often coupons and sales!) So if exposure to chemicals and the extra expense wasn't enough incentive - how about long storage life? You could put the ingredients into long term storage and smell good till 2040.
This "recipe" contains only three ingredients, was very simple to make and IT WORKS! I have had this personally verified by my resident "nose" - my daughter who has the sniffer of a hound dog. Since I don't have a sense of smell I wouldn't want you to take MY word for it! Here's a blog post from someone else who thinks it's the greatest: Suzannah Paul from the Smitten Word (and I checked - SHE has a sense of smell!)
I used a stick blender because of the lumps - I probably should have used a sifter first. Since coconut oil has a low melting point if you make this in the heat of the summer the consistency will be more like lotion - try it with less coconut oil - in the cold temperatures it's more like cold butter. Either way - scoop into some small pretty jars and top with a lid. This recipe made 2 1/2 - 1/2 pint jars and I used plastic storage lids for them.
Apply a pea-sized amount. It smells lightly of coconut when you first apply it and it makes your skin feel soft and silky smooth. I ran the numbers and the conservative price came to approximately $1.88 for the three jars. That's about 20x cheaper by volume than the "on sale" commercial brand of ladies deodorant I have bought in the past. I'd say that was worthwhile. It took about 15 minutes of my time - including the time it took to clean the blender!
Homestead Hippies unite! Are you going to try it??
My toothbrush is feeling lonely - I wonder if I can find a home made toothpaste recipe!
I wouldn't dare call you bonkers, otherwise I would have to include myself--because I, too, have made homemade deodorant! I do have one suggestion to make, though. I used the same recipe as you, but I found that after a few days of use, my armpits were blotchy red and irritated. I looked online and read that if you substitute arrowroot powder for the cornstarch, you won't experience any irritation. The arrowroot powder is available at The Bulk Barn, here in Canada. So, for those with sensitive skin, the arrowroot will be more soothing. You're absolutely right that this recipe works amazingly well and it smells so good, too!
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you search online there are lots of recipes for homemade toothpaste. That's next on my list, too :-).
Well Brenda - we can be bonkers together! I didn't know about the arrowroot powder - and I have a huge jar of it! I'm going to try that next time. I did hear that if you got blotchy and red it might be because of the detoxing effect of wearing regular deodorant over the years.
DeleteAnother friend just sent me the recipe she tried for toothpaste - can't wait to try it!
Thanks for all these terrific recipes, Anita! I plan on trying them.
ReplyDeleteGrammom - come and join the "bonkiness" - we'll be bonkers together and we'll all smell good!
DeleteAnita, did you notice any 'stains' from the cocoanut oil - on your clothes. Just wondering...
DeleteThanks.
No - not a stain to be seen. We had a family gathering yesterday so my mom and my sister did the sniff test - I passed :) I am going to try making it with arrowroot powder the next time to see if I notice a difference.
DeleteThere is a great homemade toothpaste recipe here.... http://yoursacredcalling.com/commonscentsmom/2012/02/moms-homemade-toothpaste/ I don't use the coconut oil in it though, my family didn't like it, instead I use the vegetable glycerin version. :) I love all your recipe for homemade deodorant. Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteThank Kerri! Looking forward to giving it a try!
DeleteI use just baking soda and corn starch every wheres.I like this better cause its like powder.
ReplyDeletei'm so glad you like this! i made it this week with a little lavender and tea tree oil, and i love it even more:)
ReplyDeletei DID have batch that broke me out--i didn't use quite enough coconut oil in the summer, and the baking soda was too abrasive for my skin, but with the right ratios, i'm back to good. thanks for linking my post:)
Thanks for this! I've been using a crystal stone purchased from Bulk Barn that gives me 3 days on one application, much better than anything I used to use. However it has one drawback--if you drop the thing it shatters! A shatterable item will not do so well in a bug-out situation, so I'm definitely going to try this recipe--probably today!
ReplyDelete