I have been using all-natural deodorants for a couple of years now. The aluminum found in many conventional deodorants has been linked to breast cancer. SCARY! I like to know that only healthy ingredients go into the products that I use every day on my skin. So…guess what has found its way onto my To Do list? Yes, that’s right! I plan to try to make my own deodorant. There are tons of recipes out there – but I have collected a few that seem easy enough to make and have gotten plenty of good reviews.
The recipe for Homemade Deodorant found at The Passionate Housewife contains only 3 natural ingredients: Coconut Oil, Baking Soda and Cornstarch (or Arrowroot).
Homemade Deodorant
5-6 Tbsp Coconut oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch
Combine equal portions of baking soda & arrowroot powder. Then slowly add coconut oil and work it in with a spoon until it maintains the substance you desire. It should be about the same texture as the store bought kind, solid but able to be applied easily. You can either scoop this into your old dispensers or place in a small container with lid and apply with fingers with each use.
There’s an excellent tutorial over at Crunchy Betty with pictures to show exactly how to make Not a Secret Homemade Deodorant.
Not a Secret Homemade Deodorant
- 1-1/2 Tbsp grated beeswax or beeswax beads
- 4 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 Tbsp shea butter
- 4 tsp clay (bentonite or other)
- 20-25 drops essential oil (tea tree, rosemary, lavender, lemon, bergamot, or a mixture of any listed)
- Empty, clean, sterilized deodorant container
Melt the beeswax and coconut oil on very low heat, whisking often. Once melted, add in the shea butter and whisk a few times, then remove from the heat and continue melting. After that’s melted and you have a liquid, sprinkle in the clay and continue to whisk well until everything is combined. Drop in the essential oil, whisking still. Place the pan into a cool water bath, and leave for 5 minutes or until it just begins to set up. Spoon the mixture into your deodorant container and place it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes (or until completely hard). If, for some reason, it starts to get too soft on a hot day, just put it back in the freezer for a while.
I think that Michele at Frugal Granola has a homerun recipe for Natural Homemade Deodorant. The ingredients are all easy to find and if you know me, I love lavender essential oil and if I’m making my own deodorant, I want it to smell good (and keep me smelling good too)!
Natural Homemade Deodorant
3 Tbl. Shea Butter
3 Tbl. Baking Soda
2 Tbl. Arrowroot Powder
2 Tbl. Cocoa Butter
1 Tbl. Coconut Oil
2 Vitamin E Oil Capsules (poke with a pin & squeeze out the oil)
Essential Oil (I used lavender; 30+ drops, I think. Use plenty! The smell will fade as the mixture cools.)
In the top of a double boiler, over simmering water, melt the shea butter, coconut oil, and cocoa butter. Stir in the baking soda and arrowroot powder until well-combined. Remove from heat. Add the Vitamin E oil and essential oils, and stir well. Pour into a small container and let cool.
What do you think about homemade deodorant? Would you give it a try? Have you ever made your own deodorant? Let me know if you have any tips or suggestions to add in the comments section.
Just a note: I buy my Organic Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions. It is quite often on sale and sometimes even with free shipping. They also sell excellent Natural Deodorants that work well for me.
Yakyakash says
Does this clog your pores at all?
Nicole says
Was there a particular one of these recipes you were wondering about? I read a lot of people’s reviews on the different formulas and saw that people who have skin sensitivities or coconut allergies had to adjust the recipe and/or use alternate ingredients. I haven’t seen any mentions of it clogging pores – but I will keep asking/looking around.
Mrs green @littlegreenblog.com says
These recipes look amazing but I’m really cautious because I made some deodorant a few months back and have ruined my tops! These have oily marks under the arms which will not wash out. Have you found these deodorants to be ok for that? I’m currently using a crystal stone but sometimes I want something that smells nice! Hi from the Meet and Greet by the way!
Nicole says
Hi Mrs. Green! Thank you for stopping by on the Meet and Greet. And thanks for the heads up on the oily marks from the homemade DO. Did you use coconut oil or olive oil, if you remember? I definitely don’t want to ruin clothes when I experiment. I’ll be posting a follow up to this once I have the chance to try all my concoctions. i’m waiting on my essential oils to come in the mail so I can make a couple of smell good versions.
mrs green @littlegreenblog.com says
Hi Nicole, if I remember correctly I used jojoba oil; which of course is a very thick wax, technically. So perhaps that is where I went wrong. I could try olive oil, but from using it in massage I know it doesn’t wash out of towels terribly well…
Nicole says
I have read that olive oil does leave oily stains – I’m thinking I’ll try the coconut oil first and hope it rinses cleaner. Thanks for letting me know on the jojoba oil. I’ll let you know how mine works out.
Nicole says
Hi Mrs. Green,
I just wanted to follow up and let you know that I still use the homemade recipe #1 (using cornstarch) and have not had any issues with coconut oil leaving stains. None at all. I think the first, and simplest, homemade deodorant recipe works better for me than any other deodorant I have ever used. I highly recommend trying it out!
Nicole
Small Footprints says
Thank you for sharing these recipes … I hope you’ll do a follow up on how the one(s) you make work out. I’ve been using the crystal rocks … the are great at eliminating odor because they kill bacteria but they don’t control moisture at all. So for those times where an unsightly water stain would be embarrassing, perhaps one of these recipes would work. So glad that this post was linked up in our Meet & Greet … it’s perfect for bookmarking.
Nicole says
I will definitely have to post the follow up to see how these work. I love using a deodorant crystal too. They last forever but like you said, don’t control moisture. Now that it’s summertime, a little moisture control would be nice! 🙂 I’m glad I could link up at the Meet and Greet. I have been wanting to link up for weeks. I’ve got to buy some essential oils so I can try the more “complicated” recipes on here and let you know how they work. Thank you for taking the time to stop by.
Nicole says
Hi I made the last deodorant on the page, minus the shea butter and used vitamin e “lotion/paste/stuff” Also added some “dove go fresh” spray. I have been using it for a week, but I have to keep it in the fridge because it gets slimy and melty if I leave it out. Today I noticed the skin in my armpits is scaly ( o.o ) its also kinda itchy and its turning dark. Any ideas on how to fix this?
Nicole says
Hi Nicole! My first thought is that you need to quit using that homemade deodorant immediately (if you haven’t already!). I’m not a medical professional, so if you feel like you need medical advice, please call and/or go visit your doctor’s office. I hope your skin will clear up quickly once you discontinue using the homemade deodorant.
Nicole says
Hi again, just thought I would update
the rash came from the cornstarch I used. I was thinking “baby powder cornstarch, so I used a baby powder. Turns out the fragrance in the baby powder was the skin irritant. I just made a batch with regular cooking cornstarch,baking soda and coconut oil.
No burning, still smells good, just hope it keeps its shape in the old deodorant container.
Just my stupidity backfiring once again 🙂
Nicole says
Hi Nicole, I am so glad you let me know you are doing better. I have been thinking about you this week, hoping the rash cleared up.
And it’s not stupidity – it’s just experimenting to find out what works! 🙂 Some people are irritated by cornstarch, too (from what I read). But there are alternate ingredients. I use the recipe that is just coconut oil, cornstarch and baking powder. I don’t even add essential oil for fragrance, although I keep meaning to try it that way. The coconut oil adds a little tropical scent on its own that I like.
I think the simpler recipe is better. The coconut oil I use is always solid since I keep it in a cool bathroom, but it is soft enough for me to dab some on my finger. When I make my deodorant, I try to mix it to a consistency that I like. I hope this time works out for you, Nicole. Take care!
Eric says
Hi everyone,
I’ve been making my own products for a while now. My wife has bad allergies to about everything. So I started with homemade soap with all organic materials. Anyway, I make a hair gel (for me) that is similar to your recipe 2 minus clay or added essential oils. it works great to shape hair.
But for deodorant, I actually use a bar of pure homemade Castille soap, and melt it down, add a little pure vegetable glycerine to soften it. Essential oils… Bergamot, Lemon, and Hyssop smell great. Using Myrrh is smart for a base note. My wife LOVES this scent combo. They blend well into the soap base and the natural Castille isn’t too sudsy without water. Works well as an all natural deodorant.
Fractionated coconut oil won’t ever go bad, is oderless and colorless… Plus it will wash out of fabrics. Great stuff to use as a base oil too if you are trying to supersaturate soaps for other products.
Nicole says
Hi Eric, Thanks for sharing your advice and recipes. I really would love to get into soap-making one of these days. I’m a little intimidated by how complicated some of the processes seem when I read any “how to make homemade soap” articles and books. I have not heard about using Castile soap for deodorant. That sounds very interesting.
I just have to add that you are such a sweet hubby to take care of your wife and make all these amazing products for her! Thanks for stopping by, hope you’ll come again.
-Nicole
Eric says
Thank you for sharing all your recipes. They are all great ideas.
Making Homemade soap is extremely rewarding. You know exactly what is in it without any doubt. It’s a lot like cooking.
A great free soap calc site is…
http://www.soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp
It takes a little practice, but is a great calculator for mixing different oils you might have or plan to use for the soap. that is really the hard part of the process. Lots of great tips are online too.
The only somewhat scary part is NaOH solution- see the movie ‘Fight Club’ some time… They explain why you wouldn’t want to make soap without some vinegar handy (or around young kids) when handling NaOH or KOH. But it’s not that bad… Wear eye protection if you are clumsy!
A stick blender is a must have, or your hands will get tired from stirring (mine did my first time!) and you might get frustrated. A stick blender saves hours.
But it is really fun to experiment for sure.
Nicole says
Thanks for sharing the soap tips. If I do make soap one day, you can be sure I’ll blog about it here. 🙂 I’ve got to try the Castile deodorant like you suggested. I need to order a bunch of essential oils for that.
Shontee says
Hi, i just wanted to ask if i can use extraVirgin Olive Oil, instead of Coconut Oil?
Coconut oil is all i have and i dont want to waste any Olive oil.
Also, instead of cornstarch can i use Baby Powder, with Pure Cornstarch?
Thanks a bunch!
Nicole says
Hi Shontee, I have not tried it with olive oil so I don’t know how that would work. It works great with coconut oil, plus coconut oil doesn’t leave oily residue on my clothing. I think Olive Oil might leave stains.
I have also never substituted anything for the cornstarch. The cornstarch works great for me so I haven’t messed with it. Some people get irritated skin from cornstarch and use Arrowroot powder instead.
You may want to check around and see if you can find deodorant recipes using the ingredients olive oil and/or baby powder. I just don’t know how well they would substitute into the recipes listed here.
Sorry I couldn’t be more help. Good luck!
Blessie Nelson says
I love that you added coconut oil to this!
jamie braun says
im just starting to get into making my own health/household items. i havnt tried deodorant yet, because im kinda scared on how its going to come out
Nicole says
Hi Jamie, The first deodorant recipe listed on this blog post is my favorite and it is so easy – I can almost promise you won’t mess it up. 🙂 And if you are afraid of wasting ingredients, just try cutting the amounts in half to see how you like it. here is another blog post with step by step instruction: http://momalwaysfindsout.com/2012/09/how-to-make-natural-homemade-deodorant-with-3-simple-pantry-ingredients/
Good luck – let me know if you have any questions!
ANN*H says
OMG these sounds so good – the coconut products sounds so refreshing and clean I love it . I am going to keep all these recipes and pass them along to my friends who like to save $$$$ by making their own products -thanks
minusthebox says
Thanks so much for this. I added a few drops of lavender oil and it came out wonderfully. Thanks for the post and Stay Awesome.
Nicole says
Yay! Thanks for letting me know yours turned out. This is the best, easiest recipe I have come by and it works very well for me – so I quit looking for anything else. I love changing it up with different essential oils. Lavender is one of my favorites! Hope you enjoy.