Today, I tackle a subject that no one really wants to talk about: body odor. More importantly, I will tackle it naturally. Chances are, you’ve probably experienced body odor at some point. I am posting this because it was a touchy subject for me for a long time, and I’m hoping my (embarrassing) plight might be able to help someone!
Eating good diet and drinking enough water can really cut down the odor, but sometimes you need something else. Sure, the conventional deodorant antiperspirants work great, if you don’t mind infusing your armpits with cancer causing aluminum, but for those of us who have sought a more natural option, you may have noticed that the pickings are rather slim. There are a lot of natural deodorants out there, it’s just that, well… most of them don’t work well. I say this from experience, as a woman who has been pregnant four times in the last 5 years (pregnancy increases sweat) and worked out through the pregnancies.
So what to do? Sweat like a horse or get Alzheimers and breast cancer? Is there no other option? Fortunately, there is! Unfortunately, it takes more time than going to the store, but it lasts a lot longer and is a whole lot healthier! In my pursuit of healthy armpits, I finally found a recipe that works and is still healthy. This is after trying every natural variation I could find (which didn’t work or caused a rash) and after several very failed attempts at making it.
I did find in the process that pure baking soda or plain coconut oil work pretty well, so if you aren’t into making your own, maybe try that. Both of the recipes below work really well. I prefer the softness of the first recipe, but if you don’t have Shea butter lying around, the second recipe works just as well.
I present to you:
How to Make Healthy Homemade Deodorant
Deodorant Recipe 1 – Ingredients
- 3 T Coconut Oil
- 3 T Baking Soda
- 2 T Shea Butter
- 2 T Arrowroot (optional)
- Essential Oils (optional)
Deodorant Recipe 1 – Instructions
- Melt shea butter and coconut oil in a double boiler over medium heat until barely melted. UPDATE: Combine in a quart size glass mason jar with a lid instead and place this in a small saucepan of water until melted. This will save your bowl and you can just designate this jar for these type of projects and not even need to wash it out…
- Remove from heat and add baking soda and arrowroot (If you don’t have arrowroot, use more baking soda)
- Mix well
- Add essential oils and pour into a glass container for storage. It does not need to be stored in the fridge.
- If you prefer, you can let it cool completely and put into an old deodorant stick for easier use, though it may melt in the summer!
If you don’t have all those ingredients around, or don’t want to wash a double boiler, this recipe is faster and easier:
Deodorant Recipe 2 – Ingredients
- 6 T coconut oil
- 1/4 cup (4 T) baking soda
- 1/4 cup (4 T) arrowroot or cornstarch
- essential oils (optional)
Deodorant Recipe 2 – Instructions
Why Use Natural Deodorant?
I started this pursuit to avoid the Alzheimer’s and breast cancer, but I’m a lifelong convert because it works! No, really! I was the girl who rejoiced when Secret Clinical Strength came out before prom one year. I’ve had to use regular deodorant a few times since I started the natural, and it doesn’t work as well. Although not an antiperspirant, it does seem to absorb a lot of wetness.
After a few weeks of using natural, I noticed an unexpected side effect… I wasn’t sweating as much to begin with. Months later, and I notice this even more!
I urge you to try making your own deodorant. Even if you aren’t daunted by the ingredients in your own deo, wouldn’t you feel better knowing you weren’t putting anything on your skin that you couldn’t eat (not that you would want to eat shea butter!) If you do try it, let me know the outcome!
You can get all the ingredients for both recipes here. If you prefer to spray on your deodorant, here’s a recipe to try.
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