There are so many different varieties of natural and organic beauty and hygiene products out there, but when you are diagnosed with cancer it is essential to make sure you’re keeping the bad stuff off of your skin and ultimately out of your blood system.
The most concerning of all of these products to me and to many others out there is DEODORANT. Why? Because conventional deodorant is incredibly invasive and toxic. But why are most natural deodorants so disappointing in their performance? I have used many, MANY varieties. I won’t name brands here, but TRUST me when I say I have tried 10 different brands that I can remember and many others that I’m sure were forgettable. AND many of these products were EXPENSIVE!!!! I am so happy to write about my soul-mate of deodorant today. The search is over. I have found THE ONE.
I first off want to thank Brittany at The Pistachio Project for the base of this recipe. She turned me onto this along with the rest of the “Crunchy Mamas” group at Babycenter.com who have raved about it. I didn’t make it for the longest time because we didn’t keep corn starch in our house and “I didn’t have the time.” I didn’t know what I was missing out on or how easy it was.
I’m glad I took the 5 minutes to make it. Seriously- it took 5 minutes once I ventured into it. I mixed in a medium sized bowl:
1/8 – 1/4 cup baking soda
1/8 – 1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup coconut oil
Directions: Mix the dry ingredients first and then add the oil. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.
It will have a pasty consistency if mixed properly and will vary depending on the oil’s temperature. Right now it is 77 in my house and the mixture is a little bit more oily than it was when I made it with oil that was solid from being in a cold grocery store. When purchasing the ingredients, I would double check that the baking soda does not have added aluminum and that the corn starch is organic since most corn Americans consume IS genetically modified, or has had its genes altered in a lab. Organic coconut oil is best but you will be fine with regular- as in at least it’s a better alternative to store bought deodorant.
My Experience:
I found it very simple to keep the mixture in a small container such as a baby food jar or even a small plastic food storage container. I stir it with my finger and whatever has stuck to my finger I use to smear one side on one armpit and the other armpit with the other side of my finger. You can then either rub in the rest of the coconut oil on your hands to moisturize (although it is a little gritty- maybe you could use as an exfoliant??) You could also just wash your hands with mild soap.
I absolutely LOVE this deodorant. A week has past since I first used it and I have found nothing wrong with it. Coconut Oil should last up to two years and the other two ingredients have shelf lives to at least one year.
Pros:
- It is completely non-toxic. You could eat it…if you needed to.
- It WORKS. I put it on after I shower in the morning and the next morning after my workout I still don’t smell- from the application of it 24 hours before!
- You might think that it stains your clothes but it doesn’t. I would use the exact amount I specify and rub it in well. Let it sit for a few minutes before putting a shirt on.
- It still allows you to sweat, but the baking soda and cornstarch absorb enough that you don’t look like a sweaty mess in your pits. Sweat helps detoxify your lymph system and rid your body of the bad stuff. Antiperspirants in store-bought deodorants stop this natural process from happening.
- It works for women and men- my husband has also been using it and it works just as well for him!
- It has not caused me irritation even after shaving.
- It’s CHEAP- I paid $ .49, $.99 and $7.99 for the ingredients which will make (by my estimation) over a year’s supply of deodorant for my husband and me.
Please let me know your feedback or any variations ya’ll try! I think you might find THE ONE with this recipe, too!
Helpful Links:
Breast Cancer and Antiperspirants (National Cancer Institute)
Aluminum in Deodorant (Natural News)
Cancer and Deodorant (Dr. Mercola: must register to read this article)
I have discovered, tried and successfully used regular rubbing alcohol after my shower/shaving….. occasionally using again to freshen up in the evening. You can use a cotton ball or cotton round (preferably organic) this works wonderfully!
Here’s my revised recipe:
1 TBSP Cornstarch
1 TBSP Baking Soda
1 1/2 TBSP Coconut oil
1 drop peppermint essential oil
Mix first 2 ingredients together
Mix last 2 ingredients together
Mix all together.
Note:
– The smaller amount makes it quicker to adjust if needed without having to wait until you’re done with the first batch.
– The peppermint oil is not diluted so you only need one drop which is plenty. It kills the germs and leaves a cooling fresh scent and feel!
Hi Cortney! My husband and I have been using this recipe for a year and a half now and we’re really loving how effective it is, but my husband had to stop because he developed a horrible rash/yeast infection from the deodorant. He went back to his store bought kind and it cleared up. I was wondering if you knew of anyone that experienced this and if they found a solution. I might try a version with a lot less baking soda and see if that works.
Nina- YES. Reduce baking soda and arrowroot or cornstarch until he feels better! I’ve had to alter the recipe for my husband as well.
Just came across your home made deodorant made with baking soda, cornstarch and coconut oil. Can you tell me what is the measurement 1/4c baking soda and 1/4c cornstarch
I understand Tbsp so would be better if you can let me know how much Tbsp is 1/4c.
Kind regards Rosie
4 Tbsp = 1/4 cup 🙂
Do you think that it would work to use arrowroot instead of the cornstarch? I’ve used cornstarch as a body powder for a very long time, but recently switched to arrowroot powder… thinking that maybe it wasn’t a great idea to have corn soaking into my skin everyday!
Hi Julie, yes arrowroot OR cornstarch is fine.
Thank you for this!!!!!! I tried numerous natural deodorants and none of them work. This has kept me smelling good all day.
I use coconut oil, but during the hot summer I have problems with odor. I don’t shower everyday but will wash my pits in the am and apply coconut oil, a few hours later I have some odor. I have tried your recipe in the past but it irritates my skin. Any suggestions? I refuse to go back to commercial deodorants.
Hey Sharon, reduce the amount of baking soda in your next batch or dilute the current one with more coconut oil and see if that helps.
Love that you’re getting these natural recipes out there. I’ve simplified to using a bit of diluted tea tree oil rubbed on the armpit and then powered with baking soda straight. For me this works better than even the commercial products. Even after a sweaty workout…no body odor. I’m going to try your recipe with tea tree added and use the suggestion below of packing it in an old deodorant case. It may be more convenient that my technique!
Another natural deodorant, free from toxins is to use 3% Food Grade hydrogen peroxide, which is available for purchase at some health food stores and some drug stores who cater to vitamin and natural healing supplement customers. Rememer to use Food Grade hydrogen peroxide ONLY. I put mine in a small spray bottle and spray three to four spritz in each armpit. No odor has ever taken hold since the hydrogen peroxide kills the bacteria that causes odor. It is so easy and works perfectly.
Hi,
I love the bakingsoda-coconutoil deo.
And i use it for some months now, (also did so in a warm climate) and it works like a charm.
I don’t use the cornstarch in it.
And now i wonder, what is the effect or reason for cornstarch in the recipe?
I make it like this: 2 parts coconutoil and 1 part bakingsoda
I also make a wonderful ‘toothpaste’ with coconutoil and bakingsoda and a few drops of (in this case) anisoil. My teeth feel clean and shiny.
Recipe:
1 part coconutoil
1 part bakingsoda ( aluminiumfree ofcourse)
Plm 20 drops peppermintoil, (or anisoil in case you use homeopathic medication)
Hi Karo- thanks. I believe the cornstarch is for subtle sweat absorption. Now that you mention it though, you’re probably right that you don’t need it. (: This deodorant allows you to sweat anyways.
After using this for a week, I’m SOLD on it! I’ve been using commercial products for the past 2 years and thought that my somewhat, um, “fragrant” armpits at the end of the day was the price I had to pay for going natural. But no more! This deodorant goes on easily, absorbs quickly and keeps me smell free all day long. I LOVE IT!! Thank you so much for posting this!!
Courtney, what is your opinion of those mineral salts sticks/rocks? I’ve been using them for years as I wanted a natural product.
Thanks
They are very natural but didn’t work for me. I have heard of some people with success. (:
This sounds awesome. . . but, here is another option. I buy GSE (grapefruit seed extract) and after showering (leave unerarms a tiny tad damp) I put a drop of GSE on the end of my middle and index finger. I rub those two fingers together with the matching fingers and I then rub this into my armpits gently. It is odorless, does not stain clothes but kills the bacteria. I do not always remember to do this every single day. However, If I’m out in the sun doing garadening or heavy work I sometimes go in to wipe off and reapply.
Caution: I do not shave my armpits. I waxed for years and now have almost no hair left there. I would not apply this immediately after shaving. I have no experience but of know of one person who said it stung a bit doing it immediately after shaving.
This a nice small bottle, easy to take with you, lasts a long time, great for traveling (oh, I also use it on my toothbrush sometimes to get rid of bacteria) and is good for both sexes.
Thanks for the suggestion, Barbra! I will give this a try. (:
Thank you so much for this! I will mix it up today. I love the smell of coconut oil. I’ve been using the natural brands without much luck. This is great!
Love this stuff! I have been using it for at least a month after trying other things for at least 2 years that never really worked. Thanks for sharing!!
Awesome! I’m still going strong with it as well. (: Somedays I even go with just coconut oil…
I’ve used this deodorant recipe for 3 months now and LOVE it! Thank you thank you THANK YOU! Now my husband is using it, too. Making a new batch today 🙂 xoxo
Cortney, gurl, THANK YOU!!!
I put on some of this deodorant after I made it yesterday morning and then in the afternoon had to heave 4 new tires for my Isuzu Rodeo into the back of my brother’s truck and take them to my mechanic (the Isuzu is in for repairs).
Girl, let me tell you that tires for a Light Truck are not small or light! I sweated a bit but the main thing is that this deodorant WORKED!!! I had no unpleasant smell and I am a happy camper. 🙂
Thank you so much!!
Hey Cortney!
I stumbled across your blog last night in the search of a Green Drink Cleanse program (and I will be starting your’s this weekend!!) and today I decided to try your deodorant recipe because:
1. I’ve been using a “herbal” product that I bought at the store but have found that my body is excreting a rather unpleasant odour. I want to try something totally natural to see if it’s me or the product.
2. Ge’dang, I hate paying $2.00 or $3.00 dollars for something that doesn’t really work!
3. I really do need to get away from all of these processed products that cause more problems than they solve.
Anyway, I wanted to say thank you for posting all of this and I will let you know how everything works out for me. 😀
Hey Marion!
I hear ya! You will LOVE this deodorant. Since it is winter it is important to know that it might be best to put the mixture in an old deodorant container b/c it is a solid under 72 degrees (if I remember correctly. In summer I keep it in jar b/c it melts (I live in Atlanta.) It is the BEST!!!! MY husband and I both use it and never stink! (:
Hi! I randomly stumbled on your blog while asking around for green drink recommendations and just happened to see this post. Thank you so much for putting this out there! For years I’ve struggled with deodorants and, no matter what I did, I would end up with a horrible rancid deodorant scent on my body by mid-day. No matter how much I showered or re-applies my deodorant, it wouldn’t go away. I was miserable and so embarassed to even hug anyone sometimes! I finally cut out standard deodorant and went aluminum-free and while that made a difference to some extent, the deodorant stink still hung around. I knew the ingredients were reactin poorly with my body but didn’t know what else to do. At one point I was even using clinical strength deodorant to combat the issue.
As soon as I saw this recipe 3 days ago, I made it and have been completely scent free the entire time (except for a faint coconut smell which I find yummy). It’s an absolute miracle to me and the wonders of coconut oil never cease to amaze me! It truly is the cure-all (we use coconut oil for several other things at home too). So thank you again for posting this… it has truly changed my life and confidence 🙂
This is all so awesome to hear! (:
Been using my batch since 9/20. Love it! The Thieves oil really smells great, like cinnamon mainly. Cannot smell the lavender too much, may leave it out of the next batch. Highly recommend this recipe, thanks so much for posting!
Just made my first batch, is in the fridge solidifying. I used Theives Oil (supposed to be antibacterial) and Lavender oil for scent. I work as a nurse so my armpit is in the patient’s face quite often….will let you know if it is working in a day or two! :->
I’ve made my own deodorant for years, based on the original formula of Lavilin, which has been changed so much it isn’t the same thing at all any more. I only have to apply it once each week. The zinc and herbal tinctures in it kill the bacteria under your arms, and it’s the bacteria that cause odor, not sweat. So, when you kill the bacteria you’re good for about 10 days before it grows back. So, I put it on once a week and I’m good to go until the next week. Here is what I use:
2-3 oz zinc oxide ointment (like lifeguards put on their noses to prevent sunburn)
1 squirt calendula oil (Herb Pharm)
1 squirt comfrey oil ” ”
Optional squirt of lavender or another oil for scent.
Stir up well. You have to rub this in well because the zinc oxide is white. Use it daily for three days, then weekly. This amount will last one person several months.
I’ve been wanting to drop the zinc oxide because I don’t like some of the ingredients, but I think maybe the zinc is important in killing the bacteria. I’ve heard of people using zinc oxide alone for their daily deodorant, but it won’t last a week. So my next batch I’ve been planning to use coconut oil and ionized zinc, which also comes in a dropper bottle along with the herbal oils. I’m not sure I can get the two to mix and stay that way, but I’ll experiment.
By the way, you can get Spectrum organic coconut oil at WalMart for about $6 a pint. it’s at least double that at my co-op It’s the only thing I buy at Walmart.
This is the recipe I have been using for about a year now too. I love it!!
Thanks for the recipe Courtney! I will mix it up tomorrow. I use Toms and it is ok but I would like to find something that helps with sweat better. I don’t sweat much but sometimes I need something to keep me drier.
I absolutely love using coconut oil in the shower to shave my legs!
I can’t wait to try this recipe too. Your blog is awesome……I’m so glad you posted it today on CSL. I’ve already signed up to receive your posts and look forward to looking back over your old posts along w/your new ones.
I am so glad you find it helpful, Lucea! I try to post twice a week (try) so come back and visit. 🙂
this is wonderful! because, Cortney, to your point, Tom’s and other’s don’t work. oooooops, I named names!!!
Hey Andrea!
I hope ya’ll are doin’ well! I used Tom’s for a while and it worked ok- for about 8 hours, and if I sweat too much it didn’t do so great. I also didn’t like that it contained some questionable stuff- propylene glycol, etc. BUT it IS better than most conventional deodorant ingredient-wise.
First off thanks for the mention of my blog GGD! 🙂
I also wanted to mention that depending on the type of coconut oil you buy it will either smell like nothing or smell like coconuts. If you get cold pressed coconut oil it will smell like coconuts. If you get expeller pressed (or any form of refined…although I recommend expeller as that refinement doesn’t use chemicals) then it will not smell.
You can also add essential oils to make it smell “fresher”.
Good to know! I love the coconut smell actually so I’ll stick to unrefined. I’ll leave your reply up so others can read it too. 🙂
I used to use the hippy stuff (and occasionally my hubby’s Old Spice… hey, it’s aluminum free), but five weeks ago when I was diagnosed with stage one cancer I gave up deodorant entirely. Right in the middle of summer… This sounds suspciously easy, but I’ll give it a go – like the idea of adding an essential oil!
Absolutely DO IT, Lucie. I promise it works. And if it worked on my husband, it will work on you. 🙂 And with cancer- don’t mess with chemical stuff, especially near our lymph nodes.
This is the recipe I use as well, but I usually adjust it to more cornstarch or arrowroot powder and less baking soda. The baking soda seemed to irritate me so I adjusted it…works great!!! I also add in some essential oil (lavender right at the moment).
I also put it into an old deodorant container…you can scoop it in if the oil is a little melted….then it hardens as it cools. Then apply as normal.
Works great!!! Will never go back… 😉