Homemade Natural Deodorant

I wanted to pass this along to everyone since it has been such a huge hit. I made this about a month ago, and instantly fell in love with it! I actually found this to be the best deodorant I've ever used. Even better than the commercial ones, and much much better than Tom's Natural deodorant.

I found it on the Passionate Homemaking blog site (thanks Lindsay!). It is free of aluminum and it's great because you actually know what is going in your deodorant and onto your body. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

6-8 Tbsp Coconut oil (solid state)
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch (arrowroot is preferred)

Directions:

1. 1. Combine equal portions of baking soda & arrowroot powder.
2. 2. Slowly add coconut oil and work it in with a spoon or hand blender until it maintains a firm but pliable texture. It should be about the same texture as commercial deodorant, solid but able to be applied easily. If it is too wet, add further arrowroot powder/cornstarch to thicken.
3. 3. Mix in some lavender oil or any scented oil you like to make it smell pretty! If you use virgin olive oil, it will smell a lot more like coconut than the refined kind will. I use the refined kind and add lavender oil to add some scent.
4. 4. You can either scoop this recipe into your old deodorant dispensers or place in a small container with lid and apply with fingers with each use. Makes about 1 cup. This recipe lasts about 3 months for two people with regular daily use.

I usually half this recipe and use about 4 tablespoons of coconut oil, and a 1/8 cup cornstarch and baking soda. Then I add about 4-6 drops of lavender oil. This is enough to fill one old deodorant stick container. If you use to recipe above, it will fill two containers. If you don't have any old deodorant containers, you can use a jar and apply it with your fingers. It's very moisturizing so you can just rub it into your hands after applying. I personally don't like doing it that way, so I use the old deodorant containers.

I get my coconut oil and arrowroot powder from Mountain Rose Herbs. A bunch of the families in our church body order in bulk and split it up. You can also order smaller amounts of the coconut oil if you are just buying for yourself.

You can check out Lindsay's blog if you want to watch the video she made on how to make it. She also has a lot of information on the health benefits of using it and what commercial deodorants have in them.

Let me know if you try it out and what you think! I made two sticks of it, and gave one to my friend Rachel and she fell in love with it too. She loved it so much she passed the recipe onto a bunch of people and now they are all trying it!