I’ve wanted to make homemade deodorant a long time now. My main motivation comes from that fact that I have sensitive skin, and over the last couple of years, my pits have become particularly sensitive to regular deodorants, even those without antiperspirants. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Did you ever read the labels of your deodorant? I have tried the “all-natural” deodorants before, but they were too expensive for my taste and to be honest, they weren’t much better than the regular deodorants.

In my search for homemade deodorant, I read that baking soda works well as a deodorant, but I found it too abrasive for me. Then I found a bunch of websites who had a variation of this simple recipe:

Ingredients:

• Baking Soda
• Cornstarch
• Solid Coconut oil

How to:

The basic recipe calls for equal parts baking soda and cornstarch and a few tablespoons solid coconut oil depending on the consistency you want. I did a medium size batch.

• I mixed 1/4 cup each of the baking soda and cornstarch in a bowl.
• Once combined, I started mixing in the coconut oil starting with two tablespoons than adding a tablespoon at a time until it reached the consistency of regular deodorant. For me, it took 6 tablespoons of the oil to get a good consistency.
• Then I put the mixture into a small, cleaned-out container I had found until ready to use.

This isn’t the best picture, but it gives you an idea of what the finished product looks like:

 To Use:

It’s very simple. Just use your fingers to apply the deodorant under your arms. Or, you can put the finished mixture in an old deodorant container and put it on as you would regular deodorant.

My experience:

I have been using the homemade deodorant for almost two weeks and love it. It has a nice, light scent from the coconut and my armpits are almost completely healed. Most importantly, it works well. I am one of those who perspire A LOT and so far the homemade deodorant has done a good job keeping the wetness out of my pits. It also has done a good job in preventing me from smelling bad, which is always a good thing! LOL! The real test, of course, will come summertime, but I really think it will do the job.

 Notes:

• In my research, there were some comments that the cornstarch was a problem for some people. If it is a problem for you, you may want to consider using arrowroot powder in place of the cornstarch.
• I also read that since coconut oil has a low boiling-point, it melts easily when it gets warm. You may want to keep the coconut oil and/or deodorant in the refrigerator is the summer/warmer months. (I’ll update this when it get warm to let you know my experience.)
• Some people commented that this homemade deodorant would stain their clothes, especially if they didn’t give the deodorant time to dry before getting dressed. I haven’t had that experience so far, but the test will come when the weather gets warm.

Is it frugal?

I think so. From what I read, a medium-sized batch should last about two months. The 16 oz jar of coconut oil $6.89 (I had free shipping). The baking soda was .89 cents, the cornstarch was .99 cents. With only using 6 tablespoons of the oil at a time, I shouldn’t have to buy more for about a year or so. Overall, we are talking about less than a dollar a batch. Not bad. 🙂

Update July 11, 2012: I’m about to make my second batch of this deodorant, which means my first batch lasted four months. That’s longer than the deodorants I used to buy. At this rate, making a batch every four months, I won’t have to replace the coconut oil much longer than a year – maybe not till two years.

I also want to mention that the deodorant worked fantastic during the recent heat wave, even on the two days we had 105 degree weather!

Have you tried making homemade deodorant? What was your experience like?

(Linked to WFMW.)