Natural deodorant has been something that I have been using for a while. Conventional deodorants are packed with scary chemicals and preservatives that I don’t want floating through my body. Plus, most conventional anti-perspirant uses small particles of aluminum, which is toxic to the human body, to block sweat glands to keep you dry. Sweat is the body’s way of flushing out toxins and regulating body temperature. It just didn’t make sense to add more toxins while at the same time preventing my body from being able to detoxify properly.
There were a few that worked, but to be honest, they only worked if you sweated very little. Nervous sweating and exercising? Not so much. It’s unrealistic to think that these natural deodorants will prevent sweating. Remember, sweating is good for your body. The goal is to prevent the stink. And most of the stuff on the shelves? Well, they do a pretty meh job.
When I was breastfeeding, nothing came close to working even a little. I was sweaty and there wasn’t much I could do to cover up the resulting smell. I have heard many other breastfeeding mothers comment on the same dilemma, even if they were using conventional deodorant. All of the hormones flowing through a new mom’s body will lead to smellier sweat, it just happens. Especially because I was breastfeeding, it was even more important to me to keep toxins out of my body and away from my baby. So I tried the most natural deodorant recipe I could find, tweaked it a bit, and was shocked that it worked.
And the best part? It’s only two ingredients that are found in your kitchen: coconut oil and baking soda. If you like more smell, you can add a few drops of tea tree oil or essential oils like lavender or ylang ylang. Just make sure you only add a little and the oil is safe to apply to skin.
Baking soda is irritating to some people’s skin. Coconut oil by itself will do the job, just not as well. The best way to find the “sweet spot” is to experiment with the recipe. Irritated armpits? Less baking soda until there is no irritation. Still smelly? More baking soda and some tea tree oil. I’ve seen recipes that use other things like cornstarch or arrowroot powder to keep you more dry, but I think that it’s more smooth and pleasant with just the two ingredients.
Basic Deodorant
- 1 cup coconut oil
- 4 Tbsp baking soda
Heat the coconut oil until melted and stir in the baking soda. Pour into the container of your choice and give it a few extra shakes to prevent separating. Chill in the fridge until firm. To use, just dip a few fingers into the mixture and rub about half a teaspoon into you armpits.
