What is it about commercially bought deodorants that people are attracted to? Is it the smell or that ‘it works.’ I don’t know about you but I ask our kids friends, especially the boys friends, to not spray their deodorants in the house because we all get immediate headaches… think Links deodorant brand! The chemical assault on ones nerve system by these brands is overwhelming.
For 20 years I have used an organic brand from Australia, they were my favourite organic deodorant company and I would buy for myself and Anais and Randall and the boys but they have since changed their packaging. That might not seem like a big deal but seriously it was like they had left over toothpaste containers and decided to use them! Clearly they had done very little market research on what the customer would like because I don’t think anyone would agree to the new design. Let’s just say it leaked everywhere and you couldn’t apply it quickly with clothes on. Anyway, I gave them my honest feedback and decided to move on and explore making our own.
My focus was to put together a deodorant that was smooth to apply, soft to the skin, smelt nice and actually worked. I knew coconut and shea butter would be a good place to start as well as lemon, lime and orange essential oils. Then I experimented with how to put it all together and to my delight it turned out fantastic and everyone loves it!
Here’s what you need:
- ¼ cup raw organic coconut oil
- 2 tablespoon cocoa butter
- 2 tablespoon shea butter
- ¼ cup aluminium free baking powder
- ½ tablespoon baking soda
- ½ tablespoon tapioca flour (do not use pearls or grits/flakes)
- 15 drops essential oils*
- 1 empty deodorant container or small glass jar
*Essential oils (EO) that are wonderful in this recipe are any combination of the following: lemon, lavender, tea tree, geranium, lemongrass, lime, thyme, sweet orange, vanilla and peppermint. Be careful with peppermint as it is strong and could irritate the sensitive armpit area. My favourite EO’s are lemon, lime, lavender, lemongrass, geranium and orange! Any combination of the above will work it’s all personal preference.
Here’s how to put it together:
NOTE: I don’t have a double boiler so I just filled a large saucepan with a small amount of water and used a smaller saucepan to sit inside the larger one. If using a gas stove they can get hot quickly so use a low heat. The idea is NOT to get any water into your mix and to heat the ingredients slowly.
- In your small saucepan add the coconut oil, shea butter and the cocoa butter. As soon as you are able to stir gently until fully melted and combined into a smooth liquid.
- Once combined remove the small saucepan from the heat. Let it cool for a few minutes so it’s warm, not hot (this helps preserve the quality of the essential oils and prevent clumping when adding powders). The mixture needs to be smooth and thick enough to stir with no air pockets.
- Stir in the baking soda, baking powder and the tapioca. Whisk thoroughly to remove any lumps and form a smooth paste.
- Once cooled a little more add the 15 drops of essential oils. Mix well to distribute the scent evenly.
Quantity: It makes about one small jar as shown in the picture above. However, I do suggest putting the mixture into smaller 10ml jars with screw top lids.This will enable you to place in a small bowl of warm water to warm up prior to using as the coconut oil will harden in the cooler months.
Storage: It will store well in a cool and dark place. You can place in the fridge initially to harden. I didn’t, I just used my cupboard in our bathroom where it’s dark and cool enough.
Comments: I found the smell to be wonderful. However, if you do not like the coconut smell you could add another 5 drops of your favourite essential oil.
Application: The deodorant will be solid at room temperature but when you massage the deodorant from the container and apply it to your armpit it will soften as you massage it in. The amount to apply is also personal preference. I massage out of the jar enough to cover the tip of my finger.
Have fun making this organic and healthy deodorant!
