DIY Deodorant: Nothing to Thumb Your Nose At

UPDATE 2/7: deodorant withstands man test - all day at work (construction) + a round at the gym. I sniff-spected the shirts myself!! This is officially my new favorite thing.

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Yes, I did end that title with a preposition! Proudly.

My switch from store-bought to DIY was not just about health. It was literally a last resort. See below the WHY if you wanna know more (and a list of products that didn't work for me).

The Facts

• Time: < 10 min 
• Cost: < $2/stick* 
• Mess: 1 bowl, 1 fork, 1 tbsp, 1 meas. cup (eyeballed w/a 1/2 cup)
• Test: applied after 24hr no shower spree, then went on 2hr strenuous bike ride = NO SMELL! Unbelievable. Now used daily for 2 wks, no probs.
• Advice: keep in cool place (coconut oil melts easily); apply with stick, but rub in with fingers like lotion or just keep in a jar and apply with fingers

*I already had most of these ingredients in my kitchen: it's basically a baking recipe minus the sugar/flour. I bought the essential oils for a bad cold bath ($16 total for both bottles) and only used a few drops here.

So, I was in a class where the instructor talked about this homemade deodorant recipe she loved because it worked. We moved right after that and I lost the papers she handed out. But, recipes are all over the internet alongside success stories. So I used the following from The Prairie Homestead.

I aimed to be as organic + non-GMO as possible. 

But, if that's not important to you, use whatever you find.

• 1/3 cup coconut oil (this melts easily, so don't touch with hands)
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch (adds antiperspirant effect)
• *essential oils - I used tea tree (melaleuca) for its antimicrobial properties, sweet orange for scent

*Essential oils come in a variety of qualities; not all are good for skin application. I used AuraCacia brand (available at Whole Foods & Amazon) because they met important standards and were still cheap (sweet orange was only $6). They're very concentrated. You're using drops. They last you forever. This blog post was helpful to me in understanding the differences.

Mix coconut oil with dry ingredients. Use a fork in a wide bowl. (I did not at first and had to move it, adding to the mess.) This mixture is like cutting butter into flour for pastry, though easier.

I added a little more baking soda to bulk the consistency and cornstarch to increase antiperspirant. (Go slow: cornstarch puffs like none other!) 

Scooped some into an old product container and the rest into a jar.

As I said, I gave this an earnest test: hadn't showered since the morning (24hrs+) before, applied it, then went on a 2-hr bike ride. Afterward, I wasn't soaked and I didn't smell. It was GLORIOUS.

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WHY Did I DIY?

This is a long story, so I'll *try to* make it short:

I spent most of high school climbing the deodorant/antiperspirant ladder. When one quit working, I'd buy the next "strength" up, until I found myself sweating odorous buckets right through that OTC "prescription strength" with no rung up from there.

Listen, I don't sweat a lot, in general. It was almost as if...my body was OVER-producing moisture and (thus) odor in an effort to get past the latest chemical barrier I'd swiped on.

My husband-then-boyfriend was the final straw. Nothing worse than being told you smell by a wrinkle-nosed guy you like-maybe-love despite having showered, scrubbed raw, and applied some not-cheap product about 3 times that day. Ok, maybe having him accidentally get licked by the slobbery-damp underarm of your shirt is worse. Yes. That's definitely worse. True story.

He also pointed out that really-truly scientific research was finding unusual amounts of aluminum (active ingredient: antiperspirants) in Alzheimer's victims. The connection is still not proven (not really being researched enough, though). But the stuff wasn't working anyway. This just gave me another good reason to drop the bad habbit.

So began the hunt for an alternative. It has not been short-lived: 12 years, in fact. What I am about to share is no slight to the companies I'm going to list. Just a record of the aluminum-free products and the forms of those products that I've tried that did not work:

• Arm & Hammer Essentials Natural Deodorant (unscented)
• Arm & Hammer Essentials Natural Deodorant (fresh)
• Crystal Body Deodorant Stick (unscented) 
• Crystal Body Deodorant Roll On (unscented) 
• Crystal Body Deodorant Spray (unscented) 
• Crystal Body Deodorant Spray (pomegranate) 
• Crystal Body Deodorant Towelettes (unscented) 
• Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal Spray Mist (unscented)
• Tom's of Maine Deodorant Stick (original)
• Tom's of Maine Long-Lasting Deodorant Stick (apricot)
• Lavilin Underarm Deodorant Cream
• THAI Deodorant Stone
• various perfumes (yes, the expensive ones!)
• Ed Hardy Hearts & Daggers deodorant stick (for men)
• various body sprays from places like Bath & Body Works
• Dove Body Sprays
• Secret Body Sprays
• Axe Body Spray (for men; various scents)
• Axe Anarchy Body Spray (for women)

As you can see, I have put my underarms through the ringer. The only thing that works for at least 8 hrs (as long as there's no strenuous lengthy exercise) for both hubby and I is:

• Old Spice Body Sprays for Men - some scents work better than others

Well, and now, the recipe I shared above.