ammyjhonson: DIY Coconut Oil Deodorant

I?m thrilled to have Stephanie of The Wannabe Homesteader guest posting today! I started making and using my own version of coconut oil deodorant this fall, and it really does work! It would even make a good Christmas present for your more ?crunchy? friends? And speaking of Christmas presents, check out the Homestead?Gift Guide for some last minute ideas for your homesteading friends?and family!?

I?ve always known that store-bought deodorants have some pretty nasty ingredients in them (they?ve even been linked to cancer) but I hesitated on making my own because I feared homemade deodorants wouldn?t really do the job.

I don?t mind sweating a little as that?s your body?s way of eliminating toxins, but I didn?t exactly want to walk around smelling ?crunchy? if you know what I mean.

After trying two natural brands of deodorant (Tom?s and the Natural Crystal), and being sorely disappointed (ie. smelling crunchy by the end of the day), I decided to give this recipe a try.

Boy, I?m so glad I did!

This natural deodorant recipe works amazingly well. My only wish is that I tried it sooner!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
4 tablespoons cornstarch (this will add an antiperspirant effect to the deodorant.)
essential oils (optional, but you could use tea tree oil, sweet orange, cinnamon, etc.)

How to make:

Mix baking soda, cornstarch, and arrowroot powder in a bowl.
Add coconut oil and use a fork or pastry cutter to blend into the dry ingredients.
Add 5-10 drops of your chosen essential oil (I used tea tree oil).
Add more coconut oil or baking soda to achieve your desired consistency.
Viola! Now you have easy-peasy, good-for-you, all-natural deodorant!

Other Notes:

This recipe uses coconut oil which will liquefy at 76 degrees (it will remain solid at any temp under 76 degrees). I live in Florida and this deodorant stays a paste-like consistency in my bathroom. However, my husband uses the bathroom upstairs and at times, it turns into a thick liquid-y consistency. He doesn?t find it a problem, though. He just dabs his finger into it, messages it into his underarms, and then rinses his hands afterward.

I?ve heard of people putting their homemade deodorants in cleaned-out store-bought deodorant containers but it didn?t work for me. My DIY deodorant leaked out the bottom of the container and was a gooey mess.

Instead, I store this coconut oil deodorant in a small glass jar and I keep it in my medicine cabinet.

To apply, I take a small amount and rub it together with my hands to soften and then rub it into my underarms like a lotion.

Me and my husband both use this deodorant and absolutely love it. We?d never switch back to store-bought. You really must give it a try.

This recipe was adapted from Homemade Natural Deodorant: Recipes that Work on Squidoo

Stephanie is a self-described ?average joe? who desires a more real, self-reliant lifestyle in an artificial and dependent world. She blogs at The Wannabe Homesteader where she and her family have fun stumbling over each other on their way towards self-sufficiency. She spends her days homemaking and homeschooling while dreaming about homesteading.