Pretty Pits: Homemade, Natural Deodorant!

Skip the harsh, toxic chemicals and embrace a natural deodorant! An easy make-at-home recipe. And it really works, too!

​Why use a natural deodorant? 

Your skin is highly porous and can take-in much of what you apply on it. Ideally, anything you put on your skin should be healthy and edible. When you use a natural deodorant you make yourself, you know that you're not contributing any further to the toxic load in your body from the environment, nor making your liver work harder to process chemicals. Healthy, homemade deodorants don't contain toxic chemicals such as parabens, PEGs, synthetic ingredients including hormone-disrupting fragrance and antibacterials, petrochemicals, or aluminum compounds.

​Read more about which chemical toxins to avoid specifically in my article: The Underside of Toxic Deodorants: They Stink!

​Antiperspirants are double trouble!

The skin is one of our main detoxification organs.  We're supposed to sweat when we get hot, or exercise, or are sick.  It's natural and normal. Preventing the perspiration process by using antiperspirants hinders the natural cool-down process and toxins can then accumulate in your armpits. Ugh.

But, no one wants to smell badly, so a natural deodorant is the easy solution! Plus, once your underarms are antiperspirant-free for a while and allowed to perspire normally, the average amount of sweat usually lessens over time.  Yay!  (My husband really had a noticeable difference with this.)

The make-at-home recipe below really works just as well for me as anything from the store!​

Michele & me. Tennis buddies!

​Michele's Natural, Homemade Deodorant

My dear friend, Michele, has experimented with many batches of her homemade deodorant recipe and has come up with just the perfect combination of ingredients. She says the consistency and scent are just perfect.  I completely agree and use it every day! She's allowed me to share the secret formula with y'all! (Michele is from Alabama, so "y'all" is very appropriate.) And you know how hot & sweaty it gets in the deep south!

I like to joke and say, "I don't sweat, I glisten!" But, when Michele and I battle our opponents in hard-hitting tennis matches, we sweat our patooties off!  

All of the ingredients in the homemade deodorant are easy to find and perfectly natural. The arrowroot powder and baking soda do a great job of absorbing moisture. Both the coconut oil, tea tree oil, and lavender oil possess antimicrobial properties. The shea butter acts as a lotion and makes it spread on easily. The beeswax gives it some structure.

It's for both men & women!
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Ingredients

• 1/4 cup beeswax pellets (measured un-melted)
• 1/2 cup shea butter (solid form)
• 1/3 cup coconut oil (liquid form)
• 1/2 cup arrowroot powder
• 2 Tbsp baking soda
• 40 drops (approx 1/2 tsp) tea tree essential oil
• 15 drops lavender essential oil

​Easy Instructions

Be careful - it's HOT!

1. First, place the beeswax, shea butter, and coconut oil into a glass pyrex container. Place the container in a shallow pan of boiling water. (See photo below.)
2. Heat the ingredients slowly, stirring every few minutes, until it's all melted.
3. Remove from boiling water and add arrowroot and baking powders and stir until it is well blended.  If it thickens too quickly, place back into boiling water and stir until well blended.
4. Add essential oils and mix again.
5. Pour into the containers of your choice (see below).
6. Allow to cool completely and harden before using.
7. It takes about 15 minutes to make many months worth of deodorant!

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Use a makeshift double boiler to make the deodorant.

Measuring shea butter isn't pretty. Hey, that's ok! ;-)

​My notes on the recipe:

• Again - be careful - it's HOT!!
• This recipe is great for everyone in your family!  The scent is not very strong, but if you think your guy won't like lavender, simply leave it out, or replace it with another essential oil he likes.
• Sometimes it may need to be applied twice per day, depending on activity and temperature.
• Clean up is easy.  I simply rinse everything with hot water and wipe it out with a paper towel.  Then I wash it.  (Don't put anything with any waxy residue in the dishwasher.)
• Try adding in a few Tbsp of Bentonite clay.  It's also great for detoxification of the pores!
• If your skin is extra-sensitive, you may want to omit the baking soda.
• I haven't noticed any pit-stains on any clothing; or what I call "crusty pits" on my husband's undershirts.
• You can print some Au Naturale Nutrition labels if you like:

PRINT: Deodorant Labels

​Deodorant Containers​

​These simple, inexpensive empty deodorant containers are what I use.  Each holds 2.5 ounces.  They have a dial at the bottom.

(The recipe above fills 4 of these containers.)

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These round deodorant sticks are a little nicer looking, but cost a little more.

Each holds 2 ounces.  They also twist at the bottom and have a nice screw-on top, too.
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Both containers can be washed when empty and used again.​

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Lastly, if you'd rather simply buy a natural deodorant instead of making your own, I like Primal Pit Paste. It comes in sticks or containers like the one seen here. They offer unscented, thyme & lemongrass, or orange scents. They even carry a product for kids!

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