Coconut Oil Deodorant

Many have written of the benefits of coconut oil for hair, skin, and internally, as it moisturizes, contains lauric acid which kills harmful microorganisms, and smells and tastes delicious. I have been making my own toothpaste and deodorant for over a year now, and the results have been great. Coconut oil works as a great antibacterial, moisturizing base for deodorant.

To fill a 2 oz. jar (leftover from when I bought natural deodorant), I combine 3-4 tbsp. unrefined coconut oil, 2-4 tbsp. baking soda, 2-4 tbsp. arrowroot powder (you can also use cornstarch), and 5-10 drops of essential oil of your choice. I used camphor and cedarwood for a woodsy fragrance. You can also add a couple tablespoons of shea butter for a thicker consistency. I choose not to because I have limited means and want to save my shea butter for other uses. I have loosely based this recipe on Wellness Mama's. 

Since last year, Wellness Mama has been my number one favorite website for all things crunchy and natural. Anyway, as to the kind of coconut oil, because of my budget I use whatever Grocery Outlet has available, but if I had my way I would purchase Dr. Bronner's organic virgin coconut oil every single time. Luckily for me, this week Grocery Outlet had a huge jar of it available. With Grocery Outlet, you never know what you're going to get! It's definitely a grab bag. Any organic, virgin coconut oil is your best bet. 

Arrowroot powder is usually available at health food stores and natural grocery stores. Its consistency is that of cornstarch, so of course you can substitute cornstarch for it, but I just happened to have arrowroot powder on hand instead. Use what you have. I'm all for saving money, so I say, don't go out on a limb if you don't have to.

The baking soda I used to be fussy about, because I read that your average baking soda contains aluminum, which is the main ingredient in deodorant which we are trying to avoid. But I recently read that it was a simple mix-up, like a game of telephone, that led to everyone being up in arms over the supposedly aluminum-laden baking soda. It's baking POWDER, not baking soda, which commonly contains aluminum. So your biscuits may be endangered, but not your armpits. Unless you swap the baking soda for baking powder in this recipe. Which I don't recommend doing. Thanks to Crunchy Betty for clearing this up for us.

In any event, I am pleased to make clean, fresh-scented deodorant for my husband, who, frankly, doesn't naturally smell too bad anyhow. In order to save, he is the only one who uses the d-i-y deodorant currently because I still have a liquid Jason deodorant that I use; I found it in the back of our bathroom cabinet. I don't get as stinky as he does, so for awhile I just dabbed a bit of baking soda under my arms while he uses the homemade concoction. 

I use an old Schmidt's jar (Schmidt's is a similar product, similar to Primal Pit Paste) which still has the little plastic scoop so you don't have to get your fingers messy, but some may find it easier to use the deodorant in stick form. If you want to fill an old stick deodorant container, I recommend adding the shea butter to the recipe for firmness. You could also melt a couple tablespoons of beeswax and add it to the coconut oil. I have beeswax, but I prefer to save it for making sunblock; besides, I don't have any old stick containers lying around to be used. Schmidt's it is.

So many have written about this brilliant recipe, I just had to add my two cents. I love it and enjoy making bath and body products at home. I have yet to make my own shampoo and conditioner, though. That's just daunting. I used to wash only with hot water and scrubbing, and condition with diluted apple cider vinegar, but my hair changed after using certain medications and I'm back on regular shampoo and conditioner. If anyone has any suggestions for natural shampoo, let me know!