Make Your Own Deodorant: The Natural Way!
Deodorant is expensive, right? Plus most deodorants and antiperspirants contain aluminum-based compounds, which have been scientifically linked to breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. I don’t know about you, but this scares me enough to do away with my Secret – vanilla scented deodorant! I don’t care if there are two sides to this controversy; I’d rather be safe than sorry. Besides, why pay a ridiculous amount of money on a product that puts toxins into your body when you can make your own, safe, natural deodorant for dirt cheap?!
Want to know a secret? Baking soda is an awesome, awesome deodorant and antiperspirant! It absorbs moisture and deodorizes. Coconut oil is also a great deodorizer; it has antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibacterial properties, which in other words keeps the “stank” (coming from your pits) to the minimum. Plus, coconut oil smells pretty good…at least to me.
Here’s how I deodorize:
The Baking Soda/Coconut Oil Method
I rub some coconut oil on my armpits, and then I rub a small amount of baking soda on them. It’s as simple as that! This method works great for me and the effectiveness of it can sometimes last up to two days for me…and I live in Texas! This has been my ritual for the past 6 months and I will never buy a stick of deodorant ever again. Whoo hoo! FYI: Coconut oil melts at 76+ degrees Fahrenheit. No matter the state of the coconut oil, you will still be able to apply it either way.
If you try out the “baking soda/coconut oil” method and it works well for you, you may want to create a liquid mixture you can put in a spray bottle to save you time. I haven’t tried this yet so I don’t know the exact measurements quite yet, but it seems like it would work well: Mix baking soda, coconut oil (melt in microwave if solid), distilled water, a small amount of vodka (to use as a preservative), and a few drops of your favorite essential oil, like lavender, together and store in a spray bottle.
If you are lazy, don’t have time to create your own concoction, or you don’t want to buy extra ingredients, simply wet your armpits with water, pour some baking soda into your hands, and rub the baking soda onto your pits, and be amazed! I do this sometimes if I run out of coconut oil. Baking soda works well by itself, but the coconut oil makes the deodorizing properties even stronger.
So go ahead and give it a try! Not only will you be keeping those horrible aluminum-based toxins out of your body, BUT you will also be saving tons of money, AND you will be limiting your landfill contribution. Please let me know if you have any questions.
**Tip #1: If the baking soda is too strong by itself, mix half cornstarch/half baking soda together and try it that way. This is less irritating to the skin.
**Tip #2: I always purchase organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil because organic = less toxic.
