Deodorant...Updated!

I have been making my own deodorant for almost a year now and I LOVE IT!! Its very simple to make and is all natural! It is made from coconut oil, baking soda and corn starch. I am a Paramedic and have a rigorous, labor intensive job and I used to be sweaty all the time, no matter how much store bought deodorant/antiperspirant I used to wear. I was very self-conscious of it. After using my own deodorant for a while, I am much less sweaty and never have any odor. You also won't have to worry about the yellowing on your shirts again either! This deodorant takes care of that. Another wonderful thing about homemade deodorant is that it doesn't contain aluminum. Aluminum is the main ingredient in antiperspirants. They work by blocking the sweat glands in your armpits. Honestly, that doesn't sound very healthy! Your armpits are an area of your body that is used to thermo-regulate as well as some detoxing. Blocking the sweat glands seems ridiculous! By blocking the sweat glands, that can cause the fluid that is attempting to detox your body to back up in your lymph nodes. Lymph nodes that are blocked in your armpits can sometimes lead to breast cancer. You don't read that on your deodorant container, do you?

Making your own deodorant is very simple and VERY cheap! I put mine in an empty deodorant container to make it easy to use, just like store bought deodorant. A couple of things to remember... when traveling with this deodorant, just remember that it is made of coconut oil which will melt if it gets too warm. Also, some people are more sensitive to baking soda than others. The baking soda can change the pH in your armpit and you might end up with some small red lumps. You can either cut down on the amount of baking soda you add or substitute arrow root. Both will work fine. After about 6 months of use, I developed a few of these after I made a new batch of deodorant. I then just added more coconut oil and corn starch to decrease the amount of baking soda and have not had any issues.

When buying coconut oil, the best type to buy is the unrefined. It goes through less processing. If you want to add essential oils to your deodorant, that's great! Just make sure it is something that is safe to use on the armpit. Your armpit can absorb it. I have used Tea Tree Oil before. It's not the best smelling, but tea tree oil is a good antiseptic. I put about 2-3 drops in and you can smell it when smelling the deodorant itself, but you don't smell it when you're wearing it.

Deodorant Recipe:
-5 tbsp. Coconut Oil
-1/4cup Baking Soda (or arrow root)
-1/4cup Corn Starch
-couple drops of essential oil

I heat the coconut oil up until it is liquid, then mix in the baking soda and corn starch. Mix well so that all the baking soda and corn starch is dissolved. If it isn't mixed well, your deodorant will be gritty and could cause irritation. Let it slowly cool on the counter. As it cools it will begin to solidify. If you are going to put it in a stick deodorant container, this is when you will want to do it. You want the deodorant to hold its form, yet be soft enough that it will mold into the container well.