Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Homemade Eco-Friendly Deodorant

As I transition to using homemade shampoo and conditioner, I have decided to throw in homemade deodorant as well. Most commercial brands of deodorant have aluminum in them, which has been linked to cancer and other physical harms. Not to mention, most commercial deodorants are expensive and harmful to the environment. In an effort to purge our home of toxic chemicals, I am experimenting with making my own deodorant with the hopes that it will work well and replace our commercial brands. I have been using my homemade mixture for the past few days, and so far so good! I have found it lasts longer than commercial brands, smells amazing, and is definitely the cheaper way to go! You can apply the mixture by rubbing it on your underarms like lotion, or you can spoon it into a deodorant container (but you will need to keep it in the refrigerator if you want it to stay in a solid state.) This mixture does not leave any residue on your body or clothes, and keeps your perspiration to a minimum. You don't want to use full on antiperspirants since this is your body releasing toxins. 

Deodorant recipe:

1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup corn starch or arrowroot powder (I use corn starch, but for some this will irritate the skin. Arrowroot does not contain talc in it, so it will not irritate.)
6 heaping tablespoons of coconut oil
5-6 drops of tea tree oil.

The baking soda eliminates odor, the corn starch (or arrowroot) is a natural thickening agent, and the coconut oil and tea tree oil are antibacterial properties (and smell super good!)

My hope is that this recipe continues to work so that we can get rid of our commercial brands and contribute to a healthier lifestyle for ourselves and the planet.