DIY Natural Roll-On Deodorant – Non-Toxic Recipe

November 23, 2013 by Sara @ My Merry Messy Life

Making your own deodorant at home is so much cheaper than store-bought natural deodorants and in my experience, it works MUCH better, too! This recipe uses beeswax, coconut oil, essential oils and arrowroot or cornstarch powder to nix the stinkiness and reduce sweating.

So, I’ve had a deodorant recipe here on the blog for over a year that’s super duper easy to make and really works. However, you have to use your fingers to apply it and many just have a hard time sticking their fingers in their pits. I get it, don’t wanna stick your fingers in the stank (even though I always apply it when I’m clean), so I finally bought myself some (affiliate link) roll-on containers from Amazon. All you really have to do is to add beeswax to my original recipe to make it roll-on and melt the concoction over the stove. It’s more work and more to clean up, so I like to make a double batch, which fills four tubes and will last for at least six months or more, and it doesn’t spoil!

Why Make Your Own?

If you’re new to making your own deodorant, I encourage you to check out my original deodorant post,as I go into detail there about why store-bought, non-natural deodorant is so toxic. It’s magical ingredient – aluminum – is an endocrine disruptor that disrupts things like your thyroid, hormones, reproductive system and more which can lead to all kinds of disorders and even cancer. For something I use every single day, it’s very important to me to use a non-toxic one.

You can buy a natural one in the store (my grocery store now even carries them) however, they are pretty pricey and I’ve tried a bunch (Tom’s of Maine, Jason and several others) and not a single one has worked well. I’m not sure why, but I’m tired of spending my money when I have a homemade version that works like a charm!

A Note About Baking Soda

The baking soda in this recipe can be quite irritating to the skin if it is applied right after shaving. It is very important that you wait a few hours afterwards and apply something soothing to your underarms like coconut oil, witch hazel or aloe vera in the interim. I usually take a bath at night (love my baths in epsom salts!) and shave then, and apply the deodorant in the morning. I don’t have any irritation if I do it that way.

I have experimented with a whole bunch of different recipes that don’t use baking soda – a probiotic one, ones with apple cider vinegar, alcohol, witch hazel – you name it, I’ve tried it! I tried them all this summer when I was running around outside with the kids and going to the gym and none of them worked. I stank like a hippie for several weeks as I experimented and I really got sick of smelling like I lived in a tent in the woods and hunted squirrels for food. So, I went back to this recipe again. I discovered that baking soda is the magical ingredient.

Stir all ingredients in a saucepan and melt on medium-low heat

The Recipe

To get the proportions just right, I used Plant Therapy’s deodorant recipe to help, but made some changes to reduce the baking soda so it wouldn’t be as irritating. If you find it’s not working to keep your stink away, you don’t have to throw it out. Scrape it out of the containers and melt it again on the stove, but add in more baking soda and coconut oil. Then 10 drops more of the essential oils to top it off.

I get all my coconut oil from (affiliate link) Tropical Traditions – they also sell pastured and grass-fed beef, butter, raw organic honey and so much more! I also buy the 13 lb. bag of baking soda from Amazon because I use it all over the house to clean, including in my homemade dishwashing and laundry detergents.

The melted mixture is ready to pour into the deodorant containers.

DIY Natural Roll-On Deodorant – Non-Toxic Recipe

Author: Sara – My Merry Messy Life

For 2 containers

Ingredients

·         2 tablespoons organic beeswax pastilles

·         ¾ cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch

·         ¼ cup baking soda

·         40 drops of Plant Therapy’s Germ Fighter or Deodorizing Essential Oil Blends, or any combination of these essential oils: lavender, tea tree, lemon, eucalyptus, cinnamon, clove, bergamot

·         1/2 cup Coconut Oil

·         1-2 roll-on deodorant containers

Instructions

1.      Combine all ingredients, except the essential oils, in a saucepan. Heat on medium-low heat until all is melted, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Add the essential oils and stir.

2.      Once it’s all combined, pour into your deodorant containers and let cool (about 10-20 minutes). Then it’s ready to use!