homemade deodorant test results

Posted on March 21st, 2010 by mountain girl  |  14 Comments »

Remember this homemade deodorant? Just a note to say that after 3 weeks of testing and using nothing but this, I think it works GREAT! For sure,we haven’t hit the sweaty dog days of summer yet…but so far it has way exceeded my expectations. I definitely like it better than any natural store-bought deodorant I’ve used (and I’ve tried quite a number of them!) and it just may be as effective as the regular aluminum-and-paraben-infused varieties.

The only drawback I might see would be that the baking soda could irritate sensitive skin, especially if you’re a runner or do workouts with a lot of upper-arm movements. It hasn’t been a problem for me, but my workouts are fairly gentle (though I definitely get a good arm-swing-thing going on my power walks). If you do have sensitive skin, you can try cutting back on the baking soda and increasing the cornstarch. (See here for the original recipe I used, and their suggested soda/starch ratio for sensitive skin.)

The stuff is super easy to make, and it works well in a recycled deodorant container with a standard screw-stick thingy at the bottom. I just had to give it an extra hard twist at the beginning, to dislodge the newly solidified mixture from the sides. I made mine with tea tree oil, and I loved the fresh, cooling effect. You could also use other essential oils such as lavender or patchouli.

Whenever I can be a bit more self-sufficient and make a necessary item instead of buying it, it makes me happy. If you try making it, drop by and let me know how it worked out!

14 Responses to “homemade deodorant test results”

  1. Christina@Health-Foodie says on :

    I love this! I really want to try it. I am not sure if I should use mine up first or just take out the stuff. 🙂

    To be honest, sometimes I just don’t use it. I sweat very little and I don’t smell most of the time… I hope at least. Anybody want to tell me something?!

    BUT, there is one thing… haha ok here it goes: When I eat curry I smell like curry. EXACTLY like curry. Am I the only one? I love curry and it is so good in cooking and for your health. I need a special anti-curry deodorant.

  2. mountain girl says on :

    Ha ha! That is hilarious! I just had a ton of curry in my scrambled eggs and am already sniffing to see if I have the same results…lol!
    You probably don’t have many toxins in your body to get rid of. I’ve heard heavy meat-eaters sweat a lot because their system is trying to purify itself…don’t know how true that is.

  3. Christina@Health-Foodie says on :

    And?? Do you smell it? I think it is somewhat normal because I have definitely smelled curry on other people before. But of course, we are all different. It does not affect Mark much.

    About the sweating and meat… I don’t think that is true. There are a lot of myths regarding sweating and toxins. Mainly because there are a lot of people making money from detox-products… The truth is that only about 1% of toxins get released through the skin. The other 99% are in the urine and feces. The skin’s job is not to detox our bodies, that is what the liver and kidney is for. Sweating has only one purpose: to cool your body off. I think the reason why I don’t sweat much is because I tend to drink too little and I simply don’t have enough water available most of the time to release it as sweat. Thanks for the reminder to drink more!! 🙂 I think I should write about toxins one day, I think it is one of the most widely believed myths out there and some people are getting way too rich as a result of spreading these things. No good.

  4. mountain girl says on :

    Hmmm….good to know. I’d like to hear more about the toxin subject…hope you do blog about it! I really thought the skin did release more toxins than that. As for the curry, nope, I’m disappointed to say I don’t smell a thing. My curry isn’t very strong or spicy, tho’…is yours? Though that may not make much of a dif.

  5. Christina@Health-Foodie says on :

    I will definitely write about toxins at some point. Here is an article from the New York Times that I found, if you are interested: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/fashion/22skin.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

    Well, lucky you! 🙂 Since curry is a mix of spices one guess is that it is only one spice in the curry. I did a little research online and apparently other people notice the same thing when they consume fenugreek, which is definitely used in some curries. You should check if it is in your curry mix. It is in mine…

  6. mountain girl says on :

    Hmmm…mine only lists “curry powder” in the ingredients. Lame.

  7. Mimi says on :

    I just saw the deodorant….I think I would like to try making some and I must say you girls look pretty in your sparkle headbands. Mimi

  8. mountain girl says on :

    Mimi,
    I think you would like the deodorant, and it’s really easy to make! We love our headbands!

  9. Petra says on :

    What about using this recipy for a roll on. One would have to make the consistency a bit more fluidy without the baking soda settling at the bottom as a sediment. How? What could one add? Perhaps water or some type of gel?

  10. mountain girl says on :

    Petra,
    I’m not sure about a roll-on deodorant recipe. I have never made one…it may take a bit of experimentation. I wonder if you might use a liquid oil rather than the coconut oil…like almond or jojoba. Please let me know how it goes if you make some!

  11. Lou Elphick says on :

    Ive been using this same recipe for about 12 months now and find it fantastic. Even if I happen to sweat, I have no smelly odors. I just keep mine in a glass jar and use my fingers to apply. Lovin your blog, followed a comment you left elsewhere.

  12. mountain girl says on :

    Yes, I love my deodorant, too! Thanks for the comment!

  13. Country Nana says on :

    I do not have an empty container. Can it be applied with finger tips or some other way?

  14. mountain girl says on :

    Hi Country Nana,
    You don’t need a container. I lost mine while traveling, and now I always just shape the deodorant into a lump and refrigerate in a plastic baggy. When you use it, simply take it out of the baggy and apply. I’ve found it is actually easier than messing around with a container!

    Mia