make your own: deodorant.

In the summer that I turned 19, I spent a month in the Vermont woods not showering.

There was some trail clearing and bridge building in there too, but the not showering bit is probably more impressive than any physical labor I attempted. And you thought that three-day hair was something to write home about.

I returned to civilization with the best-defined arms of my life, an incredibly itchy scalp, and a stench that has surely made my dad a candidate for sainthood since he was the one who drove the entire 6-hour trip home with me without complaint only complaining once.

Since then I’ve rarely gone more than a day or two without showering and my personal aroma is something that I’ve devoted a fair amount of time and energy to. You probably already know this. The subject of my stench is, afterall, not a new one for these tea leaves.

But, in my ever-fascinating quest to spend less money on things that I need (basic hygiene and food being necessities) and more money on things I don’t need (wine, and fancy underwear, and donuts being luxuries), I decided to finally take the advice of so many of you and make my own deodorant.

Because I am more lazy than not about these kind of things, I opted for the simplest recipe I could find.
Here’s what I used:

Aluminum-Free Baking Soda Arrowroot Powder Coconut Oil Tea Tree Essential Oil, 10 drops Lavender Essential Oil, 10 drops A drop of olive oil
A small glass jar with lid*

I mixed together equal parts baking soda, arrowroot powder (~three tablespoons of each was about the right amount for the jar I had). I blended in enough coconut oil to make a thick paste and added 10 drops each of tea tree and lavender essential oils. These both have the advantage of smelling fresh and boasting anti-bacterial properties to help with the stink. The olive oil trick was stolen from a reader who made claims that a drop or two would help the coconut oil from firming up too much in cooler temps.
Arrowroot powder and baking soda, mixed. Combined with coconut oil. Sweetened up with tea tree and lavender oils. Fin.

Here’s the thing. This was incredibly easy to whip together. And it worked.

This is to say that when I use it, I do not stink. Not really at all. I smell faintly of coconut oil, which is already the case since it’s what I use to slather on my infant child’s bare bottom.

But. The consistency is not as lovely as the Soapwalla Deodorant Cream I’ve been using for over a year. It goes on smooth enough, but then it kind of crumbles. It’s not a terrible kind of crumble, but suffice to say that wearing a sleeveless black number and this concoction presents problems.

Would it make all the difference if I took the time to melt a bit of shea butter into the mix? What are your homemade deodorant secrets, O Internet? I know you have them.

*In an effort to help you guys with your shopping, I’ve added links to these products, but all them are things you can likely find quite easily in your local grocery or natural food store.