homemade deodorant recipe

This may change your life. Well, it might make you a lot less stinky, anyway.

It's a homemade deodorant recipe which is simple, inexpensive, smells great and leaves not a hint of stink after a day of sweating. (Ask Adam - he's my in-house sniffer.)

If you don't make your own deodorant already and are wondering about the whys of making your own, there are several. First, it's fun to do it just because you can. Second, you know and control exactly what's in it. Third, it works like nobody's business. (Just Google it - you'll find dozens of other people singing the praises of similar recipes, too. It's not just me!) Fourth, this is not anti-perspirant, so it doesn't plug up your pores. (This means that you still sweat, but without the stink. I don't know about you, but I don't really want sweat (which my body's trying to get rid of) trapped, you know? It just doesn't make sense to me.) Extra bonus: the coconut oil is a lovely moisturizer, so it leaves your skin soft and smooth, and not caked up with antiperspirant crud.

I've tried making several versions of deodorant, none of them blog-worthy, and all of them had something about them that I didn't love. One left my underarms kind of tender after a few days of use, so I would have to alternate it with a deodorant crystal. (Which was fine, but I found the crystal was a bit less effective than the deodorant.) One which contains lots of expensive oils just didn't work at all for me. (Sorry, Adam.) One separated and went all melty when it was at room temperature. So when I finally found this one, I gave it a good try, and I'm giving it my stamp of approval.

And here's the other thing - what works for me might not work for you. You might find that another recipe works better for you. And that's great! But this one's so inexpensive and easy, you should give it a try. If you have the ingredients already, you can make it in under two minutes. That's my kind of recipe!

In case you can't decode the recipe in the picture (I wrote it on the lids so I wouldn't get it mixed up with any of my other, failed experiments), here it is:

Deodorant
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot flour (available at bulk and health food stores)
5 tbsp coconut oil
9 drops essential oil 

Mix everything together in a bowl. I found that massaging it together with my hands was the best way to make sure it was thoroughly blended.

To use, scoop out a small-pea-sized amount on your finger and rub it in until it disappears. It will melt right in without leaving you with greasy underarms.

This recipe makes 1/2 cup of deodorant, which will last you a very, very long time. Scoop it into two small jars and give one to a stinky friend!

Notes: I chose lavender essential oil for its antibacterial properties and I love the scent, but you could use any. The scent isn't really strong enough to notice once it's on.

This recipe seems to be all over the internet, which a) makes me wonder why I didn't find it sooner, and b) means that I have no idea where the original is from.

Let me know how you like it!

**Edited to add:
When I made the deodorant (and posted the recipe) it wasn't terribly hot here. And then it got hot. And the deodorant got soft and kind of runny. Mine is still apply-able, but if it was any warmer, I would probably add in a teeny bit at a time of a mix of equal parts arrowroot powder and baking soda to thicken it up. It can be stored in the fridge, but unless your kitchen is close to your bathroom, that's kind of a pain.

Also, after continuing to use this for another week or so, I found that this irritated my underarms a bit. Nothing too serious, the skin was just a bit less smooth. I think that I'll try making another batch with a teeny bit less baking soda. I think the trick is to get the right balance that will keep away the stink and not be irritating.

And just for your information, I read somewhere that spritzing vodka or other alcohol works amazingly well - it certainly didn't for me. I tried it for a few days. Peeeee-yew!