It’s your lucky week. I’m posting again! It must be Spring.
Side note, I always thought Spring was the 21st? People keep telling me today is Spring and I’m in denial because I’ve always been a 21st kind of girl, but maybe it’s because I was going by Astrological signs.
Whatever.
I’ve been using home-made deodorant for 2 weeks now and wanted to share with you my recipe. I’m not a scientist and I don’t know if this is right for everyone, but it works for me and I don’t smell. Or at least no one has told me. My son is very honest about smells and he hasn’t told me once that I smell bad.
HOME-MADE DEODORANT:
1/2 cup coconut oil. Mine was melted from being left in room temperature.
1 tbsp. corn starch
1 tbsp. baking soda
3 drops essential tea tree oil.
1) Mix together.
Because coconut oil has a low melting point and I’m not using plastic, I store mine in a mason jar and leave it in the fridge until 5 minutes before I want to use it. I just use the back of my nail to scrape it and then rub it into my armpits.
It feels cool and smooth and nice.
Next is the dish soap. This is my second time making it. The first time I didn’t use anything but castille soap, water and lemon juice. There are recipes that include vinegar or lemon to cut grease. I didn’t use it in this one but I may in my third batch. I’m just doing a test to see which I like better.
HOME-MADE DISH SOAP:
1 bar of castille soap
Hot water
1 tbsp washing soda (ie. Borax or Arm & Hammer Washing Soda and you can add more depending on how thick you want it)
3 drops essential tea tree oil
I chose to get a bar of castille soap because it’s wrapped in paper. Also, there is only 2 of us, so I don’t need a lot. Others buy in bulk but the bulk one still comes in plastic and I would prefer to have something that can be truly biodegradable.
1) Chop the castille soap and put in a large mason jar. Boil hot water and fill up the jar until the castille soap melts. I let mine sit for a few hours. There will be some leftover chunks that don’t melt. It’s fine.
2) Next mix in the washing soda and add in the tea tree oil.
Over time it will thicken and look like fresh sperm or tapioca pudding, whichever you want to imagine.
I poured what I wanted into a glass “vinegar” container and saved the rest of it in the jar for when I want more. I don’t have a pump for it but I just pour out a little bit of what I want onto my dish rag and wash that way. (I used up my sponge to it’s death, but now will be using the good ol’ rag).
Note: The dish soap will only suds up a little, but it will not be your standard dish soap that creates lots of bubbles that fly in the air when you squeeze the bottle. We’ve been conditioned to think that bubbles means clean, which it doesn’t and you just have to get used to it.
Got recipes? Share!
Zero Waste Ottawa 
I use only coconut oil as a deodorant, it kills off bacteria hence no bad smell and is so simple. I have been using it all year and love it, no one has told me I smell so it must be working, which is amazing considering I have a physically demanding (sweaty) job. Like you I had bad skin problems due to normal scented skin products. But now my underarms are beautifully soft and rash free.
Hi Florence! Thank you for sharing! I actually can’t remember the last time I applied anything to my underarms. When I did, I just powdered corn starch on my armpits 🙂
Great advice 🙂
Hi!
I wanted to ask if you still use the dish soap these days. I want to make one myself and wanted to know if your recepie is holding up. In other places online I see recepies that include a bar soap and liquid soap, but where I live liquid castille soap is sold only in plastic bottles, I don’t understand why there’s a need for both a bar and liquid but all the people that posted these recepies said “it’s the only recepie that worked for me”.
How much water do you use in the recepie?
Thansk, Anna.
Hi Anna, I still use the dish soap. Depending on how thick I want it to be, I’ll use less water. It’s really trial and error and I’m not sure what you would prefer. Some prefer it to be runnier. I would recommend you start with a 50/50 ratio and work from there.
I bought ingredients to try another (but nearly identical recipe) fir the deodorant. I’m curious about it staining my clothes though. I have switched to mostly thrifted or ethical made (and therefore higher priced) pieces and I would really be unhappy if I ruined them with diy deodorant. Any experience either way on if it stains or leaves grease on your clothes?
I love your blog.
Hi Andrea,
The key is to rub it in fairly well. I would recommend you wearing something that you wouldn’t mind messing up first though 🙂 I’ve never had an issue with my clothing and I wear a lot of black. Thank you for reading my blog and for taking the time to write me!