Home Made Deodorant - Thought this was too crunchy for me...

I never thought I would use, let alone make natural deodorant. I love my stick deodorant I currently use. No mess, no fuss. Just buy it for a couple of bucks at the store. Plus, those "Crunchy" people who make their own often smell a little...

But then I started reading up on all of the debates about the ingredients. It actually turns out, they're not that bad (my opinion only). There are studies done on the cons with no glaring toxins or amount of dangerous toxins screaming out to me. The main ingredient is aluminum chlorohydrate which is the antiperspirant ingredient. Some people say the aluminum gathers in the blood stream and too much aluminum exposure can lead to neuro diseases, including Alzheimer.

To be safe and cheap, I decided to make my own deodorant/antiperspirant. My main concern was how it would hold up on me - would I stink? Would my armpits be soaked? Also, could I convince my husband to use it?

After looking at a few recipes, I decided on the following:
1/3 Cup Coconut Oil - Mine is organic from WalMart. About $7 for a pint. Found next to the other oils. I ended up needing a little more than 1/3C.
1/4 Cup Baking Soda. Some people suggest finding organic and without aluminum (b/c this is the chemical we are trying to stay away from!). But, I just used a generic $0.40 brand that was in my cupboard.
4 Tablespoons Cornstarch. Again, generic brand at WalMart. Some people prefer Arrowroot - which is more expensive. I'll try that on my next batch to see if there is a difference.
5-10 drops Essential Oil of your choice. I ended up using more. I chose Lemongrass. Smells like Fruit Loops!

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Add coconut oil and use a fork to blend. (This part was tough. I semi-melted  some of the coconut oil. I then had my hubby help me mix it. He had the perfect touch). Add 5-10 drops of Essential Oil. Add more oil or baking soda or coconut oil to achieve the desired consistency. You want a paste like consistency. I think I ended up adding 20 drops of EO!

Keep in mind that coconut oil easily goes from solid to liquid, without needing much heat. For this reason, I keep my deodorant in the fridge. I put some in an old deodorant container for ease of use. I put the remainder in a glass bottle. It's a little chilly going on, but I'm sure I'll love it in the summer!

So, I asked my husband to try some, and to my utter surprise, he did! Now, he is not normally a smelly guy. He works out a lot and sweats, but his sweat is not bad. He LOVES it!! At the end of the day, he has no odor!

I tried it. Works well on me too. Keep in mind, it is the middle of winter, so I'll be curious to see how my stink holds up in the summer. It did not keep me completely dry though. I might add some cornstarch to my "pits" for added dryness. But, when I'm not doing anything strenuous except taking care of my eight month old, it keeps me dry.

Conclusion: I love it, my husband loves it, and it seems to work. We are going to keep using it. I will have updates on further testing!

 The above picture shows how I'm storing it. I'm using an old deodorant canister and I put the leftover in a glass bottle. I will transfer the deodorant in the glass jar to the canister when needed. I'll have to let it melt a little first.

 This is a great idea. Easily twists up and down to dispense the deodorant. Some people put it on straight out of the jar; I'm not ready for that much crunchiness yet.

My leftover, waiting to be used. I store this in the refrigerator too.

I have NOT thrown out all of my store bought deodorant. I'm not that confident yet. Plus, I need more canisters...