Make it yourself: Deodorant

I am one of those people who likes to make things on my own. I am constantly trying to invent better more simplistic recipes for everyday products such as deodorant. I am skeptical of many skin products as they contain numerous chemical and petro-derived ingredients such as aluminum and parabens. In fact, I really don't feel right about using any products that have a huge long list of weird ingredients. Our skin is not an impenetrable surface, whatever we put on our skin seeps down and then gets into our blood. This is how painters get lead poisoning from lead paint and how aluminum — the main active ingredient in conventional deodorants — has been singled out as a possible link to breast cancer and tumors. Read the labels! Even though numerous studies have linked breast cancer to aluminum, they still continue to put it in almost all deodorants!

My first solution to this problem was to try to find a 'natural' deodorant from my local health food store. But this did not prove effective. In my experience, the natural 'deodorant' I purchased seemed to make my odor worse. On top of that I still had the issue of plastic waste.

Reducing plastic and oil dependency is a huge concern of mine as is limiting the chemical burden I place on the environment everyday. How much plastic and styrofoam can we divert from the landfill if we pack our own lunch everyday and make our own deodorant, toothpaste and moisturizers stored in reusable containers? How much cleaner will our water and soil be if we limit the chemical pollutants we wash down the drain everyday? How much energy will we be giving our bodies each day if we don't expose them to harmful chemicals and substances? In a year's time, these small changes can add up to quite a big difference for our bodily health, our finances and for the health of our environment.

Simple Natural Deodorant
Makes about a month supply
2-4 tablespoons organic unrefined/virgin coconut oil
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking soda
2-4 drops tea tree oil
2-4 drops lavender oil
Put all ingredients in a small clean glass jar and stir well. If you are reusing a jar and cannot get the smell out try soaking for a day with hot water and a couple drops of essential oil-- any work but I use lavender or tea tree as they are also disinfectants.

Apply deodorant to skin prior to dressing so that you don't get any on your clothes. If you live in a colder climate then you can soften the deodorant in a sink of hot water before applying. Coconut oil has anti-viral and anti-microbial properties and tea tree and lavender add to these benefits when used as a deodorant. The baking soda simply helps to absorb unwanted odors.