Deodorant?

[Dace]

Any one here have an alternative to commercial deodorants?

Years ago i used a crystal, haven't thought about it in ages and I got to wondering....as long as I am using natural cleaners around the house and now on a hiatus form shampoo, what else can I play with?

 

[Woodland Woman]

I use a salt crystal. You may have to reapply on very hot days. It can take a couple of weeks for your body to adjust. Some people use baking soda. Dry or mixed with water in a spray bottle. I keep a spray bottle of vinegar in the shower to spray under our arms while showering. ( Also good for cleaning the shower.) Tom's of Maine has some commercial choices.

 

[Aidenbaby]

I admit it, I don't normally wear deodorant and was wanting to find something that doesn't contain antiperspirant. If you only have normal amounts of sweat, why on earth would you want to stop your body from being able to cool itself off? I looked on the shelves of WM and found not one single container of deodorant only. I'm sure someone will come along with a great new thing to try for the underarms.

 

[Blackbird]

Kelle, I stopped wearing deo for a while, much to my family's horror, because I just wasn't satisfied with the store bought kind, never did like it, plus it contains aluminum. I don't sweat bundles, but I do sweat some everyday no matter what.

I know I posted this on Hennypenny's thread, but here is what I use:

3 Tablespoons shea butter
3 Tablespoons baking soda
2 Tablespoons arrowroot powder
2 Tablespoons cocoa butter
Optional essential oils or fragrance
Mix thouroughly until even with fork. You can warm it up a little to soften butters.

There was another deodorant thread I think, it had a recipe that called for coconut oil. I used it in the above recipe, which I would not recommend. If you wanted, I'm sure they could add one teaspoon/tablespoon by preferance, but I would not add too much because it makes the deodorant oily.

You don't need much, its going to be thinner than a normal deodorant stick so you don't need to apply much.

I used a fragrance oil for mine, but next time I make it I would like to try using Jojoba essential oils for it.

I wanted to add, I bought my Arrowroot powder from Mountain Rose, but I know you can use corn starch instead, however someone, Freemotion I think, said that the corn starch can cause more bacterias to grow, so I used the arrowroot.

 

[kohburn]

aside from the natural smells from your body (fromt he foods you eat like garlic, curry etc), most of the scent from body odor is from bacteria, anything that kills and blocks bacteria will help eliminate odor rather than cover it up with another smell.

some of the essential oils help - you can also try some nano-silver products. I know that silver is starting to be used for bandages and socks etc for its antibacterial properties.

 

[freemotion]

The crystal is made of aluminum salts.....similar to the bad ingredient in commercial antiperspirants. Pretty much the same thing, but packaged to appeal to trick people who want to go healthy. Sheesh. Ticks me off.

I just made another batch for me and my family, I use the recipes on the other link mentioned, starting with the recipe for "Fabulous Face Cream" from the menopause site link and using that as a base for the natural deodorant on the same site. You can use any natural lotion or cream instead to make it simple, but I like the face cream for my face and legs and any dry skin.

Coconut oil really absorbs well into the skin and has many health benefits. It is anti-microbial as well, so it will keep longer w/o getting moldy or rancid, especially since you will be sticking your fingers into it every day.

So take about 1/4 cup lotion and stir in 1 Tablespoon of arrowroot powder and 2 teaspoons of baking soda. That is it. I add deodorizing petitgrain eo and also lavender and teatree eo's which have anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties and smell good, too!

This deodorant smells great and works great. It will sting on freshly shaved pits if you use lots of eo's. You can apply a very tiny amount of straight coconut oil (or the face cream made with coconut oil) first and then the deodorant to deal with this.

I will never go back.....this stuff works so much better than the commercial stuff and is so pure you can eat it. Don't know why you would, but you could!

 

[kohburn]

now there is a good recipe, thanks freemotion

 

[patandchickens]

Free, at least the crystal has only the ONE ingredient, not other chemicals and those horrible awful fake scents. So I think it is in some ways better than regular ole deodorant sticks.

I will try your coconut oil concoction, but am skeptical that it will be up to dealing with an unfortunately quite sweaty person such as myself

Pat

 

[Dace]

Thanks Free...I admit that i am nervous but I will hunt down the ingredients and give it a go

 

[Mackay]

I love my Thai mineral crystal deodorant. I've been using them for 12 years at least! although they cost about 6 or 7 dollars they lasts at least 2 years, maybe longer, I loose track.