Today’s post is by the very natural and knowledgeable Victoria of  Homemade Beauty Blog. Make sure you check out her blog to see many more recipes and reviews of natural beauty products. Enjoy!

Can You Eat Your Deodorant?

I swear I can eat my deodorant, but can you eat yours? Yes, it may not be too tasty, but at least I can be sure that I won’t be sent directly to the hospital with chemical poisoning, which I can’t say about commercial deodorants that often contain ingredients that sound like a science project.

Most over-the-counter deodorants and antiperspirants contain a cocktail of chemical ingredients, like parabens, propylene glycol, TEA, DEA, fragrances, and other toxic chemicals, which are potentially harmful not only to your skin but to your general health. While deodorant works to remove a bad smell, antiperspirants work by clogging, closing, or blocking the pores with powerful astringents. This effect is based on the presence of zinc salts and aluminum, which can obviously be dangerous when blocking the sweat glands. After all, sweat has an important function of excreting toxins, and blocked glands obviously cannot release them. In addition, blocking sweat glands will also cause your body to overheat.

Since deodorant antiperspirants are applied to areas that are subject to frequent shaving, they absorb into the skin much faster than other products. Hence, this has a strong effect on the body as a whole. The skin – our largest organ – works to absorb any ingredients that are applied topically. Still, there is no reason to worry that you have to stink to stay healthy since there are some powerful natural alternatives!

What are the alternatives to commercial deodorant?

I was recently excited to find out that there are many inexpensive but highly effective methods to make you smell like a beautiful human being. Here they are:

• Tea tree essential oil has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties so that it works well as a natural deodorant. It neutralizes odor while also inhibiting odor causing bacteria. I first tried this by applying a few drops of the essential oil on my underarms, and it kept me fresh for almost the entire day.
• Another great alternative is baking soda. It works wonders because it neutralizes the odor of sweat. I just sprinkle a light covering of baking soda on a damp washcloth or my palms, and pat on without rinsing it off.
• The other thing that I recently discovered is that you can use coconut oil directly under your arms as a deodorant. It attacks the bacteria found in sweats that causes odors. I also apply this to my underarms and don’t rinse off.

I was using the methods mentioned above with a great success for about six months. However, I am interested in making homemade beauty products so I decided to make something more similar to conventional stick deodorant. I also wanted something that smelled heavenly. So I started to experiment, and my experiments led to the following recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon beeswax
• 2 teaspoons coconut butter
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch: In this recipe, cornstarch works as a thickener, and it will also soften the skin. You can substitute potato starch, but in this case, it will only work as a thickener.
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 5 drops tea tree essential oil
• 10 drops lavender essential oil

Melt beeswax and coconut butter in a double boiler. When they melt, add cornstarch and baking soda. Remove from heat. The medley should form a thick paste so that you can add the essential oils. Transfer this mixture to a jar or special container to create a deodorant stick.

If you want liquid deodorant, you can use the following formula:

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon shea butter (You can substitute any other butter coconut, cocoa etc.)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 5 drops tea tree essential oil
• 10 drops lavender essential oil

Follow the steps mentioned above, and pour into a container for a deodorant roll-on.

I have to say that I love this deodorant, and I encourage you to try it! It has my favorite scent of lavender (you can include your own favorite essential oil in the deodorant) and I am free from unpleasant odor all day long.

I have a long list of my favorite recipes, and this recipe was proudly included on my list amongst other beauty recipes. I also compiled all of my best recipes and tips in my Natural Skin Care Handbook e-book. This guide includes a number of homemade remedies and tricks and was written especially for those who want to give up on commercial products and start to naturally care for their skin without the use of chemicals. All of the information about the Natural Skin Care Handbook can be found here.

So getting back to deodorant, have you ever tried to make your own homemade deodorant, or maybe you already have your own perfect formula?

Victoria Lewy loves to experiment with different natural homemade beauty recipes. Her passion has inspired her to share and discuss them with others at her Homemade Beauty Blog: MyHomemadeBeauty.com.