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DIY Natural Deodorant…That Actually Works!

September 12, 2023

A simple DIY Deodorant recipe that smells amazing and works too! Made with clean, all-natural ingredients and ready in under 10 minutes, this natural deodorant recipe will quickly become a staple in your body routine.

A simple DIY Natural Deodorant recipe that smells amazing and works too! Made with clean, all-natural ingredients and ready in under 10 minutes, this natural deodorant will quickly become a staple in your body routine.

I am officially THAT girl.

I mean we all knew the day would come. The signs were all there. Natural beauty routine, apple cider vinegar EVERYWHERE, so it was due time I embrace my inner hippie and jump into the world of Natural Deodorant. 

Two years ago if you asked me if I would ever use natural deodorant I would have without a doubt laughed in your face. I’m judgmental like that. But now here I am, not only admitting to using it but also encouraging you to do the same. Oh how times have changed.

I pretty much summed up my thoughts on natural beauty in this post and also shared some of my favourite homemade products in this post but in a nutshell I truly believe that what we put on our body should be equally as important as what we put in it. And this includes homemade deodorant.

Why Use Natural Deodorant 

Have you seen what is in conventional deodorant? Likely you’ve glanced at the bottom at least once in your life and seen a list of ingredients that appear to be written in a different language. But did you know that many of these ingredients can be incredibly harmful for your body?

Let’s go through a couple of them:

aluminum: this is the ingredient that clogs your sweat glands and prevents sweating (more on this below). Aluminum exposure has been linked to Alzheimers as well as to build-up of estrogen in the body which can also be correlated with increased chances of breast and prostate cancer.

parabens: these ingredients are used as a preservative in deodorants but can also mimic estrogen in your body. This leads to hormonal disruptions and is also linked to breast and prostate cancers.

phthalates: these chemicals are used to make other ingredients more flexible and are also used as fragrance ingredients for artificial fragrance. They primarily affect the endocrine system and exposure can lead to early onset puberty as well as breast cancer later in life.

-Triclosan: An antibacterial chemical that can also disrupt the hormone system and is associated with increased chance of breast cancer. It was actually banned by the FDA in hand soaps but for some reason they still allow it in deodorants?!

…this list could go on but this is just a taste of what you find in conventional deodorants.

What You Need to Make DIY Deodorant:

  • Unrefined coconut oil – Coconut oil contains fatty acids, like lauric acid, which are known for their antibacterial benefits. It can help reduce the odor-causing bacteria in your arm pits, leaving you refreshed and smelling clean.
  • Unrefined shea butter – Also super antibacterial and non-comedogenic so it won’t clog your pours. It also adds moisture to the formula.
  • Arrowroot powder/flour – A highly absorbent powder to help wick up extra sweat. Effectively acts as an antiperspirant. You can replace with tapioca starch if that’s all you can find.
  • Baking soda -super effective at fighting body odor and also soaks up sweat. Note: baking soda can be a potential skin irritant so feel free to add less to the formula and work your way up.
  • Lavender essential oil – this is primarily for scent so you can replace with a different essential oil if you prefer or omit for unscented.
  • Grapefruit essential oil – same as lavender in that you can replace with a different essential oil if you prefer a different scent or omit for fragrance free.
  • Tea tree essential oil (optional)* – tea tree is antibacterial and a super effective odor-buster.

You will also need either a small glass jar with a lid or empty deodorant sticks or containers.

*Certain people are sensitive to tea tree oil so be sure to test your skin with a drop before adding to mixture. It is not necessary to include but tea tree is antibacterial and it is the bacteria in your underarms that leads to smell so it is a nice addition if you are not sensitive.

A simple DIY Natural Deodorant recipe that smells amazing and works too! Made with clean, all-natural ingredients and ready in under 10 minutes, this natural deodorant will quickly become a staple in your body routine.

How to Make DIY Deodorant

STEP 1: Place coconut oil and shea butter in a glass bowl or jar and place the bowl/jar inside a medium sauce pan to create a double boiler. Add water to the saucepan (enough to surround bowl/jar but not to overflow it) and bring to a boil. As water is heating up, stir coconut oil and shea butter and continue to do so until it melts.

STEP 2: Once melted, add in arrowroot starch, baking soda and essential oils.

STEP 3: Place in a 3 ounce jar and allow to cool at room temp or in fridge (will harden faster in fridge) until it’s reached a solid state consistency. Cover with lid until use.

How to Use DIY Deodorant:

  1. Wet underarms slightly (this helps with even application)
  2. Spoon out a pea-sized amount with a wooden scoop or with fingers and rub between fingers before applying directly to underarms.
  3. For a regular day, one application in the morning should be fine. For hotter days, workouts or if you’re particularly sweaty, feel free to reapply as needed.
A simple DIY Natural Deodorant recipe that smells amazing and works too! Made with clean, all-natural ingredients and ready in under 10 minutes, this natural deodorant will quickly become a staple in your body routine.

FAQs: Your Questions Answered

How long does this natural deodorant last?

If kept in a cool, dry place this natural deodorant will last 6-12 months.

How much natural deodorant should I use?

Just a pea-sized amount. A little goes a long way.

Will I need to reapply?

Depending on your body and level of activity you may have to. This natural deodorant is not an anti-perspirant so while it can reduce sweat slightly it will not prevent sweating entirely so you will need to reapply from time to time. This is the case with all aluminum-free deodorant as the aluminum is what blocks your sweat ducts. However, the coconut oil, baking soda and essential oils all offer odor protection so you should be good for several hours/all day if you aren’t getting super sweaty.

Do I need an adjustment period to natural deodorant?

Your armpits may require an adjustment period while making the switch. Start by using this DIY Natural Deodorant 1-2 days a week and slowly increase.

What if my skin reacts to natural deodorant?

Some people develop skin irritation to tea tree and baking soda. I recommend waiting at least 6 hours after you shave if you plan to use this natural deodorant. This means I’ll shave the night before and then apply the next morning. This prevents any kind of skin reactivity. If you have extra sensitive skin you can leave out the tea tree and decrease the amount of baking soda in the blend.

Help! My DIY Deodorant won’t harden!

First things first, try putting it in the fridge. If it hardens in the fridge then it’s likely your home is on the warmer side and you’ll need to store it in the fridge to keep it solid. It works if it isn’t solid but may separate a bit. Alternatively, check to make sure you didn’t use fractionated coconut oil which will not harden. You’ll need to remake your recipe with non-fractionated coconut oil.

How long will this natural deodorant last?

Mine typically lasts 3-6 months depending on the season and how frequently I’m reapplying.

Can I use different essential oils?

Yes, you can use whatever essential oils you prefer. Some suggestions include eucalyptus, chamomile or bergamot.

What about store-bought deodorants?

You can read about my favorite store-bought best natural deodorants (including baking soda-free options) HERE.

Print

DIY Deodorant

A simple DIY Deodorant recipe that smells amazing and works too! Made with clean, all-natural ingredients and ready in under 10 minutes, this natural deodorant recipe will quickly become a staple in your body routine.

  • Author: Davida Lederle
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 1 small glass jar 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. Place coconut oil and shea butter in a glass bowl or jar and place the bowl/jar inside a medium sauce pan.
  2. Add water to the saucepan (enough to surround bowl/jar but not to overflow it) and bring to a boil.
  3. As water is heating up, ensure to stir coconut oil and shea butter and continue to do so until it melts.
  4. Once melted, add in arrowroot starch, baking soda and essential oils.
  5. Place in a small glass jar (or pour into empty deodorant stick(s)) and allow to cool at room temp or in fridge (will harden faster in fridge) until it’s reached a solid state.
  6. Cover with lid until use.

Directions for use:

  1. Wet underarms slightly (this helps with even application)
  2. Spoon out a pea-sized amount with a wooden scoop or with fingers and rub between fingers before applying directly to underarms.
  3. For a regular day, one application in the morning should be fine. For hotter days, workouts or if you’re particularly sweaty, feel free to reapply as needed.

*Certain people are sensitive to tea tree oil so be sure to test your skin with a drop before adding to mixture. It is not necessary to include but tea tree is antibacterial and it is the bacteria in your underarms that leads to smell so it is a nice addition if you are not sensitive.

Keywords: natural deodorant, diy deodorant, natural deodorant recipe, homemade deodorant recipe

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  • Reply
    Dee
    December 28, 2015 at 11:40 am

    I’ve always wanted to make my own natural deodorant! Do you think I could swap out shea butter for cocoa butter since where I’m at does not have shea butter?

    • Reply
      The Healthy Maven
      December 30, 2015 at 8:08 am

      I haven’t tried it myself but I would imagine it would be just fine!

  • Reply
    Ingrid
    July 12, 2015 at 6:51 pm

    I’ve made and used this deoderant off and on for a couple of years. I like it, but I have to wear black tee shirts for work all summer and by the end of the summer they have noticeable stains under the arms. Any ideas on getting rid of the stains?

    • Reply
      Davida Kugelmass
      July 19, 2015 at 8:36 pm

      Unfortunately no 🙁 I’ve noticed this with both natural and conventional deodorants and have just written it off as a part of life. If you find a solution I’d love to hear it!

      • Reply
        sarah
        August 1, 2015 at 10:26 am

        I’d try dish detergent to remove t staining or go the outta the box an maybe dip the whole shirt into oil an wash normally. That is if the shirt doesn’t have a logo that would get wrecked by doing this.

    • Reply
      Rebecca
      August 16, 2018 at 9:07 am

      Hey, I just made some to a different recipe and it used bentonite clay (fullers earth) instead of arrowroot which makes the deo like a browny colour so obvs not good for white tops but better for dark ones. I’m going to make some to this recipe for my white top days!

      Bx

  • Reply
    Les @ The Balanced Berry
    July 11, 2015 at 11:47 pm

    Into this, big time. I’m always looking for ways to natural things up in the beauty department and deodorant can be tricky! Can’t wait to try this version!

  • Reply
    Whitney @ To Live & Diet in L.A.
    July 10, 2015 at 9:46 pm

    This is awesome!!! I’ve tried store bought natural deodorants without much luck – plus they’re kind of expensive. I can’t wait to try this.

  • Reply
    Cassie
    July 10, 2015 at 9:28 pm

    Looks great! My armpits need a lil’ love anyways!

  • Reply
    Consuelo | Honey & Figs
    July 10, 2015 at 6:41 pm

    Yessssss!!! I couldn’t believe how cool this post was when I first saw it on Insta! I’ve been looking for a nice natural option for months now and I’m so glad I’ve found it! SO trying this tomorrow! I will let you know how it goes for sure. Thanks for sharing girl! x

  • Reply
    Laura B
    July 10, 2015 at 1:44 pm

    I went crazy hippie like 2 years ago and made my own toothpaste! pretty sure my breath was horrible during that year. I have kind of reverted since then, but still try and keep all my products as natural as possible. Coconut oil=my best friend. I will try making this though, it’s been on my list of DIY things to make!

  • Reply
    Lexi @ Lexi's Clean Kitchen
    July 10, 2015 at 9:26 am

    I’ve been waiting for this post!!! SHEA BUTTER… ORDERED! Done. Doing it.

  • Reply
    Cat
    July 10, 2015 at 8:08 am

    Is it weird that I looked at the pics and thought ‘mmm bet that tastes good’…?

    Yeah, that’s weird. But I can attest it works! I use a similar combo but with bicarb, and no one has ever complained about my scent 😉

    • Reply
      Miriam
      September 26, 2020 at 4:30 am

      I love this recipe! Made it once and it turned out great. Made it yesterday, perhaps didn’t follow quantities exactly, I put in a bit of extra corn starch because DH said it should have a firmer texture and I thought that might do it
      Texture is perfect. BUT Now it’s making my armpits itch. What gives? Do I just need to adjust gradually as you mention above? The first batch didn’t cause me any itching at all. Thanks! Love this! Both for the natural ingredients and that now I can avoidt buying yet another plastic item…..

  • Reply
    Catherine
    July 10, 2015 at 7:40 am

    This sounds really moisturicing too! I’ve recently switched to a natural brand of deodorant, but have been interested in making my own if I could. I may have to try this one out!

  • Reply
    Stella @ Stellicious Life
    July 10, 2015 at 6:57 am

    Welcome to the cleaner and greener side Davida! 🙂

    Just like Maryea, I also started with using natural deodorants and am very happy with them. Though I tended to sweat a lot in the older days when I used toxic deos, nowadays I’m surprised to see how well these natural concoctions take care of it and no smell at all (or rather a clean and fresh scent throughout the day)! So kudos, I love such DIY recipes 🙂

  • Reply
    Maryea {Happy Healthy Mama}
    July 10, 2015 at 6:31 am

    I was actually the opposite and switched to natural deodorant first. I have tried just about every single brand you can imagine, with Primal Pit Paste being the only kind that works for me. It was getting pricey, so I tried to make my own, but that was an absolute failure. I’m kind of afraid to try again. I’m totally with you on the keeping it natural, though. 🙂

    • Reply
      Callie
      August 4, 2018 at 5:26 pm

      I have tried nearly every type of homemade deodorant and finally found one that works perfectly called Granny’s Natural Deodorant.

    • Reply
      Tanessa Burch
      July 28, 2020 at 8:00 pm

      for some odd reason, my deodorant is not thickening up. I have tried adding more arrowroot but it’s still soft and liquid. any suggestions

      • Reply
        Davida Lederle
        July 28, 2020 at 10:53 pm

        Place it in the fridge! Could just be too hot in your house. Also make sure you used regular coconut oil and not fractionated coconut oil which never firms up.

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