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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.
With 60+ 5 star reviews this Natural Deodorant recipe is one of my most popular posts. It was updated in March 2024 with added details and descriptions to make it easier for you!
Table of Contents
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.
I’ve been using this natural deodorant for almost 10 years and absolutely swear (and sweat!) by it.
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. But first let’s chat about why you should switch to natural 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.
Ingredients in Homemade 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 pores. 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.
*For Sensitive Skin
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.
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:
- Wet underarms slightly (this helps with even application)
- Spoon out a pea-sized amount with a wooden scoop or with fingers and rub between fingers before applying directly to underarms.
- 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.
FAQs: Your Questions Answered
If kept in a cool, dry place this natural deodorant will last 6-12 months.
Just a pea-sized amount. A little goes a long way.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Mine typically lasts 3-6 months depending on the season and how frequently I’m reapplying.
Yes, you can use whatever essential oils you prefer. Some suggestions include eucalyptus, chamomile or bergamot.
You can read about my favorite store-bought best natural deodorants (including baking soda-free options) HERE. I’ve included some of my favorites like Each & Every, Native Deodorant, Schmidt and spray deodorant.
I personally have not found it to stain my clothing though some people in the comments have. My trick for armpit stains is to run it under scalding hot water though TBH I rarely have to do this because I haven’t found staining to be a problem for me.
Storage Instructions
Store your DIY deodorant in a cool place for up to 6 months. If you live in a hot climate you’ll want to store it in the refrigerator to ensure it will harden.
More Homemade Body Care Recipes:
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.
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 small glass jar 1x
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 tbsp unrefined coconut oil
- 2 1/2 tbsp unrefined shea butter
- 1/4 cup arrowroot starch/flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp baking soda
- 6 drops lavender essential oil
- 6 drops grapefruit essential oil
- 1 drop tea tree essential oil (optional)*
Instructions
- Place coconut oil and shea butter in a glass bowl or jar and place the bowl/jar inside a medium sauce pan.
- 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, ensure to stir coconut oil and shea butter and continue to do so until it melts.
- Once melted, add in arrowroot starch, baking soda and essential oils.
- 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.
- Cover with lid until use.
Directions for use:
- Wet underarms slightly (this helps with even application)
- Spoon out a pea-sized amount with a wooden scoop or with fingers and rub between fingers before applying directly to underarms.
- 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.
you can place jar in an ice water bath to thicken. Then place in fridge. see if that helps!
I meant to say you can place the jar in an ice bath and stir the deodorant until it’s thick enough so that when you place it into the refrigerator the baking soda should not drop to the bottom.
Curious if this stains clothes because of the coconut oil ?
Hi, love this deodorant but found that the 2nd time I made it wasn’t as good as the baking soda went to the bottom of the jar as it was cooling down in the fridge. Which takes away the efficiency of the deodorant. Any tip to avoid that while it solidifies?
I made this recipe and found it ineffective initially probably cause the baking soda sank to the bottom…I then just dropped an extra tablespoon of baking soda in as it was sitting on the counter the next day and its been excellent since. Not sure if its the extra baking soda or just the fact that the extra spoonful didnt sink to the bottom…Ive had my teenage boys try it the last couple days and they have passed the sniff tests by my wife and I with flying colors.
Put the melted oils in an airtight container and put them in the freezer for about 30 minutes. This makes the oils solidify at the same rate. Take it out and use a hand held blender (whisk) to mix in the rest of the ingredients starting with the liquids. If it’s too frozen, just leave it on the counter for a while until it softens.
Does this stain clothing?
Does it have to be kept in the fridge once made? Thanks so much!
Hello, what’s the arrowroot for? I have all the other ingredients just not the arrowroot. Can I use cornstarch or just skip this step?
I just put a small amount of dry baking soda on the palm of my hand, add a few drops of water and rub until it dissolves. It helps if you can buy micronized baking soda which dissolves more easily. Then just rub into armpits. Works great. I’m not sure adding oils and other gunk is a good idea as it can stain shirts. Baking soda and water may cause a bit of yellowing to fabrics but the good news the staining is water soluble and rinses right out as soon as it comes into contact with water.
This deodorant never hardened up – and I used the solidified coconut oil.
I’d put in the fridge to cool and solidify the oils, your climate may just be too warm
I add beeswax beads to the recipe.
Yes I put it in the refrigerator. It has a creamy consistency when thaws, and I put in Jars and apply with my fingertips.
i add vitamin e to my diy deodourants -stops the oils going rancid
Just wondering how much vitamin e did you use in your batch of deoderant?
Baking soda clogs my pores up.
You could try this recipe without baking soda add the same amount in arrowroot. Helpful hint; I sift the dry ingredients comes out smooth and creamy.
so, you increase the arrowroot amount by 1.5tbsp? or you just eliminate the baking soda?