DIY Natural Deodorant

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This series checks out whether something that sounds like a good deal — or takes a bit of extra work — is a good deal. We’ll look at cost and benefit — with everything filtered through my individual experience. Please chime in with your take.

Sometimes, fate and B.O. collide.

Last week, as my deodorant was running out, I ran into a post on the blog One Long Adventure called “Deodorant – take 2.”

Make my own deodorant? The post sounded like the mysterious substance — made wholly from safe-for-the-kitchen, even edible, ingredients — was easy to create and might even work. To the kitchen!

The recipe

The recipe is very simple:

Here is the recipe we followed:

* Place 5 tablespoons of coconut oil (unrefined from natural food store) in a pot and liquify over low-medium heat. This happens very quickly.

* Remove from heat and add other ingredients.

* Add 1/4 cup of corn starch

* Add 1/4 cup of baking soda

* Stir continuously until smooth

*Add essential oils drop by drop until desired scent is reached

* Pour into a 4 oz canning jar.

*Leave lid off until cool. Re-stir once cooled, as essential oils sometimes float to the top. Can refrigerate for a couple days to solidify.

(I mixed into mine a few drops of lavender essential oil and about 6 drops of tea tree oil as a mild antibacterial.)

The photo at the top is the solidifying mixture in the pan. The whole process took about 10 minutes.

I didn’t put mine in a canning jar. Instead, when I dug around in my bin of containers, I found this perfect way to store the deodorant:

Taking it one step further

Just for kicks, I decided to use a tip I read on another blog a while back and put half of the homemade deodorant into my old deodorant container for convenient application.

The process took as long as making the deodorant. I used a couple of simple tools to pry the top off the deodorant container.

Then I used soap and water to scrub the old deodorant out of the inside — the worst part of the whole process. Slimy, greasy and hard to remove, but when it was done, it was clean. It took a couple of minutes for me to figure out how to lower the plunger that drives the deodorant up through the holes on top, but once I held the central post still with the pliers it was simple to click the plunger back down.

I scooped the deodorant mixture in, popped the top back on and voila, homemade deodorant in an easy-to-use container that, among other things, will blend in in public places, if it matters.

The cost breakdown

When I purchase deodorant, my goal is always to find something for as close to $1 as possible, but realistically, commercial deodorant costs about $4 per container. Natural deodorant (from Tom’s of Maine to Dr. Hauschka to the crystal) can cost from $6 to $12, although the crystal will last a long time.

Here’s the cost breakdown for my ingredients:

Ingredients	Cost
Coconut oil – 5 T (organic)	$1.43		$8 for 28 T (14 oz)
Baking soda – 1/4 c.	$0.01		$5.59/12 lbs. or 200 cups
Cornstarch – 1/4 c. (organic)	$0.81		19.54 for 6 8-oz. boxes (48 oz.)
Essential oils – 10 drops	$0.13		$8 for about 600 drops (1 ounce)
Gas stove	$0.02		.28 per hour of stovetop use
TOTAL	$2.38		2 containers
	$1.19	per container

Savings = 70 percent cheaper than conventional deodorant at $4 a stick.

But does it work?

I’ve used the deodorant for several days now and it has been effective — and typically, only “clinical protection” levels of deodorant are fail-safe for my personal armpit “rainforest” of bacteria. Interestingly, a couple of times when things have gotten a little sweaty (driving in the car on a sunny, warm day with the windows up, just to test it), I’ve caught a whiff of smelly — but a few minutes later, the odor is gone, as if the tea tree oil knocked it out or the baking soda or cornstarch absorbed the odor.

In the past couple days, this natural recipe sustained me through changing temperatures inside a jacket (often a recipe for odor), overnight, through a workout and through a surprise session at a quick yoga class before I could grab a shower. That’s definitely at least equal to “clinical strength” protection for me.

We’ve also tried the deodorant from the tin. You can simply rub your fingers across it and then apply it to your armpits. It leaves just a faint greasy feel on fingers that is easy to remove — unlike regular deodorant. Those with hairy pits might find the rubbing-it-into-the-fur a little off-putting.

Time will tell whether it continues to work, or needs to be alternated with other products to be effective, but so far, so good.

The winner: I wasn’t sure it would work, but obviously, homemade! So far, it’s amazing! And I really like it in the re-used tube.

The priceless factors:

Simple, nontoxic ingredients. (According to the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database, the baking soda is the most toxic ingredient in this concoction. It received a 3 (out of 10) on the hazard scale, and it is only 1/3 or so of the ingredients. My previous Dove deodorant received a 4, although some products by Ban receive a nice, green 1.)
Can be as organic as you want it to be.
Quick process — the mixing/cooking process took 5 minutes or so.
Easy to use recycled containers.

The drawbacks:

Takes slightly more time and effort than grabbing a roll-on off the shelf at the store.

The verdict:

Worth it.

Grade:

A
Have you tried it? Would you? Let us know your take on homemade deodorant.

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Post Tags: deodorant, DIY

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Comments ( 39 )

[...] the selection is unbeatable. I was also able to find coconut oil (for an upcoming experiment on making my own deoderant) and durum semolina flour, for making my own [...]

Amazing Grace « Frugal + Urban added these pithy words on Jun 26 09 at 6:37 am

[...] presents DIY Natural Deodorant posted at Cheap Like Me. I can’t wait to try this [...]

All Things Eco Blog Carnival Volume Fifty Seven | Focus Organic.com added these pithy words on Jun 29 09 at 9:33 am

Eco Empress Green Living Carnival – July 3, 2009…

Welcome to the July 3, 2009 edition of eco empress green living carnival.

KuleKat presents Solar Energy And Government Policy posted at Eco-Technology Trends.

Julian Pollock presents Chamomile and Lavender: Fragrance and Health in Your Orga…

Eco Friendly Fashion by Eco Empress added these pithy words on Jul 03 09 at 3:31 am

[...] carnival! My deodorant post is included on the Eco Empress Green Living Carnival – July 3, 2009. If you’re a regular [...]

Eco Empress Green Living Carnival - July 3, 2009 | Cheap Like Me added these pithy words on Jul 04 09 at 9:36 am

[...] time, I came across a site for homemade deodorant. I was pretty skeptical, though to be honest I’m not sure why I would be, since my homemade [...]

Homemade Deodorant — Living in Harmony added these pithy words on Aug 20 09 at 11:38 am

[...] A member of the Slickdeals.net forums wrote today about her (successful!) experience using DIY deodorant. If you’re unfamiliar with Slickdeals, the site is a user-driven vehicle for sharing great deals online and off, with deals updated in real-time. If you’re looking for the make-your-own natural deodorant post, you’ll find it here. [...]

Welcome 5280 and Slickdeals forum readers! | Cheap Like Me added these pithy words on Oct 05 09 at 2:14 pm

[...] In my search to see if there were any (good) recipies I could cook up from home, I came across Cheap Like Me. Hey, with a title like that, you can’t go far from wrong, can [...]

So You Can Make Deoderant?!? - ElvenAssassin's Realm added these pithy words on Jun 05 11 at 5:24 pm

[...] In my search to see if there were any (good) recipes I could cook up from home, I came across Cheap Like Me. Hey, with a title like that, you can’t go far from wrong, can [...]

So You Can Make Deoderant?!? - ElvenAssassin's Realm added these pithy words on Jun 06 11 at 1:20 pm

[...] You can make your own by mixing cornstarch with baking soda and apply it with a puff after you are thoroughly dry post bathing. You can actually do this anywhere you feel the need. You can also make your own with a recipe. [...]

Deodorant versus none | Pieces of My Mind added these pithy words on Sep 18 11 at 4:36 pm

[...] DIY Deodorant from CheapLikeMe [...]

I’m turning into a hippie… « Rachel Robin's Nest added these pithy words on Nov 11 11 at 4:35 pm

I make mine with shea butter and unclarified rice bran oil instead of the coconut oil. I do want to try the coconut oil because it is purported to reduce sweating a bit more. However, even just the baking soda, cornstarch, and rice bran oil in a paste works pretty well for me.

Kara added these pithy words on Jun 17 09 at 8:27 am

Awesome post.

I just may try this…although for opportunity cost purposes I will most likely avoid the tube “repackaging” part and will elect instead to use some sort of other packaging that I will creatively come up with.

I’ll come back here to post results…and will probably also write a post of my own on DFA.

Thanks!

Matt Jabs added these pithy words on Jun 17 09 at 11:54 am

@Kara – I wondered if there’s a non-tropical oil that works?

@Matt – The Altoids tin was easy as pie, or could use a lip balm or salve-type jar. Or maybe find an old cookie press at Goodwill and apply it that way? Only half joking …

Cheap Like Me added these pithy words on Jun 17 09 at 1:47 pm

Susanna, yet again you amaze me. I’m going to do this myself — I order my fancy-schmacy deodorant from Canadialand because even goddamn Whole Foods doesn’t carry my particular flavor of KMF stuff. This is great because it’s ho’made and I can feel better about my giant carbon footprint. Yay!

Angelique added these pithy words on Jun 17 09 at 3:21 pm

@Ang – Ho or no, I will bring my naturally fresh pits tonight.

Cheap Like Me added these pithy words on Jun 17 09 at 3:48 pm

Great posting, however did you know that some of your images are missing?

Chris added these pithy words on Jun 18 09 at 5:47 am

@Chris, I see all the images – I’m sorry they aren’t showing up for you! Thanks for the heads up.

Cheap Like Me added these pithy words on Jun 18 09 at 1:15 pm

This is so neat! I am going to try it when I run out of my eco-friendly not-so-effective stuff–Hate buying expensive deodorants with mysterious ingredients.

Thanks for the post!

Perri added these pithy words on Jun 18 09 at 5:22 pm

I’ve been using rubbing alcohol for two years now. There are days I need to re-apply before the day is out, but I’ve been surprised at how well it works. I dispense it from a 4″ high spray bottle I bought in the travel sized cosmetic section of the drug store. It’s high on the cheap scale, High on the easy scale. The Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database calls isopropyl alcohol a 5-6 hazard with 10 being the highest.

angela added these pithy words on Jun 20 09 at 3:29 pm

This sounds intriguing, but I’m wondering if you have any problems with oil stains on the pits of the shirts?

Chile added these pithy words on Jun 24 09 at 2:53 pm

@Chile – What a great question, and I didn’t even think of it. So far I have not noticed anything (I’ve been wearing mostly T-shirts and tank tops). It just takes a thin layer, and coconut oil melts so easily that maybe it just absorbs into the skin?

Cheap Like Me added these pithy words on Jun 24 09 at 4:33 pm

Nice! I really have a great time making laundry supplies and shampoos, so this should entertain me as well! Thanks

Kristin added these pithy words on Jun 24 09 at 7:13 pm

Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

Melissa added these pithy words on Jun 27 09 at 9:57 am

I’ve been doing this very thing through the last month with a lot of heat and hard work. I used the same recipe and poured it in the canning jar. It works GREAT! I’ll never go back.

Kimberly added these pithy words on Jul 22 09 at 12:08 pm

Big sale on coconut oil today at Whole Foods. I made this and used a funnel to put it into an empty deod bottle with the leftover into an Altoids tin.
I froze them for about 30 mins so I could put it straight into the containers.
I used Tea Tree Oil, Rosemary Oil, and Camphor Oil.
For the fall, if this works, I’m considering Cedarwood and Sweet Orange.
Can’t wait to see how it works! What a great idea, thank you!

Slick added these pithy words on Jul 26 09 at 6:22 pm

First day of use notes:
1. Coconut oil is…oily, but absorbs quickly. Henceforth, I will put the deodorant on first thing to give it some time to sink in before I dress.
2. The coconut oil turns from a solid to a liquid immediately upon making contact with the skin. Only a thin layer is needed – one swipe – and it kind of runs down the side of the applicator, so make sure you never store the applicator at an angle if the temperature might get over 75 degrees, because you’ll have an oily mess.
…which means…
3. You probably shouldn’t travel with this deod., or if you do, bag it…double bag it…triple bag it…and keep it in your carry on where appropriate. If it gets above 75 degrees, it’s going to turn into a liquid. Don’t say you weren’t warned. You could also store it in a shampoo-like container, and squeeze out a small amount and rub it into your pits when you’re ready to use it, I suppose. That might work.
4. I’ve taken a stick of Tom’s with me to work today…just in case…since this is to be my first trial run. Boy, I’m a brave girl, testing my product at work, aren’t I?
5. Next time I’m considering adding a bit of witch hazel to the cooling mixture to balance it out some. I’ll let you know how it works.

I’m hooked. I don’t think I’ll ever go back. So easy. So cheap. So healthy.

Pit-talk…is there anything sexier?

Slick added these pithy words on Jul 27 09 at 5:39 am

@Slick – thanks for the detailed review!

So far for me, it works wonders. I put it on on Friday morning, then left to go camping. Got hot and sweaty in the sun both days, spent time in the hot car, and slept a little too warm at times, as well as being caught in the rain — and came home Sunday afternoon with no smell at all.

Cheap Like Me added these pithy words on Jul 27 09 at 10:32 am

Made this in seconds. Works like magic! Love it.

Olivia added these pithy words on Aug 20 09 at 2:46 pm

Thanks for the recipe and the thought of re-using my old deodorant container. Wasn’t it interesting to see how that works? I’m going to smell rather lavender-y as I oops added more than a few drops. Here’s hoping it works for me. Is it still working for you?

harper added these pithy words on Aug 29 09 at 5:45 pm

1 – plain white 5% vinegar kills the bacteria that turn sweat into stink. works great and is super cheap and doesn’t get my fingers oily or my shirts oily.

2 – ALL coconut oil is organic – they don’t spray or fertilize coconuts for anything.

jack added these pithy words on Oct 08 09 at 8:42 pm

Thanks for the post and pictures!!! I made the EXACT same recipe with the same type of old deodorant container (gel). The funny thing is that you did NOT have to remove the bottom. If you examine the top of the container, you should see a seam between to top and the rest of the container. With some force, the top should pop off like the top of a salt shaker. I used “Secret” brand of gel deodorant container and the top came off easily and snapped back on easily as well. Furthermore, the holes on top are slots rather than holes so it should dispense the homemade concoction quite easily. Have a great day!

Lucy added these pithy words on Feb 18 10 at 9:06 pm

I have been on a natural deodorant quest for years trying to find one that actually works. I found a company called face naturals that makes a fantastic peppermint deodorant thats works better than anything i’ve ever tried.

Jenny added these pithy words on Nov 14 10 at 4:24 pm

WOW! Good on you for creating your own deodorant!

MensDeodorant.net added these pithy words on Feb 17 11 at 2:22 pm

you ladies ever seen those roll on perfume and deodorant containers?

i think this would work perfectly as a travel and warm weather packaging alternative, giving the concerns over melting point on coconut oil

Kelly added these pithy words on May 08 11 at 6:48 pm

you ladies ever seen those roll on perfume and deodorant containers?

i think this would work perfectly as a travel and warm weather packaging alternative, given the concerns over melting point on coconut oil and possible mess that could create

Kelly added these pithy words on May 08 11 at 7:19 pm

This is actually a question. I like the smell of Almonds the most, but can’t seem to find an essential almond oil. Could i just use the natural almond oil? Also i have burts bees almond milk and honey hand lotion could i add that in to use it up / use the smell? Thanks for the great recipe though! Look forward to trying it!

Jordan added these pithy words on Aug 18 11 at 8:04 pm

Hmm … I don’t know. Maybe try either one in a small amount? The ingredients aren’t too pricey, so if it doesn’t work, chalk it up to experience? Fingers crossed for your experiment!

cheaplikeme added these pithy words on Aug 19 11 at 1:23 pm