Some time ago I decided to try to find a recipe and make my own natural deodorant. I’ve heard a lot about the harmful aluminum salts and their effects on the body. They are used as the active antiperspirant agent and their long term effects remain unknown, especially in relation to the breast. They are also known as being capable of causing DNA alterations and they can have estrogenic activity. Even though a larger study of 176 women in 2013 showed no significant difference in levels of aluminum in normal areas of the breast to the level in the tumor, I am skeptical. Further studies are now needed to identify the long term effects of exposure to aluminum salts and whether aluminum causes aberrations in breast cells.
Until then, I am going to use my own homemade natural deodorant that protects better then any other deodorant I’ve tried. It only requires two ingredients and you probably already have them both. They are baking soda and witch hazel.
Witch hazel is a natural astringent and I use it as a face toner because it soothes my skin and reduces inflammation. It can also help reduce swelling, repair broken skin, and fight bacteria.
I usually mix a full teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of witch hazel until dissolved. That’s it! I keep everything in a spray bottle and I use it anytime I want. It is true that it is a little watery, and I usually wait 2-3 minutes for it to dry, but I don’t mind because it is very efficient and it doesn’t stain my clothes. Besides, it is so cheap!…
Some recipes use 20 drops of essential oils, such as clary sage oil (deodorant, antiseptic, antibacterial), lavender oil (antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiseptic), or tea tree oil (antibacterial, antimicrobial, deodorant, antiseptic). I haven’t tried any of these essential oils because I was afraid they might stain my clothes, and the deodorant works fine without the oils anyway, but you can try using any of them.
Good luck with making your own natural deodorant and let me know if you like it!
That sounds so doable! I wonder if we get witch hazel in India! I had no clue about the side effects of deodrants. Scary!
Ah, don’t worry! If you can’t find witch hazel, just use water. The baking soda is the one that eliminates the odors. You can also use it in the fridge (in a small open bowl) to remove the odors. The witch hazel only makes the deodorant fancier… 🙂
Great idea! I will try it. Thanks for sharing Sunshine.
You’re very welcome! 🙂
Very good idea. I wonder if you applied it with a cotton ball if you could skip the dry time? I do love the idea of skipping the metals.
That’s a great idea! Try it and use it any way you like it.
Wow, thanks for sharing this simple recipe, Ana. I’ve been using Tom’s for years for similar reasons. But if this is cheaper, I’m all for it! 🙂
Tom’s is very good too, but I like this one more because I enjoy making it and it is very efficient too. 🙂
I will try this out as soon as I get to settle somewhere. 🙂 All these store bought products are in one way or other not good for us. I try to use natural products as much as possible. Thank you for sharing this, Ana. Your blog is a very nice space. 🙂
Thank you so much for your kind words, Vinitha. I love using natural, homemade products, and this is one of them. It works very well for me.
Very interesting!! I’ve never tried but sounds easy to make!
Hi Ana, and down here we folks residing in Florida need it! ha! Cheryl Pssst. I use a lot of baking powder also great for cleaning.
bicarbonat am mereu în casa, iar lavanda-n fata casei… pastrez anual, deci am înca uscata, asa ca voi încerca “reteta” asta… merci, Ana! 🙂
Aaah, lavanda in fata casei… te invidiez, Melanie. 🙂
daca vrei, o sa-ti trimit la sfârsitu’ verii, dupa ce “tund” lavanda, O.K. I’m serious, so lemme know and keep me posted, please… 🙂
Aww, ce draguta esti… Multumesc! Mai vorbim pana atunci… 🙂
Since I gave up eating meat about 20 years ago, I no longer need ANY deodorants. How cool is that? 😉
That is very interesting… 20 years without meat! I must say I’m impressed. 🙂
Thank you so much! My weekend was great! I’m going to prepare for the challenge! 🙂
I may have to try this. I’m always looking for natural solutions, especially when they save money! Yesterday, when I was at the store, I cringed at how much deodorant cost.
It’s so easy to make and it lasts forever! I hope you like it. 🙂
I’ve always wanted to learn how to do this! Great tutorial, thanks for linking up with FTAF
It’s natural and so easy to make! Thank you for stopping by and for organizing the link up. Have a sunny day! 🙂
I make my own all natural deodorant too, but my recipe is quite different! I do use essential oils in mine, and they do not stain my clothes…just in case you’re wondering. 🙂 This recipe looks very easy, I may have to give it a try. 🙂 Thanks for linking up with FTAF
Yeah, I was afraid the essential oil stains the clothes, but it’s good to know it doesn’t. If you try my recipe, let me know what you think. Thank you for stopping by and for organizing the link up. It’s such a nice opportunity to meet new people! 🙂
Wow this is so easy and you are right, I do have the items to make it! i even have the essential oils to put in. I’m thinking i might try this! i have tried pretty much every deodorant on the market and my body “breaks the code” after about two weeks and they stop working.
Thanks for linking up to #FTAF
It’s easy to make, natural, and cheap. I hope you like it if you try it. Thank you for stopping by and for organizing the link up. 🙂
Thanks for linking up with From The Archives Friday, this post will be one of our featured favorites. Actually several of us wanted this one as our favorite 😉
Thank you so much, Ashley! I’m glad you like it. 🙂