Well there are actually several reasons. Most over-the-counter deodorants contain aluminium chlorohydrate, parabens, propylene glycol, triclosan, TEA, DEA, FD&C colors, and quaternium 18, among other toxic chemicals. Some of these have been linked to higher incidences of developing Alzheimer’s and cancer. I’ve tried many “natural” brands over the years with varying degrees of success – the ones that worked really well were far more expensive than the national brands (for which there are often coupons and sales!) So if exposure to chemicals and the extra expense wasn’t enough incentive – how about long storage life? You could put the ingredients into long term storage and smell good till 2040 and beyond!
This “recipe” contains only three ingredients, was very simple to make and IT WORKS! I have had this personally verified by my resident “nose” – my daughter who has the sniffer of a hound dog. Since I don’t have a sense of smell I wouldn’t want you to take MY word for it! Here’s a blog post from someone else who thinks it’s the greatest: Suzannah Paul from the Smitten Word (and I checked – SHE has a sense of smell!)
The recipe: 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup corn starch and 1/3 cup coconut oil (or a little more). Mix altogether in a large bowl. Tip: Make sure the soda and the corn starch don’t have lumps – it’s much easier to mix without them! The end consistency should be that of thick icing – still spreadable. It will harden somewhat after it sits.
I used a stick blender because of the lumps – I probably should have used a sifter first. Since coconut oil has a low melting point if you make this in the heat of the summer the consistency will be more like lotion – try it with less coconut oil – in the cold temperatures it’s more like cold butter. Either way – scoop into some small pretty jars and top with a lid. This recipe made 2 1/2 – 1/2 pint jars and I used plastic storage lids for them.
Apply a pea-sized amount. It smells lightly of coconut when you first apply it and it makes your skin feel soft and silky smooth. I ran the numbers and the conservative price came to approximately $1.88 for the three jars. That’s about 20x cheaper by volume than the “on sale” commercial brand of ladies deodorant I have bought in the past. I’d say that was worthwhile. It took about 15 minutes of my time – including the time it took to clean the blender!
My toothbrush is feeling lonely – I wonder if I can find a home made toothpaste recipe!
