The other day when we were talking about how important (or not) you find it to avoid chemicals in products (Read: I'm addicted to you but I know that you're toxic) Banjaxed mentioned that she makes her own deodorant and finds it works really well.
We're complete deodorantly obsessed on Beaut.ie, so unsurprisingly there was immediate interest and she shared her recipe and tips with us (read the deodorant category for others we've tried).
Banjaxed told us she had developed a cyst in her armpit which her doctor told her was down to deodorant use. Although the doctor didn't specify aluminum was causing the problem (it could have been some other ingredient) it did mean that she went on the hunt for a more natural alternative and found it on naturallycurly.
There are tons of natural deodorant recipes on the Internet and I've always wondered if they actually work. But this one does apparently according to Banjaxed: the cornstarch and the baking soda in the recipe soak up moisture and act as natural antiperspirant. But she warns that it doesn't work for everyone - her sister has tried it and doesn't find it any good, so bear that in mind. It's probably best not to trial it when going on a first date or an interview in that case.
Here's how to do it:
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp baking soda
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 6 drops tea tree oil
- 6 drops essential oil
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Method
Put the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and then add the liquids. Stir until mixture resembles a smooth paste. And that's it - simples!
Banjaxed has tweaked the original recipe a little bit and uses coconut oil in place of the olive oil as it makes the mixture firmer and she uses clove oil as her essential oil - but you can choose any scent you like.
Tips
- This mixture will mark your clothes - be very careful when you're putting them on and it's probably best to avoid it when you're wearing something expensive/fancy. Banjaxed recommends you put your clothes on first, scoop a bit up onto your fingers and put on under your top to avoid transfer
- Any marks will come out in a normal wash
- Baking soda might sting a bit if you've just shaved under your arms, so be aware of that. But sure a lot of ordinary deodorants do that anyway
- In hot weather this probably won't be strong enough to be effective
- Super cheap to make - this only costs a few cents a batch
- Keeps in a container for about a month
Watch naturallycurly making up a batch to see how it works:
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What do you think? Will you be trying this out?
