How to Make Natural DIY Deodorant Paste – That Works!
This natural DIY deodorant pasteis so simple and easy to make. For some reason deodorant paste was a recipe I avoided giving a go for over 3 years, instead of sticking with one of my favourite pre-made deodorant pastes. I have no idea why I must have been crazy or maybe just lazy. I am so happy with this recipe I don’t miss my old fav’s one bit!! It’s so simple to make, easy to use, and super effective!!
Why would you want to start using a natural deodorant? The big supermarket deodorants contain lots of nasties. That’s Why. Not all deodorants have all the scary ingredients listed below, but they will still have a number of them. Some of the scary shit contained in big brand deodorants include:
- Synthetic Fragrances – most contain phthalates which cause disruption to your endocrine system (read hormonal chaos) check out our blog 6 reasons to avoid synthetic fragrances
- Aluminium – linked with Alzheimer’s. Many people may be surprised to find out natural rock crystal deodorants are potassium alum and still contain aluminium. Although this is a natural aluminium that’s molecular structure too large to be absorbed by the skin, I would rather steer clear.
- Parabens – mimics oestrogen in your body and causes hormone imbalances, combined with synthetic fragrances and you have a hormonal shitstorm brewing.
- Triclosan – a toxic antibacterial. Consider for a minute we are made of 10x more bacterial cells than human cells. This makes it a no brainer, even if we forget the fact it has been deemed no better than soap and water by the FDA and don’t mind about the formation of carcinogenic chloroform gas when it comes in contact with water……
- Triethanolamine (TEA) and diethanolamine (DEA) – both sourced from petroleum they are absorbed by your skin and can affect your liver and kidneys. In fact, these two chemicals have already been banned from products in Europe because they are known carcinogens. But hey us plebs here in Australia don’t mind being poisoned.
- Propylene Glycol – Again derived from petroleum it can cause skin issues such as eczema and dermatitis and is also a suspected of respiratory, immune and toxicity
- PLUS more but I think this is enough for you to get the idea……these deodorants are SHIT for your health.
Besides all the toxic nasties deodorants contain, most are designed to stop you from sweating! This inhibits your body’s natural cleansing and detoxifying process, not a good idea.
This natural DIY deodorant paste recipe does contain organic bicarbonate soda, which some people may react to. Actually, many people may react negatively when starting to use a natural deodorant paste. This reaction may just be a detox reaction (armpits and sweat are a major detoxification pathway), where a pit detox regime might help. OR your body might just not like bicarb, in that case, you need to seek out a non-bicarb recipe, like our 2 Ingredient Natural Deodorant Spray. This topic can be huge, so I will leave it there for now.
When I first started using natural deodorant nearly 4 years ago I think I was one of the lucky ones and adjusted pretty easily. From memory, I think my only drama was that I was a bit ponky for a while my body adjusted. In saying that I do find that even today when I am not doing so great on the healthy eating side of things that I get a bit (or a lot) of the old BO. So I believe our diet has a lot to do with the environment and bacteria on our skin. Embarrassingly I used to be the BO Queen. No matter what “clinical” strength deodorant I bought nothing worked. And due to the amount of deodorant I used to use, the armpits on my clothes would eventually get such a bad build-up I had no choice but to bin them. I am pleased to say I am the BO Queen no more!
Our DIY Deodorant paste includes bentonite clay which is commonly found in armpit detox products and was added to assist with the removal of toxins being excreted through your armpits by attracting and binding to the chemicals. With luck, it will also reduce the adjustment period when starting a natural deodorant, as it is detoxing you every time you apply your deodorant, rather than solely relying on a separate armpit detox product.
UPDATED NOVEMBER 2019 If you have more sensitive pits you can try using kaolin clay instead of bentonite clay. I was having issues for a while where I was constantly getting rashes in my armpits, even if I made my bicarb free deodorant. Then I tried swapping the bentonite for kaolin, and BAM! No more rash. It turns out it was the bentonite clay all along cause the issue, not the bicarb. I have now been using this deodorant paste with kaolin for months and my pits are happy.
Another bonus is the cost. Anyone who has started a low-tox journey knows it can be costly if you’re not being careful. Cost comparison between our DIY deodorant paste, the natural one I used to buy and store-bought nasties is shown below. As you can see the DIY deodorant paste is clearly cost-effective, making you double the amount of paste for a fraction of the cost. It even competes with the store-bought crap on price, so if the cost has been your objection to date, it’s time to swap over to the green side. Oh, and 120g will last months!
Premade Deodorant Paste $18.50 for 75g
Supermarket deodorant $3-11
DIY Deodorant Paste $3.59 for 146g
(See note)
If you love this recipe be sure to check out some of our other Beauty Recipes To Nourish Your Body Naturally…
We Also Have A collection of Natural DIY Cleaning Recipes to help you kick toxins to the curb and save money!
Natural DIY Deodorant Paste
Ingredients
- 50g / 3.5 Tbsp Organic Unrefined Shea Butter
- 25g / 1.5Tbsp Organic Coconut Oil (Pantry Item)
- 40g / 2.5 Tbsp Organic Bicarbonate Soda
- 16g / 1 Tbsp Organic Bentonite Clay or Kaolin Clay
- 15g / 1.5Tbsp Organic Arrowroot Starch (Pantry Item)
- OPTIONAL 20-30 Drops Essential Oils of Choice many of which have BO killing power (I like 10 Rosemary & 10 Cedarwood for a more masculine scent & 10 Geranium & 15 Bergamot for a more feminine scent)
Instructions
- Set up a double boiler (I use a glass jar or measuring cup standing in a pot of gently simmering water)
- Measure out the Shea butter and Coconut oil and melt in the double boiler, stirring regularly
- In a separate bowl measure out the Bicarbonate soda, bentonite and arrowroot and stir to combine
- Once the shea and coconut are complete melted remove from heat and
add in the dry powders. (A small whisk can help to combine well and
remove lumps) - Allow the mixture to cool before adding essential oils. I tend to
hit the go button once I can dip my finger in without getting burnt. - Transfer to a jar/jars and allow to cool with the lids removed
- Once fully solidified your deodorant is ready to use
Notes
How To Use
- Scoop a small amount of paste onto your finger, approximately the size of a pea
- Rub the paste under your armpit spreading until well covered
NOTES
- This recipe fits perfectly into one of our 120ml jars or 2 x 60ml jars.
- If you wanted to make to different essential oil combination you can
swap steps 5 and 6 and pour into jars before adding oils. However, be
ready to move quickly as the cool jars can cause the mix to cool quickly
around the outside which can make even mixing a tad difficult - Costs comparisons are based on Blooming Mandala’s product costs and
supermarket prices where applicable. Cost excludes essential oils as the
cost of these depends on which ones are used and can be left out. The
cost of a jar is also not included as this is a once off cost and the
jar can be reused indefinitely, or be one you already have at home - If you would like more info on the essential Oils we chose to use
please Message us and we will be more than happy to share the info with
you
4 Comments
Leave a Reply
Hello,
I was wondering if your diy deodorant putty melts in warmer weather? I’ve been making coconut oil based deodorant for about 6 months and it melts/hardens quite easily! I’m looking for a better recipe that isn’t so finicky!
Hi there Shelby!!
My husband uses this deodorant paste in northern WA where he works and it is ok. It obviously can get a bit soft in really hot weather, but as it has shea butter in it, which keeps it a bit firmer. You can also try adding a teaspoon of beeswax to it to add even more firmness if it is really hot where you are.
Hi there, I was reading the instructions and was wondering your thoughts on using metal spoon, container etc with the bentonite clay. I have read you should not use metal with that clay.
Hi Deborah,
To get the full benefit from the bentonite clay its best it doesn’t come into contact with anything metallic, however if that all you have it’s not the end of the world.