This post comes with a warning….DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.
Well, really, what I mean is do not eat your regular deodorant. And no, I do not know the person in this photo.
Yes, I know. You are thinking this is one of those over-the-top blogs about getting all kinds of tubes and scales and measuring tools together along with hard-to-find ingredients so that you can save about $.50 per package over the regular “natural” deodorant that you have been buying at the health food store.
Perhaps I exaggerate a bit, but if you are anything like me, a haze comes over your eyes as you read posts that talk about making your own lip balm, laundry detergent, hand lotion and now…deodorant.
Well, I admit that I am a bit embarrassed to talk about it, but the truth is I don't recall ever really needing deodorant until the past few years.
I bought it when I was a teenager, and probably sometimes during college too, but I think that it was more of a right-of-passage then as opposed to something that I needed.
However, something changed recently and I started to need deodorant again. It doesn't seem that my problem was too offensive, as my husband never noticed anything, but I did.
I tried several natural products on the market, but none of them worked. I had one person tell me that I needed to try applying one natural rock deodorant for at least 15 seconds every morning, and maybe longer, and that I should have it be a time of meditation. I don't know about you, but meditating on anything while I'm putting on deodorant isn't my idea of a time of solitude. Maybe my perspective is all off and I'm just too practical, but I usually just want to be done with it.
I could have tried the regular stuff in the grocery store, but frankly, I'm trying to clean up what goes under my arms.
A friend recently told me how her coming-of-age daughter wanted to purchase “that pink deodorant” like her friends had. My friend cringed because she knew what was in “that pink deodorant.”
There are a lot of ingredients in deodorant that one would best avoid. But let's not get paranoid here.
One obvious ingredient to avoid is aluminum typically found in antiperspirants. Just don't buy them. Alzheimer researchers are still trying to sort out what is causing this horrid disease, but there are or have been heavy suspicions about aluminum entering into the brain through either the lymph nodes under the arms or through the nasal passages. That being the case, I think this it is best to stay away from antiperspirant.
The issues surrounding the other ingredients in deodorant are more murky to wade through. I found an article by Dr. Christine Farlow, outlining the 7 ingredients that you should avoid in your deodorant. I didn't poke in to every ingredient, but it seemed to me that a few of her points were unfounded. Mainly, she mentioned talc being a problem because the asbestos-content of talc was unregulated. I was then petrified that I have been using talc as a dry shampoo at times recently. Then I found an article by the American Cancer Society stating that all talc for consumer use has been asbestos free since the 1970s. So talc seems to be fine. As long as I don't breathe it in and it doesn't enter my body through any other means.
Ugh.
Anyway, this blog has gone on way longer than I had expected to write about Easy-Do-It-Yourself Deodorant so I hope you have stuck with me.
If you want a safe, easy, and very inexpensive alternative to store-bought deodorant, here it is:
Ingredients:
Baking Soda
Water
Method:
1. Put baking soda into a small container. I use a small not-so-cute plastic container because my somewhat cuter tin one rusted. Don't get a tin one.
2. Add a small amount of water. Just enough to make a smooth paste.
3. Apply a small (emphasis on “small”) amount to underarm area.
That's all. And if it dries out, add a bit more water.
Now this is one recipe that you really can't mess up. Even if it gets really thin it will still work as the deodorizing properties of the baking soda are still there.
It really works. At least it does for me. And if we get together I'll let you know if it works on you!
UPDATE 2/2016: I no longer recommend this method. Baking soda can be extremely irritating to your skin. I will be writing more about this soon.
What deodorant do you use?
{Top Photo Credit}: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lazurite/3366280353/
Many years ago a home ec teacher recommended rubbing alcohol as a deodorant. It works by killing bacteria that cause the odor. Of course, one must bathe regularly, then apply a small amount of rubbing alcohol with a cotton ball. We have used it for sixty years and found it to be most effective, inexpensive, and non-irritating. Of course, it is not an antiperspirant, but I’m not convinced that antiperspirants are safe. Removal of underarm hair also decreases body odor, as it eliminates habitat for the odor-causing bacteria.
Yes, this does work. In fact there are some deodorants for sale that work based on this principle. One of them is by this company: https://wholenewmom.com/neals-yard-remedies-nyr-organic/ However that is a denatured alcohol. I would need to spend some time looking at the differences to understand why they used that and not rubbing alcohol. I’m not totally convinced that putting alcohol on your skin straight is a good idea to do regularly (much less on the underarm area) so that’s another thing I would want to look into but it does kill bacteria. Thanks for reading!
I’d love an updated post with what works for you now!
I’m not a really stinky person but I need deodorant – and am struggling to find something nontoxic that works. My husband is a REALLY stinky person and nothing “natural” I’ve tried so far does anything for him.
Hi there! The post isn’t done yet but here it is better than it was before :). There are a few good options in there: https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/natural-deodorant-primal-pit-paste-coupon/