Making Homemade deodorant is Super Easy and Kind to your Body
About 5 years ago I stopped using any commercial products with chemicals, I don't even bother with make up and deodorant was one of the first items to go in the bin because it contains a toxic metal Aluminum
aluminum is an attacker and its target is your central nervous system. [2] Studies show that toxic metals contribute to brain diseases by producing oxidative stress and aluminum is one of the worst offenders. [1] The prevailing belief around the world is that aluminum is linked to degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.Source
There's a lot of information out there on the internet by mainstream consensus that tells us using aluminum products is safe because aluminum is naturally occurring in water, because this metal is everywhere and unavoidable. But how we process water in our bodies is one thing, that does not mean that exposing ourselves to aluminum continually is safe for us. As someone who worked with jewellery making we were always taught that aluminum is a toxic metal and you do not want to work with it as a metal smith.
To be honest I didn't think to make my own deodorant right away, I started using a brand in the health shop called 'Crystal Springs, Salt of the Earth' and I still had it in my cupboard up until recently I ditched it after taking a closer inspection at the ingredients which is Potassium Alum which is short for potassium aluminum sulfate and basically still contains Aluminum no one really knows for sure if this 'natural Alum' is safe or not, I personally don't want to take any chances as this ingredient works by inhibiting the growth of the bacteria responsible for body odor. I've got a feeling that we are not suppose to completely stop this bacteria and that it is there for a reason.
Before deodorant people were using perfumes to hide and disguise unwanted scents, this is what a homemade deodorant essentially does, so I often find it works better if you can keep it topped up through out the day. Sometimes as an extra preventive measure I put a few drops of pure essential oil on to the arm pit area of my t-shirt and let it completely dry before wearing the top (I don't recommend this for expensive or treasured clothes, although I have no stains from doing this!) I find the smell of the essential oil is quite strong and lasts for ages, it also works as an aromatherapy throughout the day, and i'm often more alert from having the strong and fragrant smell at arms reach :)
Ingredients
Depending on your container size quantities will very, you might want to make several batches in one go!
- Coco oil (Melted) 2/3 of container
- Cacao butter or shea butter (Melted) 1/3 of container
- Essential oil of choice a few drops
I like to use fresh scents like Eucalyptus or Lemon, I also use tea tree as an anti bacterial and antiseptic properties - Baking Soda or arrowroot for antibacterial properties (baking soda may cause irritation in some people) I only use a very small amount or don't use it all and just make sure you use tea tree essential oil in your mixture.
Method
I filled my small pot with coconut oil
Added the baking soda and stirred
Filled the rest of the pot with Cacao butter
Added the drops of essential oil, stirred again
Left it to harden (might want to put it in the fridge to speed up the solidifying process)
All you need is a pea sized amount that you can rub on to your pits, or you could make this in a mould and have a bar and use it like a roll on, make sure you keep it in a cool place or fridge so it doesn't melt.
Some people may experience a detox faze when switching from commercial deodorant to natural ones, don't worry , allow your body to do it's thing whilst you are re-adjusting, please don't be tempted to switch back and put yourself at risk by doing so!
Care for you body by not exposing it to extra harmful substances and avoid putting your money into brands who are only interested in profits. Take control by making your own products, and enjoy the process, it's really fun and you will feel like an alchemist for 5 minutes, that's all it takes!
✌️Join the food revolution now✊
Thanks. Just for info, one can buy rocks of Alum here in Thailand in many markets - it's what poor people use as a deodorant, and it works, and even my dermo claims it's safe. I avoid, on the advice of the same dermo, most "bathroom products" for the other toxins, such as parabens etc.
Upvoted, resteemed and has been added to the latest MAP Upvotes post.
Yes that's sorta what I was using on this natural brand they make it sound like it's a salt rock and even claim that on the packaging but its alum and I didn't realize for ages. I feel cheated and quite upset by that. Without using aluminium no one has found a way to stop sweating except by using products to mask and inhibit a bit of sweat like this one. It seems to me that we must sweat its natural and we have taught to be ashamed of that I think this it the biggest problem.
Thank you again for resteem! :)
You're right, alum is an antiperspirant, not, by itself, a deodorant - my wrong word.
The perfume industry is allowed to use undeclared chemicals in its products - yet another weaponised vector to promote un-health. I have become pretty sensitive to the difference between truly natural essential oils and synths.
@Celestialcow have identified, Alum is short for Aluminum and aluminum is toxic to the nervous system. Aluminum will eventually bind to your nerves. It takes time or proper vitamins to rid of the aluminum build up in the body.
20 years ago, I have personally suffered from uncontrollable twitching in my neck when I used Anti-perspirant with Alum in it. After careful research I found that all Anti-perspirant uses aluminum to stop sweating. When I quit using Anti-perspirant, I was normal again and I didn't suffer from these weird twitches.
It is well documented that aluminum leads to Parkinson disease, which is uncontrollable shaking in the body.
Local production and consumption is one the main pillars of sustainable development. If we can just learn to make our stuff by ourselves, we will greatly be saving the environment.
Its really great that i keep finding very useful information on steemit and this is the kind of knowledge i want to pass on to future generations.
Its very important that we have to stop promoting companies that are destroying our bodies and killing our planet. Thanks for this awesome post @celestialcow
You are correct @thegreens! If you support local farmers market, you can find many sustainable products that support local economy. They have many green friendly products made naturally.
Preserving the environment and the natural resources is vital for the future and our future generations!
Also supporting local economy will keep your local area strong and prevent an economic crisis such as a depression or recession.
nice, I don't use anything, but every now and again if I'm super hot I find lemon juice works real well and you smell great too.x
I often go without especially in winter it's not necessary. Right now I'm in close contact with the general public and its getting hot here so for their benefit I made this haha! lemon juice what a great idea, thanks for the tip!
I have never heard of that... will give it ago since Mum dropped off a heap of lemons!!!
Great stuff @celestialcow hows this for timing, i was litteraly going through some new books to look at making certain remedies to cut down on store bought products .
Ill have to make a note of this now to thanks 👍
Love this! I'm so glad you are looking for natural homemade alternatives! I also like to reuse old containers so not to cause extra waste. This pot was an old echinacea capsule pot.
great stuff re-using containers, I've even started looking at what we buy if it comes in packaging to see if i can use it in the house or garden to save the waste going to landfill 😆
Every little bit counts, I've been using my strawberry punnets as seed starter containers, I always thought seed start trays were quite over priced. Over the punnet is larger but find still work for several seeds in one box.
@digitaldan I would love you to share what you are reading.. see post today. X
@digitaldan I would love you to share what you are reading.. see post today. X
Does it last all day? or how many hours has it lasted on you? Thank you :)
Depends how much you sweat Was good for me from 7am - 2pm (it was hot and I was riding my bike at 2pm) you can just apply it again even if you are sweating. It won't stop you sweating completely because its natural and its natural to sweat.
Sometimes as an extra preventive measure I put a few drops of pure essential oil on to the arm pit area of my t-shirt and let it completely dry before wearing the top (I don't recommend this for expensive or treasured clothes, although I have no stains from doing this!) I find the smell of the essential oil is quite strong and lasts for ages which can mask unwanted smells
Thank you so much for answering my doubts! I'll try to do it!
It's great you've done it, I like it a lot, I'll try it at home, because in my country the economic situation is horrible and a deodorant is very expensive. I liked the step by step. Thanks for sharing this so incredible. God bless you always.
I hope it can be a good alternative for you, u could potentially bulk make it and sell it? I've heard about what's going on in Venezuela, I'm sorry to hear about the situation but at least your body is better off without these horrible products that's a good thing!
Thank you for this I've been looking for a natural deodorant recipe for a while now. At the moment I use coconut oil and then a tiny bit of tea tree oil. It works well but not really practical. 😊😊
I find the fat of cacao butter or shea butter gives it some extra strength some how not as runny/oily as just pure coconut oil, so does the baking powder but depending on body's pH which is changing, if you are a bit acidic can cause irratation. Hope it works for you!
Super great article my dear! I stopped with deodorant 4 years ago, and at first I used coconut oil or bicarbonate instead of it. But then I also stopped with that, and haven't been using any kind of deodorant since then. The funny thing is that I don't smell anything anymore, not even after a work out. I think it has to do with the food I eat and how healthy I am. At the beginning when I stopped, I didn't smell very good, but I think it was because my body needed some time to detox from all the kind or chemicals I until that point had been using. (Even if it was organic and natural). And bzw I also dont use any make up haha;) Only virgin coconut oil for my skin;)
Yes I agree diet plays a big part for sure. I eat and live pretty clean but depending on my hormones the oder changes. I also just find living in a hot country I sweat more and well I have a natural smell, I think I may have higher testerone levels hahaha
Haha maybe! Love what you share here my sweetheart!
Oh I like that. I use sunflower oil most of the time. :D Or that salt stick I bought some years ago, I think it's from Thailand...
It's not anti-perspirant but at least it doesn't make me smell. haha.
I really love this. Ive been looking for a recipe that doesnt have any weird or complex ingredients. No natural deodorant here in belize, so ive been importing. I used to work in elder care with alzheimers and dementia people, so i dont mess with anything with aluminum.
That's the thing about natural deodorant can still contain natural alum. So it's a con! Well if there are other ppl in Belize who want natural products there's certainly a market for you to bulk make it and sell it. There must be local organic or farmers markets there and places where 'eco tourists and Yoga types go, hippy travellers? Could be a nice project for you :)
Yes. I think it would indeed sell quite nicely. I just have to wait until I get residency because I don't want to pay the 1000 for the work permit.