Make your own: Deodorant

In an effort to reduce the amount of aluminum in my system, I began making my own deodorant. And I love it! But I went through several trial and errors before hitting the right recipe and it does not always work out perfectly. By that, I mean my current stick is in the fridge because our house gets so hot (they call it Hotlanta for a reason) that the coconut oil base does not stay solid in the summer. But it works great! And it's cheap, easy and green. So here you go!

1.5 oz of coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon of shea butter
1 tsp Sweet almond oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1/3 cup cornstarch
25 drops of tea tree oil
(additional EOs to scent to your liking. Right now my favorite is to add 10 drops of orange and 6 drops of clove to offset the TTO)

I melt the CCO over low heat, add the shea butter and almond oil and stir until it is all melted together. Remove from heat, add baking soda, cornstarch and essential oils, and mix well with a whisk or a stick blender. Pour/scoop into your container and pop it in the fridge until it is solid again (about 2 hours). And remember, this is deodorant, not antiperspirant, but it has worked great for me through lots of Georgia summer heat and it does not contain aluminum.

This is the stick currently in the fridge. You can add more cornstarch and baking soda to make it more solid for the summer months, but even right out of the fridge it glides on great. If you have really sensitive skin, you will want to shave under your arms at night before applying this deodorant in the morning as the EOs and baking soda can be a bit harsh on freshly shaved skin.