Recently I’ve been taking a much closer look at the growing number of chemicals and additives that are seemingly in everything that we purchase, from shampoos, conditioners, soaps, detergents, cosmetics and even our food- which is being genetically engineered and spliced with chemicals such as Round Up without so much as a label to let the public know what they’re Really buying. You might be shocked to learn what’s in your favorite brand of deodorant . . .
For the sake of our family’s health and well being we’ve slowly been weeding out the dangerous hormone disrupting chemicals in our everyday lives.
We’ve reduced the chemicals used in our laundry by making our own Super Laundry Sauce, the chemicals in our hair by switching to no-poo shampoo, and now we’d like to share our “NO” secrets Deodorant.
Before we do, let us explain a few things, when We say “NO secrets”, it’s because our Homemade Deodorant Recipe doesn’t include dangerous chemicals like the store bought counterparts which often contain the following:
- Aluminum– a poisonous neurotoxin that accumulates in the body with use. Incidentally, those who are diagnosed with Alzheimers frequently have High levels of aluminum in their brains. This can appear as Aluminium chloride, aluminium chlorohydrate, aluminium-zirconium compounds, aluminium zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly, or aluminium zirconium trichlorohydrex gly (don’t they sound lovely!)
- Parabens – which mimic estrogen- remaining in the skin and increase breast cancer risk. You’ll see these listed as methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, benzylparaben and isobutylparaben. Interestingly, in a UK study of the breast tissue collected from 160 samples from women who had undergone mastectomies, parabens appeared in 99% of those tissue samples.
- Propylene Glycol– which is used to keep the deodorant from drying out, it was originally used as Anti-Freeze. This particular neurotoxin causes contact dermatitis, kidney & liver damage, headache, vomiting, central nervous depression, gastro-intestinal issues, nausea, etc.
- Triclosan- a known skin irritant that frequently causes contact dermatitis, this ingredient is stored in body fat and the FDA classifies it as a Pesticide.
How do Commercial Deodorants Work?
I hope you haven’t recently eaten, this might make you a little nauseous. Deodorants that have an aluminum base actually react with the natural electrolytes produced by your body, forming a gel Plug in the duct of your sweat glands.
This plug prevents your skin from naturally excreting liquid. The use of aluminum salts in deodorants actually cause the glands to contract, which further hinders sweat from reaching the surface of the skin. Unfortunately, these toxins remain in your body indefinitely.
Does Deodorant Cause Cancer?
Well, the jury is still out on that one. It is believed that the use of commercial deodorants greatly increases the risk of Breast Cancer. Several studies have been conducted that support this belief, such as the one published by the European Journal of Cancer Prevention in 2003, which interviewed 437 women with breast cancer regarding their current and past usage of commercial deodorants.
It was reported that women who chose to apply deodorant twice weekly and shave their armpits 3x’s weekly appeared to develop breast cancer 15 years younger than women who did neither of those things.
Regardless of whether those chemicals cause cancer (what doesn’t these days?!) I’ve decided that the fewer chemicals I put in my body intentionally, the better. So, without further ado, we offer
NO Secrets Deodorant
4 Tbs. Coconut Oil
12 drops Lavender Essential Oil
3 drops Vit E Oil (or the contents of 1 vitamin E capsule, just prick it with a needle & squeeze)
2 Tbs. Baking Soda
2 Tbs Corn Starch or arrowroot powder
2 tsp Grated Beeswax or beeswax pellets
1 Empty Deodorant Container
In a small saucepan combine the coconut oil and beeswax over very low heat, alternatively you can use a double boiler, but don’t use the microwave for this one. The coconut oil will melt quickly, the beeswax will take a few moments.
Remove from heat, cool slightly, and stir in baking soda, cornstarch, vitamin E and lavender essential oil. It is imperative that you use True Essential oil and NOT a fragrance oil.
The lavender offers antibacterial properties in addition to a great scent. The beeswax will help your finished product stay firm in the container. The vitamin E is a natural preservative.
Keep in mind when using your homemade deodorant that there is an adjustment period as your body detoxifies. About a week after you begin using the product you may notice a stronger odor as your sweat glands finally purge the chemical mess that has built up! Just reapply your homemade deodorant if needed. A small number of people may have sensitivities to baking soda, if you know you have a sensitivity, you can use substitute Cornstarch in its place.
Other Scent Choices:
First, let me start by saying that the scent of this homemade deodorant is VERY Light. I tested this thoroughly by showering, applying, then running 3 miles in 90+ degree weather in the South.
Not only did it work fabulous, it didn’t have a heavy perfume”y” stench like commercial deodorants tend to have.
Here are some additional scent choices:
- Rosemary Essential Oil
- Cloves Essential Oil (For Men)
- Lime Essential Oil (Men)
Labeling your Deodorant:
You can label your homemade deodorant any number of ways, we’ve already made these cute labels and you’re more than welcome to print them off for your own use. You can either print them on Avery Mailing labels (size 4162) or you can print them on regular paper and then use clear tape to adhere them to your container.
- Printable “No secret” Deodorant Labels (Available to active members only)
Sources:
Cancer Risks of Deodorant: https://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/AP-Deo
where do you buy the beeswax pellets and the essential oil?
You can click on the links of the ingredients in the recipe itself and it will take you to where you can find/buy the ingredients if you don’t already have them on hand
i can’t wait to make and try this recipe. i am so excited to find all the natural alternatives to products on this site!!
i love that it’s an all-natural deodorant, but do you have an all-natural antiperspirant recipe? other suggestions to prevent the “pitted out” look?
i will definitely be trying this recipe!!! :weight:
there really isn’t anything natural about an Anti-perspirant… since your body is supposed to perspire.
i found that arrowtoot is better for replacing antiperspirant (-or as my husband calls it – avoid the ‘sweaty armpit syndrome’)
i am going to try this next week. i just ordered my bee’s wax pellets and deodorant containers. 🙂
do you just pour this misture into the container? does it pour? i am going to try and make this tonight.
Yes, you can pour it when it’s still slightly warm. As for your label question, you can use regular address labels (the fat ones not the skinny ones) They’re like 2″x4″ size and then trim off a bit of the bottom of it.
well i made one container and a partial one last night and started using it today. so far so good. i used the baking soda and cornstarch – i couldn’t find the arrow root at wal mart but i want to try that for my husband who sweats a lot.
it was very easy to make and that was nice.
are the containers reusable or will i need to purchase more?
thanks liss for all of your great ideas. i love your website!!
nancy
:23_30_109[1]:
well day 2 with my new deodorant and I am lovin it!!! No pittycity as my husband would say. Thanks Liss
I’m glad you like it, we really like it too. The only downside that I’ve encountered here in the Southeast is that it has a tendency to melt in the summer heat. Areas of our house hit 80F or more and coconut oil melts pretty easily.
stick it in the fridge, other homemade deodorants ive made in the past do tend to melt at the peak of summer, after its cold it does take a few more swipes across the skin which allows your body heat to warm it up enough to apply it.
and lets face it, that cool feel from the deodorant feels soooooo good on your skin 🙂
hi liss, i want make labels for my deodorant but can’t find the avery 4162 that you recommend. Is there any other size comparable?
Thanks,
Nancy
hi liss,
i thought i posted this but i am not seeing it so i will post it again.
i want to make labels for my deodorant but can’t find the avery 4162 that you recommend. Is there an alternative?
Also, I have never made a label, would it be hard for me to make my own? I used Lime eo instead of lavendar and couldn’t change that on the labels you have made.
Thank you for all you do.
I love your website.
🙂 Merry Christmas.
Nancy
The avery labels listed are just 2×4 address labels and the labels are designed sideways and then cut to fit, if that helps.
Hi, I think it’s supposed to be 5163. I just used those and fit perfect.
one thing to keep in mind about vitamin e: it is absolutely *not* a preservative. it is an antioxidant and will help keep the oils from oxidizing, which is great in an oil-based, water-free product like this one. in fact, with no water in the formulation, a traditional preservative is not necessary, and neither is refrigeration to prevent mold and bacterial growth.
so, though the vitamin e is a great addition, it’s not a preservative.
also, another thing to keep in mind is that this recipe is basically a lotion bar with additives to keep your armpits from getting stinky. it’s great because it does include a wax to keepit firm, but remember you can always tweak it be firmer or softer, or however you like it best. pop a spoon in the freezer and stick it in the mixture before pouring into the container. it will solidify and you can try it out right then and correct if needed.
this will save you time if the recipe isn’t quite the consistency you like, and maybe even ingredients.
and always take notes! you’re probably going to want to make it again =)
Just got my beeswax, can’t wait to try. Just realized out of lavender oil, can I use tea tree oil?
I also would love to know if tea tree oil is ok. I don’t have to buy lavender. 🙂
I don’t see why not, it’s used in commercial deodorants.
if i don’t have (want to buy) the beeswax does that change the deodorant? i am willing to put it on ‘old school’ (with my fingers). will it still work without the beeswax?
🙂 thanks for your wonderful posts/articles.
hello – new here! i love the idea of using less chemicals and more natural remedies for things, however, i see that so many of these ideas/recipes on here call for essential oils. i just don’t see how this could be cost effective when one tiny jar of essential oils is $5-$10!
If you need 12 drops for this stick of deodorant – that’s almost an entire little bottle.
I’m not a very tight budget and looking for tips to save money as well as be more healthy. Any advice?? :/
this is my next project. i’m assuming, if you cannot do fragrances, that you can leave out the essential oils?
i’ve made this and really like the natural fact. it smells good but not to strong. my only con is it is ruining all of my shirts with oil stains.
does anyone else have this problem?
thank you. looking forward to trying this.
where can i get the deodorant containers?
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=deodorant%20container&linkCode=ur2&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Adeodorant%20container&sprefix=deodorant%20co%2Caps&tag=budget101com-20&url=search-alias%3Daps&linkId=UDNETO7KQP622MVC
i’m beyond excited to have found this website and these wonderful posts! can’t wait to try all the wonderful diy recipes here for no-poo shampoo, deodorant, and any other body care products. these would be wonderful to put in mason jars, deodorant containers, etc.
and make an all natural gift basket for birthdays, holidays… any days! super psyched!
best old remedy out there: Any man or a baby’s mama will tell you, cornstarch will stop sweating and sticky irritating skin-skin contact. definitly helps as far as odor too. We both use it in place of deoderants, saving tons of money!
you can get arrowroot powder for $2.90 a pound at herbalcom.com They have all the ingredients except the beeswax.
Instead of baking soda, could you use Magnesium Chloride Flakes ground into powder?
Did you know that the main causes of body odor are either magnesium deficiency or liver problems? If you use magnesium oil on your armpits they will not smell anymore. Most of us are mag.
deficient because poor farming practices and the use of pesticides have caused the soil to be deficient of most anything that is nutritional.
The mag. oil will prob. tingle for a couple of weeks and you might even get a rash but it will go away too.
If you end up with a white residue on your skin then let the mag. absorb and then wipe off residue with a damp cloth.
This worked for me. I have not used any kind of deodorant in 6 weeks and my armpits NEVER smell.
as deodorant I use just simple coconut oil. I’ve started to wash my hair only with a mix of rye flour (bio) and water to end up washing it just with water. It takes about 6 months to show effect, until the hair has repaird itself.
I’ve seen hair washed that way, healthy and shiny, incredible!
Is shaving your armpits bad?