One of the first products I made was a natural deodorant. I did a lot of reading about this one because it was something that I was very hesitant to do. Even though lots of people were raving about their natural deodorants, there are also lots of warnings out there about not trying them in the summer!!
However, I wanted to find a recipe that did not contain any artificial fragrances and would incorporate Essential Oils. I was also looking for a recipe that both Andrew and I could use. He wasn’t keen a balm that he had to spread on.
My first batch was made using a recipe from the Inspired Little Pot. I was happy with this recipe and recommend it if you are OK with applying it with your finger or a spatula. The pot of balm I made lasted for months so it is definitely a great recipe from a cost point of view too!
My second batch was following a recipe called Deodorant Stick published by doTERRA. I used a roll up deodorant container for this and found that the mix was effective. However, the deodorant melted too much and I wasted a lot during application.
So my third batch is a hybrid of the first two.
I am telling you this because I am hoping that when you try something new like this that you will keep trying, even if the first attempt is not a success. If you think that there might be some promise in the product use your head, do some research and think about how you could improve the recipe.
So here is the recipe that I am using now.
What You will Need:
70 g Coconut oil ( the solid type)
60 g Bicarbonate of soda (Baking soda)
50 g Arrowroot flour
70 g Shea Butter
25 g Beeswax
Essential oils: 15 drops each of Refreshing oil blend, Tea Tree and Geranium
A twist up deodorant container. (I bought these from New Directions)
Method:
I use the microwave to make this recipe. I could use my Thermomix but I don’t like the idea of the clean up. The wax sets quite quickly and takes a bit of cleaning up. For this reason, regardless of the method you use to melt the wax, work quickly to fill your containers.
Add Shea Butter, Coconut oil and Beeswax to a glass jug and heat on High in the Microwave in 1 minute intervals until completely melted. Stir the mix after each interval.
When all the wax is melted remove the jug from the microwave and mix in the remaining ingredients. I use a metal spoon to do this. Mix it all in thoroughly but quickly.
Quickly but carefully pour into the upside down containers and allow the mix to set.
Place in the refrigerator when cool to store.
Before using, run warm-hot water over the outside of the container and carefully remove the lid so the top section doesn’t break off.
To Use:
Dry your underarms after your shower or bath and roll on the deodorant sparingly.
Note: If this mix is irritating to you, you could try reducing the Bicarbonate of Soda and increasing the Arrowroot. There are some other bicarb free recipes out there too. A simple one is to mix 100 ml of Magnesium oil with 20 drops of Tea Tree Oil in a spray bottle and spray under the arms. Andrew found this to be effective. I prefer the roll on.
Go on, be brave and give it a try!
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Until next time,
Gillian (and Andrew)
