Homemade Underarm Goodness

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I highly recommend making your own deodorant- it will be gratifying.

It has been a goal of mine to stop buying mainstream deodorants for AWHILE now. In case you didn’t know, deodorant’s on the market today are known to be harmful and cause certain cancers due to the toxic ingredients being used to make them.  (Ugh!)

After learning about chemical exposure from deodorants (what isn’t toxic anymore) I turned to natural alternatives such as, Tom’s of Maine, Alba, Miessence etc. I’ve pretty much tried them all but those name brands are just a few that kept creeping back onto my dresser.

Eventually, I found that Miessence worked the best and had ZERO toxic exposure. It’s my favorite alternative, for sure. My least favorite part though is having to order it and pay extra for shipping.

Granted, the product is outstanding but my pocketbook is not! I have yet to find any place in my town to carry the Miessence line (but even then $$). I thought what would my grandparents have done?

So, naturally ( no pun) the next step was to find a home remedy that worked! I’d heard baking soda for years (and years and years) worked wonders. I just never took the time to test it out {not much time involved, pinkie promise!!}. Boy; I wish I would’ve tested the baking soda method earlier on.

I know you can use just straight up baking soda like Beth, at Fake Plastic Fish does… BUT …the foo-foo in me (hardly any) wanted to make one that was scented and more colorful, if you will.  There’s nothing wrong with pure baking soda.

In fact, after I’m finished with this batch (made it a month ago) I’m going to try just plain baking soda and see what gives. I absolutely LOVE my homemade deodorant and swear by it!

The reason I finally made the homemade switch was to put it to a true test- if you know what I mean. I felt like the alternatives just weren’t doing there job in masking the odor anymore- except Miessence but I ran out!!

Anywho, I came across a fantastic recipe at the Angry Chicken and decided to give it a whirl. The only thing different about my homemade aromacreme based deododrant is I did not have any shea butter and I left out the vitamin E oil. My midwife scared me away from vitamin E oil telling me that it actually makes stretch marks worse oil (it actually strips skin of natural oil).

I didn’t have any shea butter on hand and I used lavender and tangerine oil in my concoction. To heat the ingredients, I went with the double broiler method rather than heat it in the microwave as mentioned in her post. I found it easier to work with.

When it was finished I put it into a small jar. {Amy put her batch in a much fancier jar! I found mine at Costco- made by Libby’s & have a plastic lid- I’ve had them for awhile now and am happy to use them for my homemade batch of underarm goodness!}

Do not be afraid to smear this lovely paste across your pits and do a little happy dance!  Seriously, it’s a great way to start the day! I’ve been going around smelling my pits like Molly Shannon just to make sure this stuff works AND it does. Woohoo! I only have to apply once maybe twice on a bad day. It even lasts through the night.

It’s been over a month now and my arms are practically odor free. Maybe a twinge but for the most part I’m free of any BO odor except a nice lavender/cocoa scent when I sniff. The only drawback; it’s a bit messy if the batch is not warm enough. When it’s cold you have to work it against your fingertips to get it to smear on otherwise there will be little white balls on your floor. It will soften as it warms so in the summer months it will be perfect. I don’t mind the messy factor one bit.

Another plus, is that it wipes clear. I have had a few smears on my black shirts but it actually wipes away with no problems!  It’s truly worth ever penny in my eyes. The cost to make your own is way less than any store bought brand hands down.

No chemicals, no junk, worry free!

Between a good shave and a nice smear of homemade deodorant I’m rockin’ my 30’s back to basics style! Who say’s green can’t be sexy?

I’ll raise my hand any day of the week nowadays to attest that this all natural recipe rocks my socks!  ; )

Oh! and if you want to get tricky – check out this “Quick Stick” version.

Also, be sure to check out EWG’s Skin Deep Database and see what your deodorant rates.

I’ve been tossing around the idea of making up a few more batches and giving them away as gifts to my gal friends… we’ll see…???