image from herewe've been off the commercial deodorant/antiperspirant bandwagon for a while now, as the knowledge that standard brands include aluminum, pthalates and fragrances linked to neurological problems (including Alzheimer's), cancers and reproductive toxicity (see this cosmetic safety database). plus those roll up roll on spray on type bottles contain a lot of unnecessary plastic packaging.
we've both been using the salt crystal type deodorant which neutralizes odour causing bacteria. it generally works, however lately it has been heating up here in Queensland as winter comes to an end and i'm not always getting a shower every day (due to baby and 3 year old intervening in my ability to tend self) and i was finding the salt crystal was just not neutralizing those odour causing bacteria enough for me.
happened to read this post over at soozs and she mentioned making her own deodorant and that it really really worked (i, like others it seems, find the 'natural' brands just didn't cut it) and it piqued my interest. so i found my way to the original source and made some of my own. i must say, i am very impressed thus far! no smelliness after full two days with no re application. wow. that seems better than store bought. also although it turns out as a white paste it doesn't leave actually white marks on clothes as long as it is rubbed in properly.
here is what i ended up adding, slightly different from the original recipe and slightly different from the sew green recipe it is based on.
1/8 cup cornstarch
1/8 cup arrowroot flour
1/4 cup baking soda
5-6 tablespoons of coconut oil
some essential oil for scent
enough witch hazel to make mixture into a paste
then mixed to form a paste. i wanted a really pasty paste (ie like normal deodorant but a bit softer so it would be easy to rub into skin) so i ended up adding the witch hazel to moisten it a bit further.
i'm more motivated to try more home made cosmetics now. i've never been a bit fan of shampoo, i use it as little as possible, so that might be the next item to try.
cool :) How do you store it? And what's the shelf life like? I just may need to try it - I too have never had success in Qld's summers with "natural" deodorants. Kat xx
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ReplyDeletehey Kat! i'm not sure yet as it is only 10 day old deodorant at this stage, but one of the original sources said it was enough for 3 months. i'm guessing that it would last ages as none of the ingredients are particularly prone to going off :)
I understand it is seeming pretty effective and I am looking forward to trying it pretty soon - all things wait until the end of September for me. I think if it is really effective and not sticky and all that it will be a very good addition to my toiletry cupboard.
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