I really enjoy getting back to basics and making cleaning and body care items for my family to use. For me it is a relaxing hobby and makes me feel one step closer to our goal of self sufficiency. I like knowing exactly what goes into the products we use and as an added bonus by making these myself, it saves us quite a lot of money.
Hubby and I have been using this homemade deodorant for a while and find it works really well. The teens are not so convinced (they've never tried it) and prefer me to buy them commercial deodorant. Although in my opinion this homemade product works better than brand name deodorant and I recently put this to the test.
I'm only human, and occasionally the clever advertising campaigns get to me. Yes, I know they are all bull shit and the companies will say anything to get our money, but I had an important meeting to go to, it was a warm day and I started to freak out that my regular homemade deo wasn't going to cut it. So I decided to borrow my daughter's *insert brand name here* underarm spray. When I got home my shirt was damp from sweat and I was stinky! I seemed to sweat much more than when I use my regular coconut oil recipe. So much for thinking the anti-antiperspirant would work better...
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| I like to add a bit of patterned adhesive to my empty glue stick container to make it look a bit fancy, you could also use washi tape |
There are many recipes for homemade deodorant, but I like this one which uses coconut oil for a base because it is a natural anti-fungal. It has the added benefit of not containing any carcinogens or toxic chemicals like many store bought antiperspirants.
I must point out, that this homemade deodorant will not stop you from sweating, but the coconut oil will inhibit any bad odors. For ease of use, I like to put my deodorant in a an old well washed glue stick tube.
The healing balm was made by accident, as one day I discovered I had melted too much coconut oil and had already filled my glue stick tubes for the deodorant. So I just added several more drops of both the tea tree and lavender oils, and voila a homemade healing balm. As we have since found out this stuff is especially good for Mr 13's eczema and any cuts or sores. Store it in the fridge, so it is solid and apply just like you would an antiseptic cream.
To make the deodorant and healing balm you will need:
Coconut Oil
Pure essential oils like tea tree and lavender which are anti bacterial
First scoop out about 4 heaped tablespoons of the coconut oil and place in a small container, then put this container in a larger bowl filled with hot water. This is purely to melt the coconut oil, if the weather is warm where you live and the oil is a runny consistency you can omit this step.
To the coconut oil add 5 drops of lavender and 2-3 drops of tea tree oil. You can also add a teaspoon of bi- carb soda if you like. I've only recently started adding this and think it does help with absorbing any excess moisture.
Stir the mixture well and pour into the glue stick tube. If you don't have any tubes, you can just store it in a regular container with a lid and apply with your fingers. My last tubes broke as I placed them in the freezer to set (don't ever do this the fridge works fine) and the inside winder broke, I was gutted as these are perfect for applying the deo. Instead I poured my mixture into an icy pole container which also works fine, just remind everyone in the house that it is not edible! In warm weather you will need to store both the healing balm and deodorant in the fridge to avoid it becoming a liquid mess.
