Homemade All-Natural Deodorant

UPDATE: This post originally ran on May 7th, but this all natural beauty DIY is too good not to share again!

My mind is blown. If you’ve been on the hunt for a natural deodorant and have had little success thus far, this recipe may just change your life. It’s totally natural, and it’s made with just 4 ingredients. And it works.

Last week, I did a post about the seemingly never-ending search for a natural deodorant that actually works (read it here). I was incredibly happy to see so many of you share your thoughts – it seems as though lots of us are in the same boat with this issue – and I was really excited to test out the recipes you guys suggested. I read through every single comment, and wrote down every recipe that was shared. In the end, I was left with 4 common ingredients: coconut oil, arrowroot flour, baking soda, and essential oil.

The first day I made this deodorant, I applied it before enduring a zumba class (read: high-energy dancing with lots of sweat). At the end of the hour-long session came the moment of truth. You guys. My underarms smelled good. There was not even a trace of odor – I actually found myself wanting to take more whiffs to smell the delicious essential oil mixture.

As I mentioned in last week’s post, each body is totally different – what works for me may unfortunately do nothing for you – but I highly recommend trying this recipe. It certainly works for me, and knowing how many of you have had success with similar mixtures, it at least seems like a great starting point!

diy natural deodorant

Ingredients:

½ cup organic coconut oil
¼ cup baking soda
¼ cup arrowroot flour
5-10 drops essential oil mixture (I used jasmine and bergamot)

diy natural deodorant

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix the baking soda and arrowroot flour until well combined. Baking soda can be quite irritating on some skin, so if you think you may be sensitive to it, use less baking soda and more arrowroot flour – or you can substitute arrowroot flour for baking soda completely.

2. Add the coconut oil (room temperature works best) and mix until you reach a smooth consistency – there shouldn’t be any leftover powder. If you feel that your mixture is too dry, add a bit more coconut oil and mix some more.

3. Almost done! Add your essential oil mixture – this is totally optional, but I’m always down for an opportunity to smell great. My newest obsession is bergamot oil, which, when paired with jasmine – in my opinion – creates the most intoxicating scent. I love it!

diy natural deodorant

Follow Brigette on Instagram, and have a look at her blog Hummusbird!

More natural beauty tips from the BLDG 25 Blog!
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Mirna
9 years ago

Hello, ive been reading the freepeople blog for almost a year now and ive just found a store that sells essential oils where i live! so i was just wondering, do i need to dilute the oils before adding them or do i just put a drop or two in?

FP Brigette
9 years ago

Hey Mirna! You don’t need to dilute them. You’ll be mixing them in with all the other ingredients, so they shouldn’t be too strong!

Kathy
9 years ago

Where can I buy arrowroot flour? I’ve never heard of it.

Jessie
9 years ago

I’ve only made mine with bergamot and I LOVE it but I’ll have to try adding jasmine next time I whip up another batch! Sounds like a wonderful combination!!

Rae
9 years ago

Ohhh girl. My underarms have been have been very unhappy..This might just change my life. Can’t wait to try!!

Jessica Farmer
9 years ago

Oh yeah! I’ve made this before. I also love using tea tree oil. The smell isn’t for everyone, but I like it and it’s anti-bacterial properties keeps you fresh as well!

Kat
9 years ago

Hey Brigette & other FP ladies –

Have you noticed the coconut oil affecting your clothing? I’m worried to put oil on my skin and stain the underarms of my shirts.

Kat
9 years ago

@Kathy – Arrowroot flour is most affordable online. Bob’s Red Mill also carries it so you may be able to find it in your grocery store. Package is recognizable

(looks like this: http://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Arrowroot-Starch/dp/B003K8Q04O/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1399473735&sr=8-6&keywords=arrowroot+flour)

Arrowroot powder would also work (not sure how else it’s different) and it’s sold in almost all grocery stores in the spice section. It’s white.

9 years ago

I am one hundred percent going to do this. So perfect!

http://juliettelaura.blogspot.com

Grey
9 years ago

I’ve been using my natural deodorant that basically follows this recipe for over a year now and I love it.
I haven’t noticed any stains from it once the clothes are washed. I do have to wash my shirts after each wear now though, because this deodorant is not an antiperspirant and so I still sweat (not terribly) and that will cause the shirt to eventually smell after that one day of wear.
Also, I use much less baking soda than I do arrowroot, because baking soda can be irritating. However, I once tried substituting arrowroot for baking soda completely, and that DID NOT work. It seems some amount of baking soda is needed to prevent odor, in my experience.

9 years ago

Fantastic photos! I’ve been using this recipe (sometimes arrowroot, sometimes cornstarch) for about six months now and have never been happier with any deoderant at any price point EVER! No staining, no smell, no problems! My favorite essential oil blend so far is geranium and frankincense, but lately I’ve been loving lemongrass and grapefruit too. The possibilities are endless and my underarms are healthy and happy!

9 years ago

Coconut oil is SO good for so many things (I love it for hair), had no idea it could be used as a natural deodorant, thanks for the tip!

9 years ago

I recently started my journey to finding the perfect all natural deodorant myself, as I don’t think it’s healthy to prevent your body from sweating. I’ve been using Green Beaver’s Citrus all natural deodorant and it is working okay for me. Although, I do still find that I smell at the end of the day.
It seems that every time I decide to make the switch to something all natural, the FP blog girls are doing the same! Thank you for this recipe, you are the best and I can’t wait to try it!

9 years ago

I actually have everything to make this!!! so excited to try it, thanks for the tip

Niki
9 years ago

I haven’t noticed any stains on my clothes. And yes, baking soda may irritate very sensitive skin, but this recipe contains coconut oil so it’s build kind of protective film on the skin. Soda is antibacterial substance to absorbe an odour. It’s infallibly work for most people (i think, except pathological sweating)

“To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance”

Lilly
9 years ago

Girls, be really careful with baking soda! It’s better to not use it right after depilation, you need to treat and protect your skin first. Couple years ago, when I was using this deodorant, I wasn’t careful and got huge irritation, it taked a week to heal.
Briggete, can you add a warning in your post, it would be helpful.

Jess
9 years ago

I switched to natural deodorant in October of last year. I prefer natural products over standard commercial ones, but I’ll only make the switch if the alternative is effective. So yeah, there’s been lots of trial and error in this department. Haha. I started with a recipe like this one (with extra baking soda instead of arrowroot), which smelled amazing and I loved it… for about two days. What can I say, everyone’s body responds differently. I get pretty smelly, so had to reapply several times a day and it did end up staining my clothes (possibly because I didn’t use arrowroot? That would probably absorb some of the extra oil…). Also I have very sensitive skin, and large amounts of baking soda and freshly shaved skin were not a good mix for me. Similar issues with the shea butter/ beeswax stick version I made later… permanently stained the armpits of my t-shirts yellow. :(

Had much better luck with a powder version made with arrowroot powder, small amount of baking soda, and a few drops of essential oils (Lavender and Tea Tree was the winning combo for me). I store it in a shallow jar and apply with a cosmetic powder puff. Still sometimes use that one (not the best with black clothing though… haha), I get compliments on how good I smell almost daily. :P

Best recipe I’ve found HANDS DOWN, is two parts witch hazel and one part aloe vera liquid in a spray bottle. You can add other stuff if you want (I add tea tree oil and a little bit of arrowroot and baking soda to give it a bit more odor fighting power). That’s it though. No odor, no white marks, no stains so far (haven’t tested it with white shirts yet). I do have to reapply it, but no where near as often as the other recipes. I also don’t seem to sweat quite as much with this one, which is a bonus. Been using it about a month, and so far so good. Don’t think I’ll be going back to antiperspirants anytime soon. :)

carrie
9 years ago

Just looked in your shop and at your video that was trying so hard to be fresh. I am not EVER a negative commenter on blogs (as I have my own blog) but I feel that I must say that your models are too thin and you should try harder to not perpetuate an unhealthy standard of female beauty. If the world is looking to you because of the stature of your wonderful brand (which I do love) don’t you feel responsible for shaping body image? I get that thinnish women look better in clothes. But your recent models look anorexic and they actually make the clothes and your brand look bad. Try harder. Do better.

9 years ago

I use this recipe but I also add shea butter!! It’s a nice touch :)

palma vienna
9 years ago

How do you apply it ?

sydney
9 years ago

Hello,
I have been my own natural beauty products for a while and deodorant has always been the toughest to get a handle on.
I found that instead of baking soda, which causes many girls irritation, that Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth is an alternative. It is antibacterial as well and great at absorbing odors. It comes from fossilized diatoms (kind of like algae) that are just crumbled up into an off-white powder.
Bought mine on Amazon for $10
I also add a little shea butter, it helps with razor or waxing burns!
Love your bodies girls!

9 years ago

I love this deodorant, i’ve been using a recipe similiar to this for about a year now!

Any suggestions on scents for men?

FP Brigette
9 years ago

Palma – You can just scoop a small amount with your hands, rub between your fingers so the oil melts a bit, and then rub under your arms. Easy peasy!

FP Brigette
9 years ago

Nicole – I’m thinking something like sage, sandalwood, or basil would be cool for men!

9 years ago

Thanks for the recipe. Love the container!!

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