I’ve tried so many deodorant alternatives I can’t even count them all. Then I found this one: an easy homemade essential oil deodorant.
It meets all of my expectations:
- It smells good.
- It works — even combating stress-sweat, intense exercise, and hot, humid summer days.
- It’s economical.
- It doesn’t stain my clothing.
- And I feel great about the ingredients!
Conventional deodorants are full of chemicals damaging to our health. Most of us know this already. But, many natural deodorants don’t quite do the job. What’s a girl (or boy) to do?
The recipe is based on a product I used to buy from a natural health practitioner. The original incorporated 9 different essential oils. Since buying 9 essential oils at once was not in my budget, I started out with what I had on hand and will continue to add to the mix as my essential oil collection grows.
It takes only minutes to make, and it lasts a LONG time since only a tiny amount is needed each day.
Easy Homemade Essential Oil Deodorant
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder corn starch works well, too -- choose non-GMO
- 3 tablespoons vegetable glycerin
- 12 drops essential oils see below for suggestions
Instructions
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Combine the baking soda and arrowroot in a glass jar.
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Add enough glycerin to create a smooth consistency.
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Add in essential oils and stir.
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Keep a popsicle stick or other small stirring stick in the jar and stir as needed before applying.
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Over time, if it seems dry, simply stir in a little more glycerin or water.
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To use, swipe a small amount down the center of each armpit.
If you’re making enough for a large family, this recipe easily doubles! It is also adaptable. If you are sensitive to baking soda (as some people are), lessen or omit it altogether.
Also, experiment with the essential oils to suit your own needs. If you make a batch and find it too strong, simply add more arrowroot and glycerin to tone it down.
Soon you will have your own made-for-you deodorant!
Which Essential Oils To Use?
There are many essential oils appropriate for deodorant. The ingredients in the original were:
Lemon, Pink Grapefruit, Geranium, Key Lime, Cypress, Lavender, Clove Bud, Coriander, and Oregano.
All 9 are full of antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic, astringent, and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition:
- cypress and geranium are both supposed to be good deodorizers
- clove bud is reported to be an antioxidant and has anti-aging properties
- pink grapefruit tones the skin and helps to remove toxins from the body.
I currently use a mix of lemon, pink grapefruit, cypress, and lavender with excellent results.
Do you make your own deodorant? Do you add essential oils? Which are your favorites?
Also see: Wardee’s Natural, Homemade Deodorant or Review: 3 Homemade Deodorant Recipes.
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Hi Andrea!
Are the essential oils the main deodorizer, or if I’m limited as to my selection, (I mostly have lavender) will the deodorant still work? Thanks!
Schuyler
Hi Schuyler,
Yes, the essential oils are the deodorizers in this recipe, although the baking soda, cornstarch and glycerin mixture also helps! When I first started I only had lavender and lemon and that worked out fine, although now that I have the four to mix I like that better. I would suggest making a smaller batch with the lavender and see if it works for you.
Andrea
Can I use coconut oil instead?
Hi Helen,
I have not tried this recipe with coconut oil, but there are so many recipes out there combining similar ingredients with coconut oil I am sure it would still work.
I personally didn’t like coconut oil because it made my armpits sticky. I use vegetable glycerin and aloe gel.
I use coconut oil and lavender oil rubbed onto my armpit, and then dust a tiny bit of baking soda on top of that. It works great. I probably should just blend it all together, but since I use all 3 of these items for other purposes as well, I just keep them separate in the bathroom and apply. and actually, I have used each of them individually as deodorant, and they all seem to work on their own fairly well too, although the combo is best.
I make one almost exactly the same with coconut oil and tea tree essential oil. It works wonderfully!
I would like to use tea tree oil! Would I use the same amount (12 drops) to the total 7 Tablespoons of the other ingredients?
That should work!
What is your recipe, please share with us
would this be better in a jar or could you put it in a deodorant stick container?
You definitely want to put this one in a jar! It is much too runny for a deodorant container, plus you only need a really tiny amount each day.
I am still using the first batch I ever made, and it has coconut oil but no essential oils. The coconut oil is antibacterial and therefore deodorizes. It works great!
I know deodorant can cause cancer, especially if woman put it under their breasts, and we all know, that happens, we sweat, right? So, I’d love to know a natural way to make it..
This is exactly why I went searching for an alternative myself. From what I understand, adding essential oils like pink grapefruit, oregano and clove can help to fight against disease by removing toxins from the body. The 9 oils in the original recipe were specifically chosen to clear lymph nodes, so it is health protection and odour protection rolled into one! 🙂
What about sweating? I guess you would still sweat with this natural deodorant. Is there such a thing as a natural antiperspirant?
Yes, you do still sweat. I don’t know of a natural antiperspirant.
you could use bentonite clay.
Sweating is good for our bodies because it helps our bodies to rid it self of toxins. Sweating is healthy and not something that we should prevent from happening because it will cause a build up of toxins.
I think you want to sweat, you just don’t want it to smell. By blocking the sweat glands, toxins back up into your lymph nodes, and you don’t want that.
does the glycerine make it sticky?
Although glycerin itself is sticky, you use such a small amount of the deodorant that it really doesn’t feel sticky once it is on. It has a thick, creamy consistency with the arrowroot powder in there.
Love this recipe! Mine is a bit different as I use baking soda, arrowroot powder, coconut oil and tea tree EO. I can’t believe how well this works against both sweating and odor; all without any toxic and icky chemicals!
Thanks for sharing your recipe! I know many who make theirs with coconut oil!
I discovered I have a baking soda sensitivity when using homemade deodorants; could I just sub more arrowroot (or cornstarch?) for the baking soda, or are those just as acidic and cause the same problems (red, itchy, sore bumps in my armpits)?
I am not an expert on baking soda sensitivity, but I would think you could just sub in more arrowroot. When I was playing around with this recipe I tried a few combinations until I found the right amount of baking soda for me (otherwise I have a similar reaction.) Corn starch or arrowroot should not cause a reaction. Maybe make a half batch with all arrowroot or cornstarch and see how it works for you?
Thanks for the recipe!
I started buying a very similar product at the green living show a few years but couldn’t justify paying $15 for 2 months worth of deoderant.
I used lemon and lavender, but look forward to adding more essential oils for the next batch.
Like all natural deoderants that I have tried, I find the deoderizing ability lasts for 12 – 15 hrs. But it holds it own during a spinning class!
Thanks again!
Nicole
I add Sandalwood and Tea Tree for my husbands (yes, once he tried it, he loved it!) for mine I use Tea tree, lavender, and sometimes a drop or 2 of lemon!
I’m going to give this a try without glycerin since I don’t have any but I need some smelly good stuff for my under arms.
I make a deoderant with coconut oil, only 1 T baking soda, tapioca starch, bentonite clay and 3 kinds of EO’s. I sell it in my all natural bath & body business. It works wonderfully. If anyone is interested, I have a Facebook page with my products on it. Nature’s Blessings All Natural.
I like that it doesn’t contain coconut oil, since that makes my armpits itch like crazy~~
I made this recipe, but found that my armpits felt wet all day? Any ideas how to fix this?
Hi Amanda, I would try to use less. It really only takes a tiny amount to work. If you still find it wet and/or sticky, perhaps you need to add a little more arrowroot to thicken it a little. Hope that helps!
You could apply some baking soda on top on it??
I’ve been making a spray-on deodorant for a couple of years now. I use a mixture of lavender, clary sage and lemon oils. I sometimes substitute in some conifer oils such as pine or cypress. As a carrier, I use witch hazel or alcohol in a small spray bottle. You must shake it before use, as the ingredients tend to stratify due to different densities. Please note that I am a guy and do not shave my armpits. Some formulations may be too hot or concentrated and may sting or burn. Best to test on less-sensitive skin first. My girlfriend (who does shave) has been enjoying it for at least a year now. I/we get lots of compliments on the smell.
This sounds like a great recipe, too. Thanks for sharing, Michael!
I make mine only with coconut oil and baking soda,also can be used to brush your teeth,whitens and brightens.store it in a container in bathroom.it works great!
The baking soda seems to always remain gritty, so when I apply the deodorant it feels like i am scrubbing my armpits. Is there something wrong with my baking soda?
Hi Rachel, A few things could be happening here. First, are you just using a small amount? It only takes a small swipe to work. If you’re already doing that, it might just need a good stirring as it is possible the cornstarch and glycerin are not well mixed in with the baking soda. If it’s still too gritty after stirring, add more arrowroot, and a little more glycerin if needed to keep it moist, so you have less baking soda overall in the mixture. If that works for you, then when you make the next batch, just remember you need less soda. Sometimes when I make a new batch I find it gritty for the first few days and then it seems to get better, which I am assuming is because it gets stirred every day. It definitely shouldn’t feel like scrubbing. Hope that helps!
I’m really curious about the baking soda and arrowroot starch. Does the baking soda do anything other than absorb the oils and change the PH of the skin to alkaline? Does alkalizing the skin deter the bacteria? And does the starch in the arrowroot feed any yeast under the arm? (I have trouble with persistent yeast that I occasionally have to address with athlete’s foot medication) I’ve been using a coconut/beeswax/EO combo for a deodorant for about a year, but I’ve been wondering if I should add baking soda.
I am really not sure about baking soda and arrowroot starch as far as killing bacteria or inhibiting yeast. The baking soda in this recipe acts as a deodorizer, and the arrowroot as an absorbing agent. Do you currently have Clove and/or Tea Tree EOs in your deodorant mix? These are the first ones I think of when battling yeast. I have also recently read that Lemongrass EO can be helpful for battling yeast as well.
I have a mix of tea tree, lemon grass, oregano, thyme, myrrh, lavender, and clove – basically a homemade Thieves oil mix.
I was wondering about shelf life on this deodorant? And also, I can just keep it at room temperature?
I keep mine at room temperature and have had it last up to a year.
Where does one purchase veg glicerin and arrowroot powder? Is there a substitute for either?
Hi, Deb,
You can purchase vegetable glycerin and arrowroot powder at any health food store or online. There is a link above for the arrowroot powder, if you would rather not use it you can substitute it for a non-GMO cornstarch.
~Peggy, TCS Customer Success Team
I find both at Meijer. I use Bob’s Red Mill baking soda and arrowroot powder. The veg glycerin I find in the bandaid, antiseptic aisle. I order sandalwood paste made in India from Amazon. Only a pinch is needed and it smells so divine.
I’m very excited to try this new to me recipe! Can activated charcoal be added to this deodorant?
Hi, Linda.
We have not tried adding it to this recipe but you certainly can! 🙂
If you do, please let us know how it turns out.
~Danielle, TCS Customer Success Team