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Although you may associate “homemade deodorant” with hippie communes and health food co-ops, the truth is that a diverse array of people are looking to make the switch to natural products, and deodorant is no exception.
There are many reasons why you may want to make deodorant at home, including concerns over conventional ingredients, sensitivities to certain chemicals or fragrances, cost, and environmental impact.
By making your own DIY deodorant, you can control what goes into it—and, more importantly, what doesn’t.
Whether you want to make your deodorant as a paste, powder, or spray version, unscented or loaded with essential oils, or free of baking soda or not, we’ve got you covered with 8 easy homemade deodorant options, most of which are made with simple household ingredients.
A big fear of making your own deodorant is that it won’t quite do its job at deodorizing. While homemade deodorant is not an antiperspirant—as it does not contain sweat-blocking ingredients like aluminum—they do help to absorb moisture naturally and control odor.
Some reasons that people are looking for homemade or natural deodorant options and skipping out on the Speedsticks include concerns about:
Beeswax makes a firmer textured deodorant, similar to a typical stick deodorant. You can use beeswax pellets or bars, but pellets will be easier to measure out.
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Pour into a container or mold and let cool before using.
This is your most basic homemade deodorant, which solidifies from the coconut oil but is not as firm as beeswax deodorant. Coconut oil also has natural antibacterial properties, which can help to reduce odor-causing bacteria and body odor.
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This is very similar to coconut oil deodorant but uses shea butter instead. Shea butter is known to be very moisturizing, which can protect the delicate skin of your underarms if you are prone to dryness.
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Baking soda is commonly used in homemade deodorants because it balances pH levels, inhibits odor-causing bacteria, and helps with smell. However, some people find it very irritating on their skin.
In this natural deodorant recipe, magnesium hydroxide powder produces similar effects without the irritation and dryness of baking soda.
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If you prefer a spray deodorant to a stick or paste, you can mix witch hazel, water, baking soda, and essential oils in a spray bottle. Witch hazel is an astringent that is cooling, refreshing, and cleansing.
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Aloe vera is also great for sensitive skin, as it is calming and anti-inflammatory. This deodorant is more of a gel, and may take some time to fully dry on your underarms.
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You can make a powdered deodorant that can be dryly applied with a powder brush or a powder shaker. It uses kaolin clay or bentonite clay, which absorb moisture, may kill odor-causing bacteria, and may help to open pores to draw out sweat and toxins.
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Lastly, some people are using glycolic acid as a deodorant substitute. However, this one is not always as natural as the rest. Glycolic acid is a skincare product known as an alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) that can be naturally derived from plants like beets or sugarcane, but many products are synthetically derived.
It’s thought that glycolic acid works as a deodorant because it reduces the skin’s pH (like baking soda), killing off odor-causing bacteria. Another benefit of using glycolic acid is that it may reduce underarm discoloration. This is also one of its functions on the skin—reducing hyperpigmentation.
To use as deodorant, simply apply glycolic acid on a cotton round and dab your underarms (or wherever you need it). Some products on the market incorporate glycolic acid into them, like these glycolic acid deodorant wipes, roll-on deodorants, and deodorant sprays.
However, like baking soda, glycolic acid may also cause skin irritation and redness. If you do get irritated, reduce your usage to 2–3 times per week and lower the concentration. According to dermatologists, the maximum concentration should be 8–10%, and lower if you are sensitive.
Making your own deodorant has many benefits, including a lessened environmental impact, lower cost in the long run, no endocrine-disrupting or potentially harmful chemicals, no aluminum, and the ability to control what goes into it. It will not work as well as conventional antiperspirant deodorants, which require aluminum compounds to block sweat glands and prevent sweat. However, they can absorb moisture and control odor.
Baking soda is typically used in homemade or natural deodorants to balance pH levels, inhibit odor-causing bacteria, and control smell. Essential oils also are used to help with odor, and solid fat (like coconut oil, beeswax, or shea butter) are used to moisturize and soothe skin and hold the other ingredients together.
Showering often and washing your armpits thoroughly with soap (and drying them thoroughly) is the first step. You can also spritz your underarms with apple cider vinegar, witch hazel, or an alcohol-based perfume or cologne. Plus, natural deodorant ingredients like coconut oil, essential oils, shea butter, beeswax, baking soda, and aloe vera can all help your underarms to smell better without using deodorant.
Yes, some people with sensitive skin find that baking soda is highly irritating, as it raises the skin’s pH, which can cause dryness and irritation. However, natural deodorant tends to use baking soda. Magnesium hydroxide powder is a good substitute.
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