For some time now, I've been nervous about commercial deodorants and antiperspirants. I know that most contain aluminum, an ingredient that we know wreaks havoc in our bodies. Parabens, a preservative used in food, drugs and cosmetic products have been found in breast tissue of mastectomy patients and scientists are now beginning to link regular use of deodorant to breast cancer.
Parabens are used as preservatives in food, drugs, and cosmetic products such as shampoos, shaving cream and skin creams. They are usually used to prevent the growth of microorganisms in consumer products. Methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, or benzylparaben may be found in many products that are already on your shelves, but unless you read the complete list of chemicals on every label, you may not realize that they are so common. While nobody wants to use moldy makeup or slimy shampoo, there are paraben-free products available, if you want more choices.
Parabens do have estrogen-like effects in the body, which cause some concern because 80% of all breast tumors are fueled by this key female hormone. Estrogen-receptor positive breast tumors require this hormone in order to develop, grow, and spread. Many breast cancer treatments act by lowering the circulating levels of estrogen during and after primary therapy.
The jury is still out as to whether or not parabens can cause breast cancer. "Our study appears to confirm the view that there is no simple cause and effect relationship between parabens in underarm products and breast cancer" said Mr Lester Barr, consultant surgeon at the University Hospital of South Manchester and Chairman of the Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention Appeal, which partly sponsored the study.
Notice how many lymph nodes reside so closely to the underarm area. It's very possible that continual use of deodorant and antiperspirant containing aluminum and parabens and applied so closely to lymph nodes would leach into our system over time.
I know I need to make a change.
Lavender: Eliminates waste
Lemon: Increases function, cleansing
Frankincense: Anti~cancer properties
The process is simple! Add the coconut oil, baking soda, corn starch and bees wax to a small saucepan. On very low heat, slowly melt the coconut oil and bees wax. Stir in the essential oils and pour into your containers. Let stand to cool and solidify.
This recipe will fill one recycled solid deodorant tube and two 4 oz mason jars. This is a family size batch!
Special thanks to Danielle H. for her beeswax suggestion, this small addition keeps the deodorant in a solid state!
This is a simple and economical way to make a huge impact on the health and well being of the whole family. Join me in being proactive, practicing prevention and continuing to simplify and improve life by using pure, whole and natural ingredients.
Be well!
I like the look of this Rebecca, but I'm wondering how effective it will be as a deodorant...it's VERY hot where I live!
ReplyDeleteI expect it will act as a deodorant rather than an antiperspirant, although the beeswax may help there. I been using a roll on type with equal parts witch hazel, aloe vera gel and the addition essential oils - smells great, even after 12 hours of unattended armpits! Would like to try this one though.
DeleteIt actually works as both deodorant and antiperspirant. I've been using this formula for about 6 months now, the only difference is that I use tea tree EO and lavender. I'm at the age of going through my "changes" and the hot flashes are wicked. I went hiking with my sisters one day (all 5 of them) and they could not believe how "drenched" I was. The only part of my body that was dry were my under arms, which they noticed. I asked them if I smell (sisters are notorious for honestly), after looking at me like I had two heads it dawned on them that NO I did not. I laughed and told them about my home made deodorant. They were shocked to say the least and I went home that day with 5 orders to make lol. We have all been using this since then. My oldest sister was the most thrilled because she had breast cancer and has been looking for a deodorant/antiperspirant without aluminum since, she's not looking anymore. ALSO, I can attest and verify as to this formulas strength (besides my above story). Over the course of the summer (100 degrees +) heat wave, I had family issues as was not able to shower for 3 day (I know TMI), I did not realize until after my shower that I never reapplied my deodorant during those 3 days and again did not smell or "sweat" under my arms.
DeleteRR...thank you so much for your comments! Making SAFE deodorant is such a simple, powerful way to take control of your own health. It's exciting to find yet another way to use essential oils to heal and restore. I can think of a myriad of EO combinations to add to this basic recipe...to personalize depending on needs.
DeleteMy 23 yr old son requested White Fir in his deodorant stick, I think I'll add a little lemon too for a gentle detox :)
I make my own soaps and lip balms so I can't wait to try homemade deodorant! I'd be interested in seeing Roses Ramblinss' doedorant recipe also. Rebecca, I just found your site through your sisters site...love it!
DeleteMy concern-will the oil stain my clothes?
ReplyDeleteKaren, no it won't. Coconut oil isn't greasy, it absorbs right into your skin. The baking soda and cornstarch do a good job of absorbing it as well. When you try this, it goes on dry...like a deodorant stick! It's lovely and smells so good!
DeleteThank you Rebecca! The wonderful thing is-I have all the ingredients on hand so I can make a batch tomorrow. I so appreciate all your posts! :)
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome! Use in good health :)
DeleteThis type of deodorant works better than anything you can buy and it does not have all the chemicals in it. I have been using a similar batch that I made for about 3 weeks now and I will never go back to that poison they sell us in the store! I will have to try the bee's wax in the next batch. I substituted Olive oil for the coconut (I was out) and only used the lavender... did not occur to me to also use the frankinsence - ha especially when the whole reason I bought it was because of it's cancer fighting properties lol. I must say I love you and your sister! Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteThanks Christine, I really appreciate your kind words...keeps me plugging away :)
DeleteI'm so excited to make this! I have been looking around for a reliable source for quality essential oils at a reasonable price. Any suggestions? I have found frankincense anywhere from $95 to $5....?
ReplyDeleteMy reliable source for pure, potent essential oils is doTERRA. When it comes to healing, you just can't use inferior products! doTERRA tests every batch of their essential oils using 3rd party labs, mass spectrometry and gas chromotography testing to screen for contaminants like pesticides etc. It's essential that when you do decide to take control of your health care, you use only the purest oils. I might add that these oils pure enough to take internally...this alone speaks volumes! I have a link at the top of this page that can take you to doTERRA's website.
DeletedoTERRA is the BEST!!
DeleteJust discovered your site and think it is super awesome! I had no idea one could make their own deodorant and can't wait to try!! Love that frankenincense is included because i love the smell of it!! Anyway, thanks for this!
ReplyDeletexoxo,
La Toya
(La Toya, Literally)
I love your site. I originally found you through Facebook and separately found your sister through Pinterest- didn't realize until today that you are both related! I love what both of you post. Very informative for this girl that is trying to get away from a lot of the nasties in store bought products. Now if I could just get the rest of my family on board!
ReplyDeleteSet the example...they'll eventually follow!
DeleteI happened to have the ingredients for this on hand so stirred it up in literally minutes. I used Lavindin, Grapefruit and Frankincense EO. It smells SO good and dangit(!) I already showered today. Maybe I can sneak another one in tonight just to try this. I did try it on my forearm and no white, chalky residue; it goes on smooth and dries so nicely. I have been wanting to make my own deodorant for awhile - this seems perfect! Thanks so much for a great recipe - I will be donating a portion of todays batch to 2 women whom are both struggling with breast cancer. My heart breaks - thank you so much for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteAloha Rebecca! I discovered you & your sister last night while looking for homemade laundry/dish soap, to my surprise I was very happy to see that you both incorporate doTERRA essential oils into these wonderful recipies! Thank you so much I will try them ALL!
ReplyDeleteMuch Mahalo from the 808 state!
Natalie
Okay, I LOVE this deodorant! I sweat a lot (a lot!!), and it's very embarrassing; but more embarrassing is the icky smell. Ugh. I have even been buying the expensive 'clinical strength' deodorant/antiperspirant, which still didn't fully help the problem. This deodorant works so well I will never go back to store-bought. Seriously, I am truly amazed at how well this deodorant controls odor! (Like deodorant should, right??)
ReplyDeleteAbout sweat, I didn't make this thinking it would reduce sweating - I really just wanted the deodorant aspect - but I have actually noticed that I am not sweating under my arms nearly as much. A nice bonus, in my book.
One more thing: one day over the weekend I forgot to put on my homemade deodorant and after half a day of working around the house I was getting pretty smelly so I went to freshen up. Usually I would change my shirt at this point, since it stinks too, but this time I figured I would see how this deodorant would handle the icky smell on the shirt as well (I know, gross, right? But it was in the name of science!) Sure enough, in just a little while even the shirt's under-arms didn't smell anymore. It was absolutely amazing.
Thank you so much for sharing this! I am completely sold on this deodorant and will be making a batch for several of the ladies in my family. :)
Hello! I'm Beverley from Malaysia (Asia)!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I bumped into this blog :D
Just 2 questions:
- In my country, its so hard to source for beeswax pastille. What other store bought items that could substitute beeswax pastille?
- Lavender & Lemon essential oils are easy to acquire here. Is there any type of essential oil to replace Frankincense?
Hi Beverley...way out East!
DeleteHmmm...can you find beeswax candles by chance? I just don't know what could be used as a substitute for beeswax. Really though, you don't need beeswax, you would have a less solid version without it but you could keep it in a jar, would still work great!
If you can't find Frankincense, Lavender will stand well on it's own in it's stead.
I'm happy you found Camp Wander too :))
Where do you find Beeswax Pastille? I used soy wax for candles and it worked just fine. Love this deodorant. It works!!! I live in a hot climate too and at the end of the day I still smell like a coconut. :)
DeleteI'm a vegan, so I use Shea Butter instead of beeswax. Works great.
ReplyDeleteI made my first batch today. Went to Dollar Tree and bought 4 deodorants for $1 ea. Emptied the containers and soaked in boiled water to remove residue. Washed and dried. One batch made 4 deodorants. I can't wait to try it tomorrow. I added grapefruit to the oils because I love the way it smells :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip!
Excellent! Love your idea of buying sticks at the $1 store and emptying them :))
DeleteHi Rebecca, I love this deodorant and have been telling all my friends and family about it. Would it be okay to use your recipe to make deodorant to sell? I would of course give out the link if someone was interested in making their own. Also, do you think Rosemary EO would work? I got some for my mother in law who is in the midst of chemo for breast cancer. I would want to use it along with the lemon, lavender, and frankincense. Thanks again for this great recipe!
ReplyDeleteShare away, the more people who use this the better! My best to your Mother in Law...you're taking good care of her :))
DeleteWow! I am so excited to try this! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome!
DeleteOh my goodness! I was just surfing the web to check out a site to see if they have a recipe for home made deodorants using EOs and I found your site! And what's more amazing is that I actually use doTERRA EOs and supplements.
ReplyDeleteMay you be continued to be blessed for the service you are rendering to the world Rebecca!
Thank you Mary, use in good health :))
DeleteBought a $1 store deodorant and the bottom of the 'roll up' part was lattice shaped, not solid. This won't work when you put in the liquid mixture before it hardens. Look for solid bottoms in the 'roll up' component.
ReplyDeleteI bought 6 different types of cheap deodorants and only ONE had a bottom i could use, it was an old spice swagger :/
DeleteI found that you can buy deodorant containers for about 75 cents each and $6 shipping.
i thought heating the oil would destroy its properties?
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't take high heat to melt the coconut oil and beeswax pastilles...this is a slow melt. The essential oils are added at the end of the melting process :))
Deletethank you for answering my question. I am excited to try this tomorrow, i finally found the beeswax at my local michael's
Deletewhere is a good place to order the containers or purchase?
ReplyDeletewww.aromatools.com
DeleteAny suggestions for an alternative to corn starch? I am allergic, causes a systemic inflammatory reaction. I would be afraid to even "wear" it.
ReplyDeletearrowroot is a great alternative. I use it for my homemade deodorants.
DeleteI made this recipe once following Jillee's instructions which are to add the powders off heat after the oil and beeswax melts then stir until creamy. It never got creamy for me, it just started to solidify. The result was an incredibly effective deodorant that felt like sandpaper because the powders didn't dissolve. My pits were raw and burning by the third (and final) application. I'm wondering if I can re-melt everything at low temp until the powders are dissolved and then pour it back into the containers. Will that work? It worked great but my skin couldn't take the gritty-ness of it. Will the gritty-ness go away if I re-melt it?
ReplyDeleteRebecca,
ReplyDeleteI am excited about trying this out, but it is a costly investment starting out. Do you, or do you know of anyone, who sells maybe samples of this? I don't want to purchase $200.00 of materials and not like it!
If you don't the bee pastellies can you use bees wax ? If so do you know how much ? Is it the same ?
ReplyDeleteYou can use grated beeswax, roughly the same amount as pastilles just pack the tablespoon when measuring...this is what I've been told by those using grated. I've only ever used pastilles.
DeleteWhat do you suggest as an alternative to baking soda? I have made my own deodorant but get rashes from the baking soda.
ReplyDeleteGeorgia, try this...it's my new favorite do it yourself deodorant! So easy and effective!
Deletehttp://campwander.blogspot.com/2013/04/2-minute-roll-on-deodorant-be-toxin-free.html
Question. Do you use the coconut oil you cook with? Or is there a special oil to get? Thanks! I can't wait to make this!
ReplyDeleteAll you need is cold pressed, extra virgin coconut oil!
DeleteAre you supposed to still see bits of beeswax pastilles floating around? When I put the mixture on low heat, it doesn't seem hot enough to melt the beewax.
ReplyDeleteKeep on heat until all of the beeswax has melted...you may have to turn the heat up just a little to make this happen. Low and slow!
DeleteI made this and I LOVE it. I have only one question. When I tried to pour it into a deodorant tube, it started to leak out the bottom. Am I using the wrong tube or should I wait until it's more solidified to pour it in?
ReplyDeleteI've had that happen too, it all depends on your empty cylinder...some are better than others! If it were me, I'd simply wash off any of the blend that leaked and use it anyway :))
DeleteI did not think that I could make my own deodorant. Thanks for the simple recipe. It was easy to make and glad that I can put it in deodorant tubes.
ReplyDeleteI had to quit using deoderant in Feb right after my son was born because I believe the aluminum was affecting my breast milk causing my son to not gain weight appropriately. I have been struggling to find something else. The natural brands are so pricey. My sister introduced me to doTerra and then this blog where I found your recipe and I was curious. I bought the supplies (most of them I already had) and made a batch. I looooove this! I went for a couple of months without deoderant and the hormones from breastfeeding cause me to have random hot flashes and sweat attacks. So I have been a huge mess. But this deoderant is tough because I don't get wet spots on my clothes and I smell yummy all day. Thank you so much for this. My husband even wants to try it. This is such a huge help.
ReplyDelete