DIY Deodorant

While it's springtime in the rest of the country, it's 90+ degrees here every day in Los Angeles. We like to pretend like we're glamorous and on the cutting edge of the latest trends, and we might be, but we're also sweating buckets and only going from one air-conditioned setting to the next (home to car to office to car to home). So when I found this post by Greatist, I thought it was perfect timing. Since we're sweating and stinking it up over here, chances are, you will be soon too. Why not try to make your own deodorant with a few household items, ditch the chemicals, and smell good all at the same time?

You only need four ingredients:

1/2 cup of coconut oil
1/4 cup of cornstarch
1/4 cup of baking soda
1/8-1/4 teaspoon of essential oil (I chose lavender, since it's a calming smell, but any essential oil of your choice is fine)

If you live in California, chances are your coconut oil is already a liquid goo. If you don't and it's not, stick it in the microwave for 10-15 second intervals until it has completely melted, then pour it into a bowl.

Add your essential oil, cornstarch and baking soda. It'll go from a big lumpy, liquidy mess to...

A big bowl of odd-looking milk. I couldn't get all the clumps out but I did my best.

Next, pour it into a jar (if you want to apply the deodorant with your fingers) or pour into an empty deodorant container (I found it helped to pour the mixture into a measuring cup first). I used an old Dove bottle and still had 1/4 cup left over!

Stick the container in the fridge and let it harden. I gave mine an hour.

This is what turns me off - the second it touches your skin, it starts to melt so you have to act fast. If you don't, streaks of coconut oil will run down your arms. I let the deodorant harden in the fridge overnight, thinking it just needed more time, but it still melted quickly.

A couple pluses? It smells great (because of the essential oil) AND when something straight from the fridge touches your hot mess of a body, it feels amazing.

However, I sweat. I need an antiperspirant. This won't stop you from perspiring, it'll just stop you from smelling bad while you do it. Perhaps if I had sensitive skin or if I was afraid my deodorant was going to give me cancer, I'd be more inclined to use this but in this hot LA weather, this isn't going to cut it.


TOTAL COSTS: About $20
$5.99 for coconut oil from Whole Foods
$1.80 for cornstarch from Vons
$1.59 for baking soda from Vons
$10.99 for lavender essential oil from Whole Foods
Empty deodorant container already on hand

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME:
5 minutes to make the mixture and pour into container
minutes to let it harden

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 1 out of 5
While it's incredibly easy to make, it's also incredibly messy.