Not So Dirty Hippie: Deodorant

About two years ago I decided to cut as many chemicals as possible from my lifestyle.  I didn't do it all at once, but little by little I've been whittling away at my bath and body and cleaning chemicals, and eliminating the worst of the food I eat.  I don't ever plan to be 100% natural and some organic things are completely out of my price range, but every little bit helps, as far as I'm concerned.  I've decided to start doing a series of posts on the things I do to improve my green living.

I'm calling the series "Not So Dirty Hippie" because I definitely identify as a hippie and try my best to live the lifestyle in the confines of the suburbs (my fiance's fault, not mine--I wanna live on a farm), but I'm certainly showering daily.  (My brother, on the other hand, is a dirty hippie.  His concepts of personal hygiene are...special.)  It will cover bath and body, green housekeeping, basic herbalism, and anything else I can come up with that might be pertinent to the subject of green living.

This week I finally gave in and tried home made deodorant. I don't know why I kept putting it off as it's easily the most simple thing to make out of all of my experimentation (except my laundry alternatives).

First of all, there's no good natural anti-antiperspirant. You're just gonna have to get over it and sweat. Sweating is good for you anyway--there's a reason we do it. It helps cool down your system and regulate body temperature.  But you don't have to stink while you do it. Yay!

Store-bought deodorant is made up of dozens of chemicals including the Big Bads aluminum and parabens. Aluminum has been linked to Alzheimer's and cancer.  Parabens are an antimicrobial ingredient in most deodorants that studies show disrupts hormone production and can produce excess estrogen. Since you spend all day with it on your skin, you're absorbing it into your body.

There are dozens of expensive all natural deodorant sticks, but I found a recipe for deodorant that works really well (I've been real-world testing it) and you probably have all of the ingredients you need in your kitchen right now.  It costs literally pennies to make.

The main ingredients for deodorant, the bare minimum, are baking soda and corn starch.  Equal amounts, mixed up and applied by powder puff is an acceptable deodorant.  To make it properly stick to your pits just adding a few tablespoons of coconut oil will create a proper bar of deodorant that will last a few weeks. I've been wearing it for a while now with good results, even on hectic days where I sweat quite a bit.

Here's the recipe for you to play with:

1/4 c. baking soda

1/4 c. cornstarch

5 T    coconut oil

optional: a few drops of essential oils to make it smell pretty

We're using coconut oil because it is a solid at under 76 degrees Fahrenheit. This will probably have to be kept in the fridge during the summer.  I might play around with butters or waxes to try to come up with a firmer bar, but for now coconut oil it is.

Melt your oil either in a bowl over a pan of hot water or in the microwave, checking every 30 seconds or so to avoid over-heating and catching it on fire.  Once it's liquid add your essential oils if you're using them (I like lavender, which also has some antimicrobial effects) and then your dry ingredients.  Mixed up it should be the consistency of warmed icing.  (It'll look like it too.)  Pour into muffin/cupcake papers and put them in the fridge to help solidify them faster. This recipe should make about two muffins worth, and it's a perfect size for applying under your arms.  You can also pour it into an old plastic deodorant container and re-use it.  Some stores like brambleberry.com or bulkapothecary.com carry empty containers, but they're a little pricey and over-all unnecessary. 

I should warn you that some people find the baking soda irritating, but give it a couple days before giving up entirely, or try using a little less baking soda and a little more corn starch.