The trick to a successful deodorant is not to stop you from sweating. In fact, antiperspirants can cause several health concerns. Think of it this way. Sweating is your body’s way of releasing stress hormones and toxins. We naturally sweat from our armpits because it is a warm location with several lymph nodes and sweat glands. So, if the body was made this way, that means we’re MEANT to sweat from our pits! It’s time to start normalizing that...it’s just a biological fact of life!
So, what IS the trick to a successful deodorant, you ask? Well, the trick is to keep bacteria and fungus that can cause bad odor at bay! That doesn’t mean simply masking the smells your body produces. If you want a longterm solution to BO, you’ll have to look at your lifestyle – that means looking at your diet, stress levels, water intake, hormones, clothing, and so much more. But we are here today to share with you an excellent deodorant recipe that you can make at home. In our experience, it does not need to be re-applied throughout the day, and it does an excellent job at keeping your skin moisturized as well!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup Shea butter
0.5 cup Calendula infused oil (Calendula is antifungal and is the key ingredient in this recipe that keeps those funky BO smells at bay. It can be infused in any oil like almond, grapeseed, olive, coconut etc.)
0.5 cup kaolin clay powder (this ingredient helps to draw moisture and toxins from the skin)
0.25 cup sodium bicarbonate* (baking soda)
0.5 Tbsp beeswax granules
10 drops Lavender** (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil
10 drops Peppermint** (Mentha piperita) essential oil
*this is sometimes an irritant to sensitive skin, so you can opt out of using it, although it does play a role in fighting smelly bacteria.
**you can use a combination of any essential oil you choose! Rose (Rosa damascena) and Cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica) go beautifully together as well!
DIRECTIONS
In a double boiler, or on very low heat, melt the shea butter and add the calendula oil.
Do not let it boil, as this breaks down the oil and shortens the shelf life of your final product! Add the beeswax and stir until completely dissolved.
Take off the heat, and mix in the clay until it is homogenous. Allow your mixture to cool slightly, and before it hardens, add your essential oils.
You will need to find the sweet spot here, as the oils won’t mix properly if your base is too thick, and will evaporate if it’s still too hot.
Scoop your final mixture into a glass jar and let cool before lidding it and storing it.
To use, just spread a pea-sized amount under each pit in the morning, take a deep cleansing breath, and enjoy your day!