This smooth, brightly floral scented deodorant is just lovely. It melts into the skin quickly and beautifully, leaving you ready to tackle your days stink-free. Because it doesn’t contain any wax it melts to a thin liquid when massaged into the skin, meaning it absorbs almost instantly and won’t gum up your clothes.
The majority of this lovely deodorant is cocoa butter, unscented shea butter, and virgin coconut oil. I like the scent of rose and cocoa, but if you don’t I’d definitely recommend choosing an unscented cocoa butter instead of the lovey raw stuff.
White kaolin clay, baking soda, and silky smooth arrowroot starch power the deodorant. The clay and starch help manage moisture while the baking soda brings all of its deodorizing goodness to the party.
A hint of rose wax pairs with a drop of rose absolute, citrussy litsea cubeba, and intoxicating neroli for a bright, floral based scent that’s downright lovely, but not at all overpowering.
I no longer recommend putting baking soda on your skin; read this for more information.
Rose & Neroli Vegan Deodorant
15g | 0.53oz cocoa butter
8g | 0.28oz refined shea butter
15g | 0.53oz virgin coconut oil
5g | 0.17oz sweet almond oil
1g | 0.03oz rose wax8g | 0.28oz white kaolin clay
9g | 0.31oz baking soda
6g | 0.21oz arrowroot starch1 drop rose absolute
3 drops litsea cubeba essential oil
2 drops 3% neroli essential oil dilutionCombine the cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut oil, sweet almond oil, and rose wax in a small saucepan or double boiler and melt over medium low heat.
Remove from the heat and stir in the clay, baking soda, starch, and essential oils. Stir away until the mixture thickens into something like peanut butter. Pack it into a tin or tube, rapping your container sharply on the counter to knock out any air bubbles.
Let the deodorant set up—it’ll likely be a day or two before it reaches full hardness.
I find this deodorant to be reasonably firm at room temperature, so I use the back of my nail to shave off a small sliver of deodorant and massage it in.
Because this deodorant doesn’t contain any way this means it’s not a great option if you live somewhere with average temperatures around 40°C (though I did take it to Costa Rica for a month and it was awesome with temperatures around 32°C). For you lucky folks I’d recommend this recipe 🙂
Marie, I’ve corralled a friend and my daughter and we are going to put together a master shopping list to have a girls night making some of these recipes. As a general approach, what would be a good substitution for shea butter? In the past when I’ve used hand creams containing it, my hands become red and peely, and I suspect a sensitivity. I do not believe I have any more blacklisted ingredients, so what other butter would be a good swap? Thank you!! I’m talking about this site to so many people!
Mango butter is a good substitute. I made my lip balm and lotion bars with it to help out a friend who also has a shea sensitivity and it’s wonderful.
Thank you very much!
🙂
A great suggestion, Sally!
🙂
Hi Judi! For shea butter swaps I’d look at mango butter and cupuacu butter. You should also check out my article on carrier oil swaps for more ideas 🙂
Thanks so much for reading & DIYing with me!
Cool! Thanks so much for the link to the swap article. I’ve been reading through this blog so much lately, and there’s always more to discover.
I’m at 685 published posts as of today, so it’s no wonder!
Awesome Marie! Just what I have been looking for. Could you tell me what a good substitution for Rose wax would be? – I think it’s an oil as opposed to a wax but am not sure?? Also is it okay if the rose absolute is diluted to 5% in grapeseed oil (use more?) and the neroli is not diluted at all (use less?) Thanks as always!!
Hi Gina! I cover rose wax subs here 🙂 As for the other EOs, feel free to use just as much as needed to get the scent you want!
I often find your posts right in time when I was planning/wanting to make something like that 🙂 Thank you for inspiration! I have a question about the Cocoa and Coconut – they have pretty high rating 4 according to comedogenic chart, I really like all the properties of coconut being antibacterial, but afraid to add it along with yummy cocoa butter because the pits won’t breath with them freely and they may cause zits to appear. What do you think? I’m tearing my mind thinking about this since I was planning to use coconut.
Hi Veronika! I have never, ever had problems with acne in my armpits. I use cocoa butter all over my body (generally not my face, though) and have never had it cause problems.
Hey Veronika, I am super acne prone… Can’t use coconut oil or cocoa butter on my face at all – even argan makes me break out. I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but have tried other cocoa butter and coconut oil deodorant recipes and have never had any problems. That’s no guarantee for you of course, but it might be worth a shot 🙂
Thanks, Abby!
Hi,
I need help converting your lotion recipe from ml and grams to cups, teaspoon, tablespoon and ounces. I sent an email last week and haven’t received a answer yet? I read the FAQ and it doesn’t make sense to me. I’m use to cups, ounces, tablespoons and teaspoons. Can you please convert the following below. I would really appreciate your help so that I can get started with the recipes asap. I don’t have a digital scale, so this would be a really big help.
How many cups is 180 ml of boiling water?
What is 14grams of emulsifying wax in tsp or tbsp or ounces?
16 grams shea butter
20 grams unrefined hemp oil?
4 gram raw honey?
6 grams vegetable glycerin?
I know this recipe doesn’t have a preservative. But, what would you recommend, to prevent bacteria, fungus, yeast and mold for a shelf life over a month?
Thank you,
Stephanie Moore
Hi Stephanie,
In the FAQ I am trying to explain that this cannot really be done. When you ask me to convert an entire recipe into volume measurements for you, what you’re asking me to do is to go get out all the ingredients, weigh them out, transfer them to a volume measurement, note down that measurement for that ingredient—and then do that for every single ingredient in the recipe. I’m sorry, but I really don’t want to do that! That is a lot of work. You are basically asking me to re-develop the entire recipe. Not only is it a ton of work, but the results aren’t going to be terribly accurate, especially when we’re dealing with something solid, like chunks of beeswax or cocoa butter. If my chunks are a different size than yours, our measurements are not going to be the same.
I would really, really recommend getting a scale if you are at all interested in making your own products. It’s a 100% must for soap, and is the only thing that will guarantee consistent results for your other projects. They’re only about $10–$15 these days, and well worth every penny.
I wholeheartedly agree about getting a kitchen scale. I have one that does the conversions for me and I don’t have to think twice about it. The only negative is that it eats batteries when it’s not in use, so I put the batteries in backwards so I don’t lose them AND they’re still good when I use the scale next. I have recipes in all sorts of measurements because my base recipes started out in something other than cups and ounces.
This is the one that I bought:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006N0OIIG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Thanks, Sally!
Hi! Is there a substitution for rosewax? Or, because of the small amount, would it be alright to leave it out altogether? Thank you!
Hi Olivia! I’ve covered this here 🙂 Please don’t leave it out without substituting for it or you’ll lose the bulk of the rose smell!
Oh gosh! I totally missed that part of the FAQ – sorry for the redundancy, but thank you for your answer!
No worries, it’s a new addition 🙂
I make a simple coconut oil/ Bicarb/ cornflour deodorant. It’s been about 30C here lately (Cape Town) and I have to keep it in the fridge.
That’s not surprising, with the 24°C melting point of coconut oil! I’ve taken a deodorant similar to this one to Costa Rica and I can attest that it does not need to be chilled at 35°C 🙂
I’m just about out of my deoderant too, how funny!!! Would like to make some but neroli and rose absolute are just about the most expensive essential oils out there!!! Does your supplier sell these for an affordable price? What about using ylang ylang, smells wonderful, and much more affordable.
Hi Fran! The price is a big part of why I use rose wax (mucho cheaper than the EO, and can contribute the entire rose scent with the absolute if need be) and the 3% neroli dilution (also far more affordable than the pure version). If you like ylang ylang, though, go for it!
Oh dear, Marie, I was so excited when I discovered your latest recipe was for deodorant, but that quickly diminished into despair when I read that it contains that age-old DIY deo ‘favourite’ – baking soda.
This is an ingredient responsible for countless DIYers ending up with nasty, painful skin rashes due to the high alkalinity of baking soda disrupting the skin’s natural (and protective) acid mantle, allowing normally-present yeasts to get the upperhand, to proliferate in numbers now that they are unchecked by the normally restrictively low pH, and to then claim the skin’s ecosystem as their own. 🙁
It clearly doesn’t affect everyone, but I think readers should be warned that it CAN cause problems. It happened to me years ago when using a health store deodorant which contained baking soda, and since then, reading comments on other people’s deodorant recipes I’ve seen sadly similar stories when baking soda has featured in the ingredients.
Interestingly, probiotics applied topically in deodorant formulations appear to be showing some promise as ‘the next new thing’! Might be worth a gander?
Hi Amber! Have you read Crunchy Betty’s advice on re-balancing the pH of your pits? I’ve recommended it to quite a few people and have heard great things 🙂
Hey Marie! I noticed on your last deodorant recipe you used a tube, and on this one you used a tin… Was that just what you had available, or is there something you like better about the tin? Thanks!
Hi Abby! It was all about what I had empty and on hand 🙂 I do prefer a tube, though—that way I don’t have to get my hands dirty!
I’ve been using a natural deordorant made with shea butter, baking soda, arrowroot, cocoa butter, vitamin e, calendula, ylang ylang and hop extract. It works great for me and the baking soda and cocoa butter hasn’t caused any problems. I’m definitely trying this one. 🙂
Lovely! I look forward to hearing what you think 🙂
Well I finally got around to trying this recipe. But mine turned out more of a medium taupe color, much darker than your picture. I added ylang ylang eo and lime eo to it. Thought it would smell nice but it smells horrible!! I guess it didn’t mix well with the other ingredients ….. hummm…. If I make this again, I will make it using the oils in your recipe….. Sometimes you have to experiment and learn from it… :o)
Whoops! In the future I’d recommend blending the scents together before adding them to your concoction, and then doing a bit of wafting of everything together to try and get a general idea of how everything will “play” 😉
How do you know how much hop extract to use?
This looks like a luxurious natural deodorant. I’m currently using a pretty basic recipe of apple cider vinegar, water, and lavender extract. In comparison yours looks much nicer, so I’ll be sure to pass it onto my DIY friends.
Thanks, Shae! I hope you love it 🙂
Have you a book with all your recipes. I would like to buy your book as you have great topics and I love the pictures.
Tima
Hi Tima! I don’t, but I am always working on it 🙂
hi Marie,
does the deodorant leave a grainy residue on the skin due to the baking soda, starch and clay? Thanks
I don’t find it does at all 🙂
Have you ever made a deodorant with diatomaceous earth in place of the clay? Someone on the internet told me that the diatoms are abrasive but I think i’m ok with that… i don’t intend to use this as a massage lotion. 🙂 I think it’s antibacterial and I’d like to increase my other ingredients and dial down the baking soda, so abrasive diatoms it is!
Hi Emily! I haven’t, but now I’m curious! Now I just need a source that will sell it to me in something less than a 20lb bag… all I’ve turned up so far are gardening places locally lol. Let me know how it works if/when you try it!
I got little packets of it on Etsy but I’m also in the States so… ?
I’ll be sure to poke around Etsy and perhaps eBay as well 🙂 Thanks!
Diatomaceous earth deodorant is working out really well. I think it counteracts the alkalinity of the baking soda… i used to get irritation with previous recipes and now i don’t. (My base is coconut oil with carnauba wax if that matters)
Awesome! I just tried one with bentonite and zinc oxide… no dice, sadly 🙁
where do you buy rose wax
Saffire Blue has it—see the link in the big box above.
Hi Marie,
I spent a couple minutes this afternoon whipping this together! I feel like I’m at the end of my rope with store bought natural deodorants, and I have sensitive skin so I’m hoping the baking soda won’t aggravate it – this recipe looks like one of the only DIY ones online that features a small amount so fingers crossed. Anyway, I realized you say to use your finger nail to scrap off a sliver and apply. How much would you say you actually apply for it to be effective? Like a pea-size? Or enough to cover your finger nail? I don’t want to over do it for my sensitive pits 🙁
Thanks!
Laura
Hi Laura! I hope this deodorant does the trick for you 🙂 I just apply a thin coating (definitely not even pea sized) to my pits—simply glide a wee bit around with your fingers, and put back any extra once you’ve got good coverage. You might need to experiment with amounts to see how you do. Also, have you tried pit toner? It might help!
Hi Marie,
So I have been using the deodorant since I made it, and it worked amazingly well in the beginning with no irritation, but I’ve definitely noticed it “quits” sooner in the day the last few weeks than it did in the beginning. I read a tip online to regularly exfoliate your armpits, and that helped, but its still lost its potency. Have you ever experienced this before in your deodorants? I realized the baking soda I used I’ve had for some time, so I’m wondering if it could just be time for new baking soda, but I’m also wondering if my body needs more soda to be effective? Or could the baking soda just be deodorizing itself in the container the longer it sits in there? I’m at a loss and wondering if you’ve experienced this. What would you recommend?
Thanks!
Laura
Hi Laura! This is totally normal, and has happened with every baking soda powered deodorant I’ve ever made. I generally get 6–9 months out of mine before I find they just aren’t working anymore and I need to make a new batch. It’s not your baking soda, it’s just the entire concoction; a new batch with the same baking soda from before should be just what you need 🙂 I sort of think of it like an open soda; it eventually goes flat 😛
Hi Marie, this recipe looks so good, I’m going to have to give it a go! I’ve been using homemade deodorant for a year now. The only trouble I’ve had was was my armpit hairs are growing in…a lot more course now. So I find every so often I will get an ingrown hair or two. I’m guessing it because with conventional deodorant and all the chemicals , holds their is something in it that softens or even over time thins the hair. Anyhoo, I wanted to say how much I love your blog and all your recipes, I stumbled upon your site a few months ago. I am a big fan of two other DIY sites out there, but I find yours to be so much more….your concoctions are so…can I say professional? Like you take them to a whole new level and I love it! Oh and I love that you find the time to respond to pretty much everyone that has a question – your the bomb!
Thanks so much, Kara! I really appreciate it 😀 And yes, I think you may be correct about the hair; I noticed Dove advertising a deodorant designed to thin underarm hair with extended use (GACK! What kind of chemical wizardry does that require!?).
Hey Marie, I gave this recipe a whirl last night but it stayed kind of runny. I’ve put it in the tin in hopes it’ll solidify over the next couple days. I did the recipe as above except I removed the rose wax (none on hand). Any thoughts?
Hmm. A few quick troubleshooting questions; did you do everything by weight? Did you put it in the fridge? Was your coconut oil fractionated? What’s the ambient temperature like where you are?
Hi Marie,
When I use baking soda my deodorant turns out so sandy, like I’m scrubbing my armpits. I live in Bali so I don’t warm my oils since they’re liquid already. Do you know if that’s the reason is becomes like this? Do you know how I can change this? Thank you!!
Hey Kim! If you live somewhere as delightfully warm as Bali, I don’t think this recipe is going to work for you—because it’s liquid all the time, you won’t get the right dilution of the baking soda in the oils, so you’ll get that sandy effect. Try this recipe—it includes wax so it’ll be solid in warmer temperatures 🙂
AH thanks a lot. Hopefully the baking soda in this one will feel more smooth!
After experimenting some with deodorants (no beeswax is too soft, with beeswax is too sticky) I think I figured out the blend I like best. It actually started because I had just recently received a big jar of candelilla wax (!!) which I had never used before. So I took the wax-free deodorant recipe and added 4 g of candelilla (subtracting 4 from the cocoa butter) and the result was a wonderfully smooth, not-too-wet deodorant. I also mixed in the starch and clay and soda when the oils were still quite warm, which yielded a lovely, smooth batter and didn’t seem to deactivate any of the deodorizing ingredients… Added rose wax, palmarosa, bergamot, and mandarin oils and it smells AHHH-MAZE-ING.
I love it! Perfect for cold weather and warm offices!
Very cool! Congrats on developing your perfect deodorant 😀 Wahoo!
Hi Marie, question, so not that you’ve decided to eliminate baking soda of all your skin care products, what are you using for deodorant? thank you so much!
Hey Dee! I’m currently using some deodorants from Lafe’s and I really like them. One is powered with potassium alum and the other is a probiotic one 🙂