This lovely sunshine vegan deodorant is creamy, smells like sunshine, and kicks stink’s butt like nobody’s business. It’s pretty cool. It’s also easy to make and delightfully inexpensive. BAM.
I’ve used a lovely blend of cocoa butter (USA / Canada), mango butter (USA / Canada), coconut oil, and sunflower seed oil (USA / Canada / UK / NZ) to create a creamy base for our deodorant. I’ve also added a teensy amount of notorious neem oil, which is famous for smelling… yucky. My bottle of neem oil smells like a strange BBQ sauce, but I’ve also heard it described as smelling like old peanut butter and cabbages. If we’re being honest, nobody really has anything nice to say about the smell of neem (why we have deodorized cocoa butter (USA / Canada) but not deodorized neem oil is a mystery).
Other things in the neem department are great, however. It’s a great bug repellent (and people repellent, too, in high enough concentrations!), insecticide, anti-fungal, and anti-viral oil. It’s pressed from the seeds of Azadirachta indica, an evergreen tree native to India, and has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for hundreds of years to treat everything from acne to tuberculosis (no word on how successful it is as a TB treatment, though… I wouldn’t recommend trying it!). We’re mostly concerned with neem’s antibacterial effects, though, which give this deodorant a kick in the pants in the effectiveness department. Score. The essential oil blend keeps you from smelling like a nutty BBQ cabbage, too 😉 You can’t even smell the neem in the final product once it’s cooled down and the essential oils have been mixed in.
Say what you will about DoTerra—this wild orange essential oil smells utterly divine.
Our buttery sunshine vegan deodorant base is amped up with a powdery blend of baking soda (USA / Canada), arrowroot starch, and white white kaolin clay (USA / Canada). The baking soda (USA / Canada) is the star of the recipe, turning something that’s basically just body butter into deodorant. If your pits are sensitive to the alkaline nature of baking soda (USA / Canada), try swiping them with a bit of vinegar, letting that dry, and then applying your deodorant. I know lots of sensitive-pitted people who’ve had great success with this, so it’s definitely worth a try.
The arrowroot starch and clay help manage moisture. I really do recommend sticking with the white clay here—it goes on translucent, and won’t stain your clothes. I made a batch of deodorant using a clay that was the same colour as my skin and that ended up leaving brownish pit stains on a favourite white dress (sad), so I don’t recommend going that route!
I’ve tested this deodorant through yoga classes, days at the office, and a day of very sweaty cross country skiing, and it performed beautifully 🙂 I’m sold!
I no longer recommend putting baking soda on your skin; read this for more information.
Sunshine Vegan Deodorant
15g | 0.53oz cocoa butter (USA / Canada)
8g | 0.28oz mango butter (USA / Canada)
16g | 0.56oz virgin coconut oil
4g | 0.14oz sunflower seed oil (USA / Canada / UK / NZ)
1g | 0.03oz neem oil
2 drops Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada)8g | 0.28oz white white kaolin clay (USA / Canada)
9g | 0.32oz baking soda (USA / Canada)
6g | 0.21oz arrowroot starch4 blobs labdanum essential oil
15 drops wild orange essential oilWeigh the cocoa butter (USA / Canada), mango butter (USA / Canada), coconut oil sunflower seed oil (USA / Canada / UK / NZ), neem oil, and Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada) out into a glass heat resistant measuring cup. Place the measuring cup into a saucepan of simmering water to melt everything together.
While the oils are melting, weigh out the powders into a small dish. Once the oils have melted, add the powders and stir everything together until the mixture is nice and smooth before removing it from the heat.
Add the essential oils and stir. Let the mixture cool, stirring occasionally as it does to ensure the powders stay suspended. You’ll find it seems to stick at the heavy cream stage for ages, and then you’ll go away and come back to a solid. It takes ages to thicken because there’s no wax, just hard butters. Pack it into your tin at this point.
I like to store this deodorant in a 60mL/2oz tin, but it would also work in a push-up tube if you have one on hand.
Studies have shown neem oil can have arbotificant effects, so it shouldn’t be used by pregnant women or women trying to conceive. I doubt it would have an effect in quantities as low as in this recipe, but better to be safe than sorry! You can substitute the neem oil for more coconut oil.
How crucial are the essential oils to your recipe? I am extremely sensitive to them and cannot use them topically at all.
They’re the “sunshine” part, but the deodorant will still work without them. You might want to leave out the neem oil and replace it with more coconut oil if you aren’t using EOs as the EOs do mask the scent of the neem.
Thank you so much, Marie!
Is there not a stable deodorant available (diy) that will maintain the pH mantle of 4.5-5.5 to nurture the skin will eliminating odor causing bacteria? I was considering a thieves oil or possibly other antibacterial oils to do their job. I like your style and efficiency at explaining the processes to making your formulas.
i have used probiotic capsules with great success as the anti bacterial ingredient
Awesome! I’ve heard of this before and definitely need to give it a go 🙂
Hi where do you get your capsules,what make are they thanks
what strength
Thanks Marie! I was wanting a new deodorant! 😀
I have neem leaf powder. Do you think steeping it in the sunflower oil would be beneficial? I don’t have neem oil yet. And have you thought of using neem in any acne concoctions?
Thanks again!
Hmm. I suppose the infusion can’t hurt, though I really can’t say if the performance will be the same. Presumably the production of the powder includes the loss of the oil, and likely some of the oil soluble compounds with it.
The smell of neem + the need to apply it to the face for acne application has thus far deterred me from experimenting with it there :/
Hi Eyrie
The neem oil is made from pressing the seeds of the neem fruits and hence it is very pungent. the neem leaves have a very faint smell compared to the seeds. hope it helps.
Eyrie beat me to the question! I was going to also ask if I could infuse Neem Powder into the Sunflower Oil, or just mix it right in. I’ll be watching Eyrie’s comment for your reply.
My other question is … where do you get your white kaolin clay? Mine is a light gray that turns a darker light grey/olive green when mixed into soap batter and masks. I have used it once in a deodorant and it stained a white dress with green oily smears. Needless to say… my “white” kaolin clay is not so white.
I got my kaolin from NDA, and it is quite white across all applications 🙂
Did you ever try a different clay? Did you find it to be something else? I had the same thing happen with a greenish color. Seems clear once blended though.
🙂
How do you use this when is in a tin? Do you use your fingers to dig it out and spread it around? Your older deodorant recipes show tubes (which I know how to use).
I’m curious about this too!
Just use it as you described, like body butter 🙂
I was wondering, is the neem oil you use the same neem oil that you find in the gardening section of the store? I have neem oil that I use on my plants as a pesticide. Is it the same?
I wonder that too, Shelley. I always have a big jug of it on hand for spraying my garden.
Smells like garlic to me. Everyone has their opinion of what it smells like 🙂
Suppose I should go out to the shed and read the ingredients?
The ingredient check is my best idea, too—if it’s pure neem I think you should be good to go!
I’d just check the ingredients; if it’s 100% pure neem oil you should be good to go! Neem makes a good pesticide on its own so it’s likely it is just plain ol’ neem oil.
Shelley,
Please!!! Look at the ingredients or if not listed, call the manufacturer of the product you have in your shed. I say that bc as I was looking to buy it local in New Orleans, La area, every product at Home Depot, Lowes and the Feed & Seed store is only a percentage of neem oil and another not organic product! I think it was 70/30 percentage. I wanted it for my garden but wanted pure neem oil and all of the garden products were not 100% neem oil. I ended up buying it online at Amazon for a decent price. I also have a deodorant recipe that calls for neem oil and tamanu oil both of which smell very earthy strong. VERY! I ended up ditching it in the trash but the reason I tried was it called for no baking soda. It was used in much larger quantity than this recipe so I will try this but may have to work on the baking soda part. I get red rasht puts even with organic commercial deo if it has the baking soda in it.
Great advice, thank you Michelle 🙂
Sounds lovely 🙂
Arnt you worried about the clay absorbing the heavy metals from the tin?
When using any clay I never let it touch metal.
No, mostly because the tin I’m using isn’t made from lead (if you have a lot of heavy metals in your day to day life I’d be more concerned about fixing that than keeping clays from contacting metal). Also, from all the research I’ve done the only clay that absorbs heavy metals is bentonite.
Where do you buy all of your products from? I need inexpensive— on a fixed income and I use essential oils so I want to go as natural as possible.
I get most of my stuff from New Directions and Saffire Blue, but if you aren’t in Canada that won’t be terribly helpful. Check out this list for loads of places to buy ingredients around the world 🙂
Interesting, will give this a try, have a recipe for the oil based deodorant but found it not very effective. Using a recipe which is basically a lotion made with coconut oil with non-nano zinc and an E.O blend, and it’s been very good, but I’m always looking for one I can put into a tube for easier application. I’ll do it up right away and let you know how it compares! By the way, using your tiger balm rollers with the chili seed oil on my sore back and they are spectacular! They went out as Christmas gifts to most of my family, and were a big hit! Thanks again for all your hard work and great ideas!
Well as a follow up to my previous comment, I made this and have been using it for days now. I’m still not sure about the oil consistency, still having trouble with feeling slimy when I sweat (which is a lot), but I will give it the credit of it works beautifully, a huge improvement compared to the last oil based (which was the Crunchy Betty recipe, btw) one I did. Thinking of incorporating some diatomaceous earth as part of the powder, supposed to be a great absorbent. Will be awhile before I run out and start playing with substitutions, but for all those unsure, definitely give this a try, works as advertised for certain!
It’s strange that yours is slimy, as mine certainly isn’t, but I’m glad it’s working! Maybe something like this might work a bit better?
Your lotion deodorant is quite intriguing—is the zinc the only active ingredient? Does it leave your pits super white?
And three cheers for the tiger balm rollers! I should go find mine, my back is a bit sore—thanks for the reminder 😉
i made this yesterday and it smells heavenly. it still hasn’t set up though, and i followed the recipe exactly using a scale to measure everything out in grams the only thing i did differently was i used almond oil bc i didn’t have any sunflower. how long did yours take to set up? i think it may have been too warm in my house. i live in chicago and its freezing out so we have the thermostat on 70 degrees lol. i just sat it by a window just now and am hoping it firms up today.
Hi Mimi! It does take a while to set up without any wax. I think mine took about 6–8 hours to set up. I stirred and stirred and it thickened a little bit, and then I finally walked away from it and BAM, it thickened up while I was off doing other things haha. Did yours eventually firm up?
I just made a deodorant, but yours is interesting because of the sunshine. Haha! I’m going to try this. I’ll probably use cocoa butter or shea butter in place of mango butter (I don’t have any as of the moment). Thanks, Marie!
Have fun! Shea is definitely a better alternative for mango than cocoa butter; cocoa butter is much too hard 🙂
I am allergic to sunflower oil…what is a good substitute? Thanks!
LOVE your creations! 🙂
Safflower or apricot kernel would both be good alternatives 🙂 Read this for more info!
Thanks so much!
🙂
I have a quick question, mine turned out kinda thick so I put it in 1 oz containers but today I checked on it and the oil seems to have risen to the surface and the deodorant is not solid. Any suggestions?
Hmm, that’s strange :/ What’s the ambient temperature like where you live? Did you measure everything by weight or make any changes?
Hey I made this yesterday and it smells amazing but still hasn’t hardened at all…it’s more like a lotion. I followed the recipe exact. Do you have any suggestions?
Hmm, odd. So, you definitely measured in weights and didn’t make any substitutions? (You’d be surprised how many people contact me to say they “didn’t change anything”… except for some seriously important things!). What’s the ambient temperature like where you live? Where did you leave it to set up?
I did weigh everything and didn’t sub anything but I didn’t have labdanum so I guess I omitted something. I live on the east coast of Canada….so colder climate although it has been milder lately…I left it on the kitchen counter and then refrigerated it until it did harden…it just softened and thinned out after I took it out of the refrigerator…it has thickened a little since my first message into more of a cream. Is that the consistency it should be?
I think it might be the fridge, honestly; I tried refrigerating a batch and that one never set up. I did a second version with no fridge and chilling at room temperature and that one set up to a solid balm just fine. I can’t explain that, but that’s my experience :/ You can try adding about 5g of beeswax or 4g candelilla wax to get it to set up now that it’s quite unlikely to on its own.
I thought I’d let you know that I made this over the weekend and it works so well! I did, however, make a small adjustment to the recipe.
I have pretty sensitive skin and the baking soda-based deodorant I was using before kept leaving me with rashes, even after pH-balancing my pits. I read quite a few articles online about using diatomaceous earth in place of the baking soda for sensitive skin, so I decided to give it a shot. I used 3g baking soda and 6g diatomaceous earth. After a few days of using this stuff, I felt the need to report back and say that I love it and am experiencing zero sensitivity thus far. Even after a 5 mile walk yesterday and a 6 mile walk the day before, I still smell awesome. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks so much for sharing, Nikki! I think I’ll have to get my hands on some DE and try it myself 😀
Wanted to say thanks for all the great recipes. I am new to the DIY beauty products, but been loving my adventure.
I have question on the color on this deoderant. Mine turned out a pretty dark brown. Seems to go on clear but color kinda sad. I bought a white clay and it looked light, but mixed really dark. Have any ideas? Clay maybe darker than it looked?
Boo, that’s disappointing! It does sound like it’s the fault of the clay—which one did you buy? Do you have a link to a product page? Have you noticed any brown marks on your clothes from the clay?
From reading, and details on product I now saw, it can turn dark. It is the mountain rose herbs. Love their stuff but will try a different company that is more white. I am loving the deodorant! Works great! Can’t wait to try more stuff. Thanks for sharing such great recipes.
Ah, that’d explain it! What a strange (and rather undesirable) characteristic 😛 Thanks so much for reading and DIYing with me, and enjoy your deodorant!
Those is the best deodorant recipe I’ve found and it really works. My husband has hyperhydrosis, which is a fancy way of saying he sweats profusely. Lol. It even keeps him from stinking. You’ve changed my mind on natural deodorant. I won’t go back!
Woohoo, I’m so thrilled! Thanks for reading and DIYing with me 😀
Where do you get the tan labels?
I’ve got an FAQ on this 🙂
Can you pour this deodorant into a stick? or would I need to add some beeswax to this to make it firm enough? Thanks!
Hey Sarah! I would stir in a bit and let it cool enough to become viscous enough (pudding like, I suppose) that you can sort of “pack” it into the tube rather than pour it 🙂 It should work, though! Just don’t put it in the fridge, that seems to prevent it from setting up at all (weird!).
I actually put a bit of candelila wax in to try to firm it up. It was solid enough to put into a stick, but in warm temps it’s still too mushy to apply well. I’ve found with experience that by the time you get enough wax to make it a solid enough stick, you lose too much of the effectiveness of the ingredients and it doesn’t work nearly as well.
Thanks for sharing, Vanessa! How odd that the additional wax would negatively impact the effectiveness of the deodorant; I don’t imagine you’re adding enough to significantly dilute the active ingredients, so… weird…. hmm.
Mine didn’t set up either, sharing what I did so others don’t do the same because it didn’t work. Used Sweet Almond Oil instead of Sunflower because that is what I had. I didn’t have Neem, so added more coconut oil. After adding essential oils, I cooled it in a cold water bath until it reached 75 degrees, then I let sit on the counter. After 20 hours, it was still like cream, no setting up whatsoever. Our ambient temperature is around 80 degrees. I ended up adding 11 grams of beeswax, which thickened it to cream. Love the smell, maybe I will make again without liquid oil next time.
Hey Coreen! Thanks for commenting with your experience 🙂 I wonder if the cold water bath was the problem; I’ve found putting this deodorant in the fridge means it’ll never set up, so perhaps the cold water bath had the same effect? I’m glad you were able to save it with some added wax, though 🙂 Thanks for reading and DIYing with me!
Hi Marie! I made this and it worked great, except for some nice irritated pits from the baking soda. Pit toner (thank you for that, it was a great recipe) and ACV didn’t work so I did some research and found that zinc also removes stink. I remade your recipe substituting zinc and it works great with no chance of irritated pits! I was a little worried about bright white pits, but so far, so good. Just thought you’d like to know! Thanks for making this!
I still use the pit toner, it’s lovely.
That’s awesome! I will have to experiment with that to see if zinc is strong enough for me—I certainly have enough of it 😛 Did you just do a 1:1 swap with the baking soda?
Hi Marie, I think this is the first recipe from Humblebee that hasn’t been my favourite. I’ve dabbled a lot in deodorant making lately, and thought I would give this one a try. I found that the lower melting point of coconut oil means that this deodorant liquifies on contact, giving a greasy feel… I’m sticking with my recipe for now – shea and mango, with just a tad of cocoa butter. And with the baking soda and arrowroot. And of course lime and bergamot EO. It’s pasty, not greasy, and spreads well. I’ve modelled it after Schmidt’s – awesome stuff!
Hey Anne! Thanks for your feedback 🙂 The best part of DIYing is the ability to make exactly what we want, and the ability to realize what it is we don’t like in a recipe so we can fix it. I love that you immediately knew it was the coconut oil’s melting point that you didn’t like so you could do something that you love 😀 Three cheers for DIY! Thanks for reading and DIYing with me 🙂
I’m really having fun with DIY and look forward to all of your posts. You inspired me to get an 0.1g scale, and my 8-year old twins are having a hoot learning to weigh and measure. We make diffuser blends together and they help me mix concoctions!
Nice! Getting a more precise scale was a total game-changer for me, too—when you makes as much as I do, the ability to make less is AWESOME!
Hi Marie, do you know if I can get a whipped texture from a deodorant made from coconut oil, Mango butter, baking soda, corn flour, bentonite clay
Vitamin oil and essential oils? I am Not sure if the mixture will whip due to the clay and baking soda and corn starch? Many thanks
Hey Aneeka! Honestly, there are a nearly infinite number of variables here. I’m sure you probably can, but heavens knows what those proportions would be. You will have to do a lot of experimenting and figure this one out for yourself.
Hey Marie! What EO could I use instead of labdanum which I don’t have (and it seems reasonably expensive so I think I will rather pick one of the many I have)? Or is it that labdanum specifically works best in this recipe? I have to say I don’t even know how labdanum smells like. Ooops.:-) Thanks for advice. I have to give this recipe a try after so many ”wows” I read in these comments …
Nothing, honestly. It is completely irreplaceable. You could try just leaving it out—there is absolutely nothing that comes even close. Sorry!
Hello Marie, First of I want to say I love your videos and recipes. Secondly, can I use arrowroot flour instead of arrowroot starch?
since I already have the flour at hand
From my understanding they are the same thing.
Hi Marie, I have been SO excited about this recipe, but…….it is grainy and doesn’t hold together. I don’t have to have vegan. HOWEVER, it is the best deo that I have made!! Bar none!. I did use Dimataceous Earth instead of BS. What would you suggest? Thank you so much. Mary Jean
I wonder if it may’ve been the DE that is causing the problems as I don’t have that issue, and that’s a change I’ve never tried. Perhaps try adding some wax? I am glad you are enjoying it otherwise, though!
Darnit Marie! I was trying to keep an open mind about the smell of Neem oil, but now all I get is BBQ, and peanuts. That being said, I decided to live on the edge and make a trial batch of this deodorant without any EOs to test it. Amazingly, the Neem smell fades away once it’s on the skin… of my hand anyway. I’ll let you know how the testing goes!
Mmmmm, BBQ’ed peanuts… I look forward to hearing how the testing goes!
I totally forgot to say that I used diatomaceous earth in place of the baking soda, a 1:1 substitution.
The results are very impressive! It glides on smoothly without any graininess or grit and absorbs quickly. I’ve had no irritation, even immediately after shaving. The BBQ’d peanut smell fades away quickly once on the skin, and the deodorant has done an amazing job of keeping stink at bay! I’ve tested through sweaty house-cleaning days and even skipping showers and there hasn’t been a hint of stink. Seriously amazing!!! I’ll bet with a bit of EO you’d smell fresh and lovely all day.
Thanks Marie – this is a fantastic recipe and with the DE sub it’s working brilliantly for me!
How interesting! I have a bag of DE sitting downstairs that has been languishing, completely unused, for far too long. Hmmmmmmm. Thank you so much for sharing the results of your experiments!
I just made this and it seems to have separated. Only sub I made was camellia seed oil for sunflower which I don’t think should make a difference?
Check it out: https://m.imgur.com/gallery/tlTaxdE
Did you stir it constantly as it cooled?
No, occasionally as instructed.
It’s also still liquid after a day. I must have messed up the weights somehow.
How hot is it where you live? Also, the recipe in this video is very similar, so perhaps give that a watch and see how I did it, and how mine turned out. You don’t need to stir constantly, but you do need to stir enough that the powders stay in suspension as the mixture cools.
Hi Marie! I also use baking soda for my deodorant but I see that you don’t recommend it more so… What do you use instead? Thanks
I don’t have a great recommendation at this point. I’ve heard good things about deodorant made with diatomaceous earth, but have yet to test it myself.
Interesting! I never tried a natural deodorant yet, and I’m still not sure if it will work on me, but the comments make me want to try it out 😉 Question: Can you replace the neem oil with tea tree oil and get the same benefits (I can do without the bug repelling, if TTO doesn’t do that; I mean for the odour)
Thanks :)!
Neem oil is a carrier oil, while tea tree oil is an essential oil, so I wouldn’t recommend swapping one for another as you should never swap a carrier oil for an essential oil—essential oils are much more potent and aren’t true, lipid-based oils. You can use a different liquid oil in place of the neem and use tea tree oil instead of some of the essential oils called for if you want, though!
Aaaaah! Right you are ;)! I thought neem oil was an essential oil (rookie error)
No worries 😉 Happy making!
You mentioned that you do not recommend Baking Soda on the skin,but would leave previous recipes up and online. Is this one of the recipes that you would not recommend anymore due to the ph levels? I want to make this deodorant, but unsure now?!
Some people tolerate baking soda deodorants better than others—I know many people (and brands) that swear by them. It may be worth a try! Otherwise, some people have reported success using diatomaceous earth instead of baking soda, but I’ve heard approximately equal numbers of successes and failures, so that’s far from a sure thing. Good luck!
I know you don’t recommend using Baking soda on skin anymore… and that you haven’t find a good replacement yet. But here is my question: I want to stop using commercial deodorant and make my own instead (to match with my new collection of homemade pampering products 😉 . So I was wondering if this recipe (even with baking soda in it) is less nocive for my health than comercial deodorant (say Dove, for example)? If not, I’ll stick with Dove while I wait for a new BP replacement comes along 🙂
Personally, I’m using Dove instead of baking soda, but plenty of people do use baking soda and love it. So… you can try it if you want? The potential consequences of using baking soda would be irritation and potentially worsening body odour.
Honestly, I’m actually happy with Dove 😉 It’s just that for a few years now, I’ve been hearing all sorts of things about comercial deodorant (aluminium, etc.) and to be even more honest… I didn’t want to plow through all the research and info (and non-info) about the topic, so I thought that by going DIY it would end there 😉
But I guess that since I’m already making many changes to rid my household (and my body) of harmful chemicals, I can keep rubbing my arm pits with Dove without thinking too much about it ;)! I’ll focus my DIY efforts on something more exciting, like bathbombs and lotions ;)! Thanks always for your honest answers 🙂
Yup, that’s pretty much how I think about it! Make what you can, but don’t force yourself to use things that you find irritating or ineffective, and don’t give up products you love just because you didn’t make them. There’s room for everything 🙂
Hello! Great recipe!!
Can I skip the baking soda and put the same amount deometious earth powder instead? I have read really good reviews about how good is for the armpits.
Thank u
You can certainly try it, but people I know who have tried DE for extended periods of time have experienced irritation from it as well :/
Thank u very much
No worries—happy making!
Ever thought about using silica micro spheres in this deodorant because they are good at absorbing moisture? I know it’s an expensive ingredient but I’m thinking about trying it
It’s definitely worth a try!
N.R. Did you ever make this with the silica microspheres if so please let me know how it worked out for you! Thanks
Possible to sub zinc oxide for the baking soda?
You can, but you’ll basically just be making diaper rash cream for your armpits. The end result will be very white (I’d worry about your clothes) and I seriously doubt it will perform well :/
I have enjoyed making many beauty products from your blog for years and I thank you for all the work that you put into your recipes. It makes for more varied products and finer ones. Carry on! In regards to deodorant, I have been able to wear the baking soda deodorant recipes from Humble Bee when I need to but find that I desire an antiperspirant on occasion. I have come across “Green Beavers” natural antiperspirant online. I will check to buy local but it is pricey at $15 for a tube to see if it actually works. Green Beaver’s website has a list of their ingredients and claims that mimosa flower wax and jojoba esters are what coat the skin and reduce sweating. It also lists triethyl citrate and zinc ricinoleate as deodorants, skips the baking soda altogether, and lists cornstarch and oils for bulk. Would this be an item for DIY? Thanks
Hi De!
It may be an item for a DIY project! Have you given it a go? What were your results?
Hey Marie! Since you no longer recommend baking soda, do you have any thoughts on what to use if for a DIY deodorant?
Thanks!
I’m currently testing some products using potassium alum and so far that’s been the best of all the things I’ve tried 🙂
I see that you’re no longer making deodorant with baking soda. When will you be making an effective DIY deodorant recipe without baking soda?
Hello Michael,
Nope! That is one of the things I adore about Marie. She is able to change her ideas with new information! Baking Soda disrupts the acid mantle of the skin as discussed in this article. Granted, that article discusses for skin cleansers and the like, but the principle is the same for deodorant. I do know that Marie has been working on a deodorant formula in the back ground for a while now, as for when it will be ready to be shared? I don’t think anyone has any idea! Each one of her formulas goes through some rigorous testing to make sure they are ready to be shared with everyone!
I want to make my own deodorizing wipes, but can’t find a recipe. I discovered a few years back that Regular deodorant just left me stinkier the longer I used it. And it seemed like I could never quite wash the smell away. Then I found that applying rubbing alcohol to a cotton pad and then my pits was the most effective deodorant. However it would seem that opinion holds that regular application of rubbing alcohol is less than healthy. I was wondering if you might have a clever idea for “wipes” that involve healthier, bacteria killing ingredients. Grain alcohol and essential oils?
What an interesting idea! It isn’t something I’ve played with, but it sounds like it could be lots of fun 🙂 My only concern about the continual application of high proof alcohol to the skin would be drying/irritation so perhaps consider including some emollient/soothing ingredients as well? Happy making!
Hi Marie,
Have you tried zinc ricinoleate yet? I want to order it but was curious what you think of it.
Ann
Hey Ann! I have tried in two different formats and I haven’t been impressed with it—it really didn’t seem to work at all for me. That said, I know Ariane loves it! I wonder if its efficacy varies from person to person based on body chemistry?
Oh… That’s a pity.
Maybe I ‘ll try it though. Zinc ricinoleate is easy to find for me but zinc pca isn’ t. So, I won’t move heaven and earth for the pca but maybe will order the ricinoleate.
I’d recommend getting less than 100g (3.5oz) if you can—the usage rates for it are relatively low and if it doesn’t work you’ll know pretty quickly and have a lot leftover, ha. Where does Zinc PCA come into deodorant? From my research, it’s mostly a humectant, but I haven’t worked with it personally 🙂 Happy making!
Hi Marie,
I love your blog, it’s super fantastic.
Have you tried magnesium hydroxide in a deodorant as a substitution of baking soda? I have read good reviews, but did not made one with magnesium hydroxide. I’m wondering if you found something sub the basking soda.
Thank you,
Monique
I’ve investigated it, and magnesium hydroxide has a higher pH than baking soda, so I haven’t experimented with it beyond that. I’ve always wondered why it’s often touted as a less irritating alternative to baking soda given the higher pH and I’m open to any answers anyone might have 🙂 Happy making!
Dear Marie, Thank you for your amazing tips and recipes and your invigorating way of presenting it to us, your bees 🙂
With regards to the ‘finding an alternative to baking soda’. Could we find a way to -instead of substituting baking soda- balance the PH of the deodorant bij putting something in there with a sufficiently low PH? Or is that simply not how it works? I apologize in advance if this is a question already answered somewhere else on your website. warm summer regards, Fem
Hi
I was just curious where and how you research you products. To me, it’s important that all the ingredients are safe for use during pregnancy and lactating. I find it very hard to find information about it…
Thank you
Tamara
I’ve shared two mega blog posts on this 🙂 Part 1, Part 2. Happy making!
Hi Marie
I know, I read them first but it’s specifically to know when or whiwh products are safe to use during pregnancy because I’ve searched UL Prospector and other one’s but nothing is meantioned. When searchin the internet, some say it’s safe while others say it’s not for evening primrose for example.
I would refer you to your physician for this; I don’t feel comfortable offering what is closing in on medical advice. Happy making!
Also: I would bet safety in pregnancy isn’t explicitly stated for most ingredients as that might require testing on pregnant women, and I don’t think that’s allowed.