Make Your Own Coconut Oil Deodorant
Another great use for coconut oil! Coconut oil deodorant!
Make this do it yourself coconut oil deodorant with only a few ingredients from you kitchen.
Just the other day my brother asked me which natural deodorant he should buy. After he read off the ingredients of a “natural” one, it was clear the deodorants labeled “all natural” are not so natural after all. I told him it would be best to make coconut oil deodorant at home! He was hesitant as he thought this would be a crazy concoction of many ingredients. But actually, you can make coconut oil deodorant using only one or two ingredients! Yes, after mentioning that, I had him convinced to try my coconut oil deodorant. Today, he let me know that the coconut oil deodorant works just as good as a store bought one.
Nearly all skincare products or beauty products that are typically made with toxic and harmful ingredients can be made using coconut oil. Coconut oil deodorant is just another one to add to the list.
Commercial Deodorants Harmful to Health
Store bought deodorants contain many harmful ingredients which can be absorbed through your skin. These include parabens, triclosan, TEA & DEA, aluminum, etc. These chemicals are particularly harmful in the case of deodorant as many shave right before applying deodorant. Shaving causes imperceptible nicks in the skin, through which the chemicals can enter your body.
But maybe you already knew there are toxic chemicals in deodorant but did you know they’re also in deodorants labeled “all natural”?……
Store Bought “All Natural” Deodorants are NOT So Natural After All
Even all natural deodorants contain ingredients such as talc, fluoride, titanium dioxide, DEA, poloxamer 335, and aluminum chlorohydrate. (I found these ingredients on a very popular “all natural” deodorant).
How is poloxamer 335 a natural substance? Well, it’s not. It is a manufactured chemical.
What about the aluminum chlorohydrate and DEA? Not natural either, they are easily absorbed through the skin and have been associated with high risks of Alzheimer’s. DEA is a known carcinogen and has been restricted in Europe.
Talc particles have been found to cause tumors in the lungs and ovaries.Talc is dangerously similar to asbestos.
What To Use Instead? Homemade Coconut Oil Deodorant!
How to Make Coconut Oil Deodorant
Here are two ways to make coconut oil deodorant. They are both equally effective! The second option, more closely resembles the consistency of a stick deodorant.
Coconut Oil Deodorant #1
-1/4 cup coconut oil
-5 drops of essential oil, such as tea tree oil, lavender, or lemon grass *optional
Wait, if the essential oils are optional, it’s just coconut oil? True, you can just use plain coconut oil and it works great! However, many prefer the added essential oils. Also, the baking soda in the next coconut oil deodorant aids in the antiperspirant effect.
Coconut Oil Deodorant # 2
-3 tablespoons coconut oil
-6 tablespoons baking soda
-6 tablespoons cornstarch
-5 drops of essential oil, such as tea tree oil, lavender, or lemon grass *optional
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Too funny! I made this up last night! I use grapefruit oil which makes it smell a LOT like lemon slice and hubby requested tea tree oil which is also antibacterial and antimicrobial too I think. Packs a double punch there since coconut oil is both of those too. I’ve used it for months now and only on the hottest of hot and most strenuous and highly stressful days do I smell at all. Normally, even with shop bought deodorants I could end up smelling somewhat after a very stressful day but this stuff is a complete winner!
In fact I made up the same recipe but with a little hydrogen peroxide and peppermint oil instead as toothpaste. 
Best of all it’s safe enough for my son (4) to accidentally use it instead of toothpaste!
That’s great! I love how easy it is to make! Tea tree oil is a great addition, I usually add a few drops to mine too. That’s awesome, I do the same for my toothpaste! I use baking soda, coconut oil and peppermint
Isn’t fun to make your own deodorant? So satisfying!
Thanks so much for sharing your recipe in this week’s Thank Goodness It’s Monday carnival.
Blessings!
Kresha from NourishingJoy.com
I can’t wait to make my own deodorant. I can’t stand the store bought stuff. Way too many chemicals and bad things. You are right even the natural stuff can be bad. Always read the labels
Thanks for sharing! Stopping by from Healthy 2Day Wednesdays
Sounds so easy! I have to try this! Thanks so much for sharing this on Wildcrafting Wednesday!
I would love to have you share this on The HomeAcre Hop!
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/01/the-homeacre-hop-3.html
Hi Lisa, thank you for the invite! I will make sure to share it on your blog hop this week!
wow, cool. I have to try this one to! I hate that you have to choose the cancer risk or sweaty/stinky with store bought. (i would never choose stinky LOL too obsessive)
This is so cool; definitely going to try. How do you apply it though? I’d like a mess-free application that means I don’t have to wash it off my hand afterwards, and can keep on my dresser and look neat. Suggestions?
I usually apply mine like a lotion with my fingers or with a cloth. The coconut oil deodorant looks more liquidy in my pictures as they were taken when I mixed the ingredients with the coconut oil melted. If you keep it a cool place, the deodorant should be more firm and similar to a typical deodorant. Maybe you could pour it into a lotion or deodorant stick container when warm and then allow to cool.
Oooh, I never thought of reusing a deodorant stick container. I’ll see how that works. Thank you!
Please let us know how it works.
I want to make this with the Tea Tree oil but I do have a question. DO you have any problem with the coconut oil staining your clothes. Does it dry after a while? Also, it must make for very soft pits!
It actually not greasy and you won’t have any oily stains or residue on your clothing from it. You can make a very small batch to test it out and see how you like it
Thanks Lori. I’ll be mixing a batch today.
I want to try to make this, but how do you make it? Do you melt the coconut oil and then add the other ingredients?
Thanks!
The first time I tried making the deodorant I melted the oil on the stove, but when I mixed in the baking soda and corn starch it didn’t mix very well. So the next time I made it, I added the baking soda to the coconut oil first (w/out melting the oil) and stirred. I did the same with the corn starch and stirred. And then I added tea tree oil. The coconut oil softens as you stir it. But be prepared, the mixture gets pretty tough once both the baking soda and the corn starch are added.
Thanks for sharing how it came out! When I made mine it came out more liquidy, I mixed it when the coconut oil was liquified, so that’s probably why.
I made mine with the coconut oil melted and then added in the other ingredients, that way it was easier to stir in.
I’m curious what the cornstarch does for the deodorant, if the baking soda acts as an anti-perspirant. Can you make the deodorant with just the baking soda?
The cornstarch acts as an antiperspirant too and helps keep you dry. You could try it without though.
Can you substitute arrowroot powder for the cornstarch? Isn’t cornstarch GMO?
You can use arrowroot powder instead, they are interchangeable. Cornstarch isn’t GMO if you use organic
I recently made a batch of coconut oil and beeswax lip balms- wondering if that combination would work as well- it might hold up up better in a deodorant stick since the bees wax makes it a bit harder- I will try it tomorrow! Great stuff here, thanks so much!
That sounds like a great idea to make it more of a deodorant consistency. Let us know how it comes out if you give it a try.
It worked surprisingly well, except one day when i was under a lot of stress.
Over at Nourishing Simplicity, they use arrowroot powder (works very well instead of corn starch). http://nourishingsimplicity.org/2010/02/homemade-deodorant.html
Just as an FYI, some people are sensitive to the baking soda. I made some a while ago and I ended up feeling like the fires of hell were burning in my pits
On the plus side, it worked really well. Just not worth the suffering. Just wanted to chime in in case someone has the same issue and wonders why!
Exactly. My armpits turned black and I have started burning. I was wondering what was going on. Maybe I need to use a little less than half the recommended amount of baking soda. I’m also wondering if I can use just plain coconut oil at times?
Coconut oil can be used by it self as a deodorant, or essential oils can be added to it. When I run out of baking soda, I always just use plain coconut oil and it works really well!
Thanks for sharing. The coconut oil deodorant could be used as just coconut oil with added essential oils if can’t use baking soda.
I’m on my second batch of this awesome deodorant. I’m sensitive to the baking soda also, but only after I shave. Not every day. The second time I made this I halved the baking soda (1/8 cup) and increased the corn starch by the missing 1/8 cup. I also make mine out of the liquid oil and mix it in a 1 cup Rubbermaid round lunchbox container. Then when it solidifies I squeeze the sides a little and POP! Out comes a fully formed deodorant “stick.” I pick it up with a tissue that I leave in the container and rub it under my arms. And YES, someone asked about soft underarms. Mine are REALLY soft! LOL. I still sweat some but it dries quickly and there’s NEVER been any smell for me.
Hey you guys, thank you for the instructions. I am going to make my own toothpaste and deodorant this week.
Quick question, though:
What do you use for a container? An airtight glass container? Where do you buy them?
Awesome! I use a glass container for both with a stainless steel cover, its not air tight, and I usually store them in my fridge to make them last longer. You can try searching on Amazon for a glass jar or glass container and see what comes up.
This looks great! I get my products that are 100% Organic here: productorganic.mionegroup.com
It is true that unless a product has all of it’s Certifications, and is called “Natural”, it is nothing less than “green washing”
My store stick of deodorant is almost empty. When it’s done, I’ll clean it out, make a batch of this, and pour it into the clean stick. But with SC summer approaching, and an AC unit that has a mind of its own, I may need to store it in the fridge to keep it solidified.
Yes storing in the fridge is necessary when it gets to be summer. Also, remeber if you travel where it is warm, to make sure you have it in a plastic zip lock bag. I learned the hard way. I can testify that it worked great in the humid Cancun heat. Although I did develop quite a rash by the 4th day.
I usually keep mine stored in the fridge as well
Can I use fractionated coconut oil?
I use unrefined coconut oil, but that should work just fine too!
My recipe is:
25 ml coconut oil
15 ml distilled witch hazel
15 ml tea tree oil (water soluble mix)
5 ml glycerine
5 ml essential oils
I put it all into a glass pouring beaker and sit it in boiling hot water. Once everything has blended together, I put it in a glass roll on bottle.
So far I haven’t had any problems, but it’s winter here in Australia.
That sounds like a great recipe, thanks for sharing!
I just use coconut oil by itself in winter and I dab a little bit of bi carb as well in summer for dryness. Best BO basher ever!!