This deodorant cream is made with just a few simple, natural ingredients which work wonders for keeping your pits fresh and toxin free!
I made this deodorant cream after trying SO MANY different natural deodorants. I was constantly rotating them because they always had some kind of hidden ingredient I did not care for.
Making your own deodorant is an empowering skill, and it will be one less thing you need to buy at the store!
A few things that helped me make the transition to making my own deodorant were…
Buying bulk sizes of the butters/oils in this recipe. It may seem like a lot, but if you are hesitant to purchase bulk of a butter or oil, just buy the smallest amount. I started with only purchasing 1 lb. of each of the butters and oils described below. If you run the numbers, it will totally save you money in the long run!
The other thing that helped was to start with a small batch first. In this recipe, you’ll see that it only makes enough for one 9 oz amber glass jar, with a little bit of overflow into another jar.
For this recipe, you will need…
5 tablespoons of coconut oil (I use unrefined coconut oil from Mountain Rose herbs)
5 tablespoons of baking soda
4 tablespoons of shea butter (I used unrefined shea butter from Mountain Rose herbs)
5 tablespoons of arrowroot powder
5-7 drops of essential oil of choice (always opt for a food grade, higher quality oil, like Young Living oils)
Large pot (for making a double boiler with the heatproof bowl)
Heatproof bowl (I use a thin metal bowl)
Silicone spatula
Large, heatproof glass measuring cup
9 oz each amber glass jars with lids
Let’s get started!
We will start by creating our double boiler system. Pour two inches of water into the large pot, then set your heatproof bowl over the top of the pot.
Turn on the correct size of stove top burner to medium low heat, and place the double boiler system over the burner.
Next, we will add our first few ingredients!
Adding the oils
To the heatproof bowl, add the 5 tablespoons of coconut oil and the 4 tablespoons of shea butter.
Melt the oils until liquid. This should only take a few minutes. Stir often, and once the oils are melted, remove them from the heat.
Carefully, transfer the melted oils into your large, heatproof glass measuring cup.
Next, we will add the last few ingredients!
Adding our Powders
Once the oil mixture is all melted together and liquid, we will add our powders and essential oils.
Add 5 tablespoons of baking soda and 5 tablespoons of arrowroot powder to your mixing cup. Also add in 5-10 drops of whatever kind of essential oils you would like. For this recipe, I used 3 drops of lavender essential oil and 3 drops of basil essential oil.
Be sure here to use a high quality, food grade essential oil. Remember, everything you put onto your skin will absorb into your body!
Using a fork, whisk mixture thoroughly until combined.
The mixture will be lumpy at first, but after about 30 seconds to 1 minute, the mixture should become thicker and smooth.
After mixing, the ingredients should all come together like the picture below! Just keep mixing!
Pouring the Deodorant into Jars
You have reached the last step!
Using your liquid measuring cup full of your deodorant mixture and a 9 oz amber jar, carefully pour the deodorant into the jar, stopping 1/3 of an inch from the top of the jar.
(A quick note on amber jars- I prefer these to clear glass jars because they help preserve your product for longer. This is because they provide wonderful UV protection against cosmetics. UV rays will spoil products faster by oxidizing them within the jar. To avoid UV related spoiling, use amber jars.)
Pour any excess deodorant into another jar. This recipe should make just over one full, perfect jar!
Use any excess for testing over the next few days to see if you need to add more baking soda or arrowroot powder.
A Note on Sensitive Skin Swaps
If your deodorant cream is too oily, or not absorbing as fast as you’d like, add more of the powder.
FOR EXTRA SENSITIVE SKIN– Add more arrowroot powder.
FOR NON-SENSITIVE SKIN- Add more baking soda
Arrowroot powder absorbs but doesn’t disrupt the pH of your armpits, while baking soda sometimes can. Try adding or swapping even more arrowroot powder for half of the baking soda in this recipe if your skin is extremely sensitive.
I thought I had extremely sensitive skin while using other deodorants, but my armpits can handle the baking soda in this recipe just find.
You can always play around with adding more or less of an ingredient, too. Just be sure to follow somewhat closely to the recipe for great results!
The Curing Period
The very last thing to do for this homemade deodorant, is to let the deodorant mixture cool overnight, possibly even 24 hours, to ensure the texture settles well.
If you try to use the deodorant before it cools, it is extremely runny and you could potentially contaminate it, as it is now the perfect temperature for bacteria to grow in.
It is best to seal the jar as soon as you finish pouring, and store in a place that will not be disturbed for 24 hours.
After the curing period, your deodorant is ready to rock and roll!
How to use and store your homemade deodorant cream
To use the deodorant cream, use a small spoon and dip it into the cream to remove a pea sized amount of deodorant.
Divide the pea sized deodorant sample between your fingers and apply to your armpits. Be sure to work the mixture in, as the more you work it into your skin, the quicker it will absorb.
Using a small spoon, instead of your fingers, is important- as this will keep the chances of contamination low. If you must use your fingers, make sure they are clean AND dry.
Any extra moisture will cause mold, which has the ability to multiply quickly. Be sure to clean the spoon after every use.
To store this deodorant cream, use a cool and dark place, such as in a drawer or closet.
We made it!
How easy was that??
Are you as obsessed as I am with making homemade deodorant?
This recipe can be easily customized to suit any scent preference, and one jar truly lasts forever.
I hope you enjoy this sensitive skin deodorant cream recipe as much as I do!
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