I’m thrilled to have Stephanie of The Wannabe Homesteader guest posting today! I started making and using my own version of coconut oil deodorant this fall, and it really does work! It would even make a good Christmas present for your more “crunchy” friends… And speaking of Christmas presents, check out the Homestead Gift Guide for some last minute ideas for your homesteading friends and family!
I’ve always known that store-bought deodorants have some pretty nasty ingredients in them (they’ve even been linked to cancer) but I hesitated on making my own because I feared homemade deodorants wouldn’t really do the job.
I don’t mind sweating a little as that’s your body’s way of eliminating toxins, but I didn’t exactly want to walk around smelling “crunchy” if you know what I mean.
After trying two natural brands of deodorant (Tom’s and the Natural Crystal), and being sorely disappointed (ie. smelling crunchy by the end of the day), I decided to give this recipe a try.
Boy, I’m so glad I did!
This natural deodorant recipe works amazingly well. My only wish is that I tried it sooner!
Homemade Deodorant Recipe using Coconut Oil
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup baking soda
- 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch (this will add an antiperspirant effect to the deodorant.)
- essential oils (optional, but you could use tea tree oil, sweet orange, cinnamon, etc.)
How to make:
- Mix baking soda, cornstarch, and arrowroot powder in a bowl.
- Add coconut oil and use a fork or pastry cutter to blend into the dry ingredients.
- Add 5-10 drops of your chosen essential oil (I used tea tree oil).
- Add more coconut oil or baking soda to achieve your desired consistency.
- Viola! Now you have easy-peasy, good-for-you, all-natural deodorant!
Other Notes:
This recipe uses coconut oil which will liquefy at 76 degrees (it will remain solid at any temp under 76 degrees). I live in Florida and this deodorant stays a paste-like consistency in my bathroom. However, my husband uses the bathroom upstairs and at times, it turns into a thick liquid-y consistency. He doesn’t find it a problem, though. He just dabs his finger into it, messages it into his underarms, and then rinses his hands afterward.
I’ve heard of people putting their homemade deodorants in cleaned-out store-bought deodorant containers but it didn’t work for me. My DIY deodorant leaked out the bottom of the container and was a gooey mess.
Instead, I store this coconut oil deodorant in a small glass jar and I keep it in my medicine cabinet.
To apply, I take a small amount and rub it together with my hands to soften and then rub it into my underarms like a lotion.
Me and my husband both use this deodorant and absolutely love it. We’d never switch back to store-bought. You really must give it a try.
This recipe was adapted from Homemade Natural Deodorant: Recipes that Work on Squidoo
Stephanie is a self-described “average joe” who desires a more real, self-reliant lifestyle in an artificial and dependent world. She blogs at The Wannabe Homesteader where she and her family have fun stumbling over each other on their way towards self-sufficiency. She spends her days homemaking and homeschooling while dreaming about homesteading.
About Jill Winger
You’re killing me…we’ve covered soaps and deodorants, what’s next? We can either go to household cleaners or toothpaste
This is now on my “gotta try it” list.
And I’m glad to read two posts in two days!
db
LOL….Maybe toilet bowl cleaner?
I have some stuff in the works…
Speaking of toothpaste you can use as a pulling to pull bacteria out of your mouth simply swish 1 tablespoon full for 15-20mins (longer the better) before brushing in the AM!
I’m making this deodorant ASAP Thanks for the tip!
Vinegar. Vinegar. Vinegar!!! Works for all your cleaning needs
Just started looking into the DIY products. Have a list of a few things I need to pick up and I’m going to try it! Sounds awesome.
I’ve been using this for 2 years now and love it, though I don’t add cornstarch. I’ve found that adding about a tablespoon of vegetable glycerin helps make it much more creamy and easy to spread onto your skin.
Good to know about the glycerin– I haven’t tried that!
That is good to know! I am definitely gonna try that. Thanks for sharing Deborah
I don’t add cornstarch to my recipe, I just use the arrowroot. I have also added “exotic” ingredients such as cocoa butter, shea butter or other butters for a super moisturizing deodorant. I will never go back to the chemically laden commercial deodorants.
I used this for a while, but found that I had to wait for it to dry before putting my clothes on, otherwise I would get oil stains.
I heard that has happened to people but so far it hasn’t happened to me. When I made this particular recipe, it tended to be on the dry/powdery side. ?
This is very similar to the recipe I use. I don’t use cornstarch and do use an ounce of beeswax. This keeps it solid even in the summer, although it does get soft. Because of the beeswax I combine the ingredients on a warm stove and pour it into old deodorant containers. It works well, and given the similar application to store bought brands it wasn’t a hard transition. We are about to run out, so I need to make a batch this week, thanks for the reminder!
Good tip, I will try the beeswax. I think I would like to try some different oils as well. Tea tree is not my favorite.
I would love your recipe. I have hot flashes and I’m afraid to try the coconut oil recipe cause I know me I will get it all over me and my clothes.
Put a small pice of plastic wrap in the bottom of cleaned old DO containers and it won’t run out. Worked for me but the oil ruined 2 of my fav. shirts even after rubbing it in. there’s still some that will do it. I quit because I can’t afford more good shirts for this reason. A spray wasn’t strong enough for my hot fllashes and sweat times.
That’s funny because I never had problems with the oil. Maybe try reducing the amount of oil a bit?
My husband and son developed red irritated looking skin under their arms after using for a week. I have been trying to figure out what needs to be removed/reduced. The beeswax sounded doable, I have not tried glycerin either. If someone else has this problem please let me know if you were able to ‘fix’ it.
Love DIY!
That’s strange Edie… Perhaps they have a coconut allergy of some sort? Or mayeb reacted to the cornstarch… hmmm…
It is the harsh baking soda. I had the same problem. Even tried reducing the baking soda, but then the deoderant wasn’t effective. I am back to using store-bought brands.
And I have tried it ALL!!
that’s a bummer, Jill. I will keep a look out for DIY deodorants that don’t use baking soda.
Jill: Please try our all natural deodorant from http://www.Back2Eden.net . We would be happy to even send you a sample to try first! Send me an email on our Contact Us page! -Angie
Wow, that is very generous of you! I am still looking for a good natural doedorant (right now I am choosing a lesser evil but not perfect Arm and Hammer). I will contact you through your site.
Tea tree oil can do that! I have experienced it being a skin irritant.
baking soda overtime can irritate skin.
I’ve used plain coconut oil, and have great results.
Me too… dont know why people want to mix and add things to it..
I have read to decrease the baking soda as many people get this reaction. I have cut mine at least in half. You can always increase it by small amounts as long as you don’t get the reaction. I agree that some essential oils can be very harsh. I love lavender and have never had any problem with it.
Try arrowroot powder and less or no baking soda. My first batch I made make my underarm skin dry and red, then I made some without baking soda – it doesn’t work quite as well for odor but the arrowroot seems to be the fix for me. Hope it helps. Feel free to play with the recipes on a smaller scale to find out what works for your body type.
This is great! I can’t wait to try it, and I actually have all of the ingredients on hand. I’ve been using just straight lavender oil on my underarms now for several years, which works good, BUT……sometimes I still cheat and use the nasty stuff for situations when I want to be absolutely sure of no “crunchiness” to use your words.
haha! The next time I make this, I was going to try lavender instead of tea tree oil, but I didn’t know you could use just lavender oil under your arms? neat!
Jill, it probably depends on how sensitive your skin is whether you could do straight lavender oil on your pits. Doesn’t bother me but I’ve heard some people can’t do it. Might depend on the quality, too. Some people I know delute it with sweet almond oil if they are sensitive……
Yes- I agree. Each person tends to react differently to straight essential oils, so it’s best to test on a small area first. Or, just dilute with a carrier oil.
I add it little bees wax to mine in the summer time becasue it gets up to 120 in the summer time. In the winter it doesn’t get much above 60 inside so I don’t need to use the wax.
this sounds really great. I plan to try a batch after the holidays. Thanks for sharing.
you’re welcome Marlo and Merry Christmas!
I don’t use the arrowroot and it works great! I’ve been using it for several months now, through the summer and hot flashes! lol The recipe actually works better than any deodorant I’ve bought. The measurements don’t have to be exact; just use a little more coconut oil than the dry ingredients. I put in a drop of lavender essential oil because I like the smell, but I don’t smell “floral” after using it. If the house is cool, the mixture is solid, but just dig a little glop out and start smearing it around under your arm, and it liquifies quickly. I’ve never had any stains or residue on my clothes, at all. Love it!
Glad to see a recipe that doesn’t require beeswax – will try this soon! Thanks for sharing!
I used this and it is great for odor control but my armpits turned red and peeled from the baking soda. Same thing happened to my husband and his skin was so raw that it made him sweat worse and he couldn’t wear any deodorant for a week while he healed. I have found that reducing the baking soda by at least half is ok for me but my dh refuses to try it again as he works in a professional Fortune 500 company.
Interesting. I would have never guessed I may attempt to make my own deodorant one day, but then again, why not? I am going to give this one a try. Thanks for the info.
You Betcha! Happy deodorant making!
The last time I used baking soda to prepare something I almost got arrested :S
I made a very similar version of this for myself and I simply adore it. My husband uses the crystals and although it’s effective it’s not foolproof. It might sound super crunchy but the only way to tell if it works is the sniff test. Checking out the crunchy level at the end of a 30 something C degree day (nearing or over 100F) wearing the homemade coconut deodorant and I got a huge noseful of… NOTHING! Yep, it’s brilliant. I use grapefruit oil in mine as it’s an uplifting smell and it smells like lemon slice. Love it!
Oooh, love the grapefruit oil idea!
How long does a “batch” stay “fresh” for? Or is there no expiration date? Just curious as this is something I’ve been trying to find a decent recipe for to add to my homemade skin care line. I like to put expiration dates on my products so I was just curious. This sounds fantastic compared to any of the DIY recipes I’ve found for deoderant. My other half and I are both extremely sensitive to a lot of store bought products so this will be great to try! Thanks for sharing!!
Hi Tasia,
I can’t say for 100% sure, but I’m thinking that it probably wouldn’t expire anytime soon.
This is an excellent recipe! I was using powder ones (which are messy) and this sounds perfect! Store-bought personal products are (generally) not healthy at all.
My husband cant use deorderant…only cornstarch i really would like to try this with him!
Why can’t your husband use deodorant? Just wondering…
He has skin issues and deorderant has like zinc and other metals that make him break out..
This is a GREAT recipe for deodorant and it WORKS!!! I sell an all natural homemade deodorant in my line of products at http://www.Back2Eden.net and the recipe is very close to this one. Please check out some of my other all natural homemade products!
My homemade deodorant is in a recycled deodorant tube and is currently much too hard to even use. Must give your recipe a try. Thank you for sharing it.
I’ve tried Toms, too, and was also a bit stinky by the time the day was over. Thanks for sharing! I’ll have to try this out.
Hope it works well for you Marienne!
Has anyone added bentonite to their deodorants? How does it stack up?
I tried a recipe with beeswax, coconut oil, tea tree oil, and Shea butter and it didn’t work at all! I’m looking forward to see if this blog recipe works.
I’ve not tried bentonite– however, I’ve heard people raving about it for so many applications… So I hope to buy some soon and start using it!
I thought about making this myself, but I’m concerned about oil stains left on my clothes. Has anyone had that problem? I’m currently using rubbing alcohol and it works really well for me. But I would like to have another option if my skin becomes to dry.
Hi Lesha,
I have heard some people complain of stains, but other folks say they have zero staining problems… I’m thinking it probably depends on the ingredients in the deo, plus what type of detergent you use. So, a trial run might be your best bet.
Just curious if you can think of an alternative to using the baking soda! I am allergic to gluten and can’t use Baking soda for anything with putting it on my body or in food.
Can you help?
Thanks,
Paula
Paula, baking soda is gluten free. it is baking powder that can sometimes contain gluten as it’s starch. I am allergic to gluten and don’t have a problem with baking soda. There are several gluten free brands of baking powder, as well.
What’s the arrowroot for? And what does it do? Also,what the best and easiest way to store the deodorant?
I am allergic to coconut and really want to make a dyi deodorant but can’t find any site showing a recipe without coconut. Does anyone know a recipe without coconut?
You can mix a simple powder of equal parts baking soda & corn starch… just pat it under your arms!
You can just stick it into an old deodorant stick. The kind that is made for gel deoderants its much easier this way
I made this deodorant and liked it a lot, kept it in the bathroom and used it for about two weeks, but this morning I noticed that it was very foul-smelling, as if it had gone rancid. I had scented it with chamomile essential oil. I wonder if I should have kept it in the fridge. I must say that most of the coconut oil that I used in it had been home-made, a by-product of my home-made coconut milk. Maybe the traces of coconut milk in it is what spoiled? Do you know?
I’ve heard some deodorant recipes specify that they need to be refrigerated, but as written, this one shouldn’t. (All the ingredients should be stable at room temp.)
I’m thinking it is the coconut milk by-product you used– I’m betting it’s slightly different than the actual coconut oil the recipe calls for.
I have been using just coconut oil with nothing else added for a coouple of months now as deoderant with no problems at all. It sounds a little crazy, but I truly have no odor issues with just the coconut oil. I saw another poster who also uses coconut oil by itself. Of course, we have not hit the dead heat of summer yet, and I don’t sweat much, so I imagine I may want to try adding baking power/corn starch, etc. if the coconut oil alone stops doing the trick. If you use coconut oil with or without the additions in this recipe, I reccommend you let it soak in before putting on your clothing. I also use cooconut oil as an all over moisturizer – I mean all over – and I have no issues with oily clothes. It does leave my skin smooth, soft, and well-moisterized. My skin is pretty dry though and soaks things up well. My husband has naturally oily skin and things tend to stay on top of his skin instead of soaking in. If you have an oily skin type, I imagine you could have some issues. Do remember that a little goes a long way. I can really slather it on because of my dry sponge skin, but you may want to take it easy if you don’t soak in oils well.
Great tips Summer! I love coconut oil.
I started using coconut oil as a moisturizer on my face but was told to only do while my skin was still moist from washing so it would not sit on the surface. Works great. Maybe this theory would work for those who have oil stains on their clothes. Am making this recipe today, btw. Thanks!
My theory is that anything antibacterial kills the scent. Coconut oil is a good example of this. I have used coconut and lavender and had good results with this. Some people use white vinegar alone, others straight grain alcohol try them out and see which works best for you.
I too have been using pure coconut oil as a deo and it has worked great but also it is still cool out. Im a bit nervous to try it in the heat of summer but I will update to let ya know!
Hello thanks for the wonderful it will save my family of five a bunch of money & we are on an all natural kick and want to know what goes on our body. I guess it takes 30 seconds for a chemical to enter the skin & in your bloodstream so yeah we are concerned parents. Anyhow I seen you mention that your finish product does not stay solid and that makes since cause coconut oil is hard under 76%. So I’m wondering if you add a butter like shea or an even harder one like kokum butter if that would help? Just a thought o hope this helps.
Thanks Jessica Agee
Find US on Facebook @Brandica/Piqua,Ohio/spa
4 tbsp is the same thing as 1/4 cup.
This didn’t work for me at all – I ended up with a powder. I’d had to have added a couple of jars of coconut oil to make it work; and therefore had to bin the lot. I’m in the UK, and had to translate the cups into grammes; apparently a cup is 125g. Maybe something went wrong in translation, but I can’t see why. Also, for how long does this keep?
Sarah, I’m in South Africa and I always have the same issues with the measurements. To answer your second question first, this doesn’t last very long outside of the fridge so I always make small batches as I won’t be running downstairs each morning to get the deodorant. I use 15ml coconut oil, 10ml each of the bicarb and arrowroot powder, 5ml corn starch and 2 drops of essential oil. That makes about a week’s worth, which is about how long it lasts for me in summer. With your cooler climate you could probably get away with making double the amount. Do try to make it again, it’s a super fantastic recipe, I’ve been using it for about 6 months and I don’t even get sweaty armpits under the hot African sun
I also had problems with irritation when I used the original recipe. I made a new batch without baking soda and no more irritation!! And it still works great!!
Very good to know Patricia– It seems that everyone is a bit different as to what items they are more sensitive to.
OMG, I love it. It works better than any deodorant I’ve ever bought. I had no issues or problems like some of the other people. I will never switch back. Thanks so much.
I just made this with sweet orange essential oil. Excited for the results, and it smells so good! Thank you for the recipe and inspiration.
Oooh, I love orange EO!
I made a round of this and scented it with a couple drops of lemongrass essential oil, few drops and you end up smelling like fruit loops, bet the teens would dig it but I will be trying a different scent next time
You know, lemongrass isn’t my most favorite EO– although I know other folks like it.
The good thing about making things yourself is that you can scent it however you like! 
I’ve been using this recipe for a few months and I just love it. I use the coconut scented coconut oil and add dried, ground cinnamon to it and scent it with orange essential oil. You know, the ‘regular’ old cinnamon that comes in a spice bottle and you shake it over pancakes. I use the SMALLEST amount that I can coax out of the bottle, only about 20 little ‘bits’. Oh my goodness, the coconut, cinnamon and orange makes the most divine smell in the whole world, but it’s not overpowering that I end up smelling like a Christmas cookie.
Oooh my… LOVE the cinnamon/orange idea. I am SO trying that!
Jill, I used to brush my teeth with bicarb (you guys call it baking soda), but I read somewhere that it’s too abrasive and will weaken tooth enamel over time. So googled some more and now I just brush with coconut oil. I like the coconut flavoured oil and recently added a FEW grains of ground cinnamon and a drop of orange oil and it’s like brushing my teeth with desert. I can only imagine how kids will love this and so what if they swallow their toothpaste
PS. I melt the oil a bit before I stir in the orange oil as I feel it blends better. If you add the cinnamon at this stage just give it a stir before it’s totally hardened again as the cinnamon will sink to the bottom. Also, I find that agitating the oil a bit as it sets prevents it from setting rock hard so it’s easier to pinch off a bit for the toothbrush.
If I can’t find arrowroot powder, is there a substitute? Is tea tree oil safe if I’m pregnant?
You can use cornstarch instead. I personally feel comfortable using meleleuca on myself (tea tree) when pregnant. However, I always recommend that folks do the research for themselves.
Ok so just add additional cornstarch? I’m new to DIY body products so I do want to make sure I’m doing it right. I’ve read a lot of mixed feelings about pretty much all essential oil use during pregnancy. The two I was interested In we’re tea tree and lavender. I thought since it wasn’t much it would be ok, but I like hearing your opinion. Thank you!
Yep- I would just do extra cornstarch.
Hope you like it!
Hey there,
First let me say that I love this site! You have so much useful info! Anyway, I tried to make this and it was just to dry! I couldn’t get it to hold together at all! I had to add way more of the coconut oil and even added veg. glycerin. Has anyone else had this problem? My finished product was pretty creamy but still crumbled during application…any thoughts would be appreciated!
hello there
i love the recipe you put up about the deodorant
anyways i had read an article about antiperspirant in deodorants is believed to cause breast cancer …. i will skip the cornstarch!
love your website!
I have made this deodorant and it’s fantastic. A far superior recipe than one I tried before elsewhere. It has a smooth, yet medium firm consistency, and just glides on. I perfume my coconut oil with amber, and I love it, just a gentle fragrance. I also reduced the Bicarbonate of Soda amount by half (learned that lesson). Have been using for 3 months, and absolutely no issues. No staining, bad odour or anything. This recipe is in my favourites
This deodorant is great, but the baking soda made my underarms raw, red and itchy! Because I’m a Black woman, the skin under my arm looked so dark, it was awful. No more baking soda for me!
You know, I’ve heard some folks saying the same thing. I think baking soda is an irritant to some folks. Sorry you reacted to it!
My mom is a breast cancer survivor- so ive spent the last 7 years trying to find a deodorant that works that does not contain aluminum or alum and none of them work! So it was time to take things into my own hands haha… So, I made this deodorant last night, and used half the amount of baking soda just because of all the comments I read. So far so good! We will see what happens tomorrow when I get my intense work out on! My question is though, does this need to be refrigerated? Bc on the coconut oil it says for freshness to keep it refrigerated and I saw a few comments about ppl saying it smelled rancid after a few weeks, but she said she has used coconut milk. Does anyone else refrigerate this? (Seems a little inconvenient to have to put your deodorant on in the kitchen every morning haha)… Thanks!!
If you live in a warm climate, or your house is hot, you might want to refrigerate it so the coconut oil doesn’t end up melting. (It’s turns liquid at about 76+ degrees). I hope it works well for you!
Thank you!! It hasn’t melted so far! I was just curious if it would “keep” longer in the fridge. Thanks for the info!!
I wonder if during storage in an anal crack, would it change the flavor or the taste of
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