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Deodorant or Antiperspirant?
First of all, let’s clear up the definition of a Deodorant and how it differs from an Antiperspirant. The clues are in the names. A Deodorant is designed to mask odours that occur when bacteria on the skin digest the fats, oils and proteins in our sweat. It is this process of digestion that causes a potentially nasty smell.
An antiperspirant is an additional feature of a Deodorant and again the clue is in the name. Antiperspirants contain an active ingredient (almost exclusively an aluminium compound). This aluminium is present to temporarily block the sweat glands to reduce the amount we sweat
Remember if your sole intention is to reduce the odour of sweat, deodorant is the right product for you. It deals with the smell rather than the cause of sweat. However if dealing with wet patches under your arms is the target, then an antiperspirant will be needed.
Hopefully, that’s cleared that up!?
Why Natural Deodorant?
For generations gone by the vast majority of us have been guilty of starting to use deodorant and antiperspirant as teenagers and really not giving a second thought to what’s actually in our favourite underarm product. Generally speaking as long as it both smells nice and does actually help prevent unwanted wet patches then we’ve all been happy to spray, roll and rub it on, without too much thought towards what makes up the ingredients.
This is no longer good enough for some and the humble deodorant has come in for a little stick over recent years. It has come to light that some of the synthetic chemicals and compounds contained within deodorants and antiperspirants, such as aluminium, may be harmful. When applied directly to the skin as intended they can build up in the body over time. There is no evidence to suggest that this can directly lead to health complications such as cancers, however more and more people are now opting to play it safe and not risk suffering long-term complications.
If you feel like giving your regular deodorant a break then a Home Made All Natural Deodorant may well be the solution for you.
The majority of Home Made All Natural Deodorant recipes comprise of very similar ingredients, the variations are found in regard to how you neutralise the odour of sweat from any bacteria and which essential oils you opt for in order to create the required scents and smells.
The key ingredients are
Unrefined Coconut Oil is considered to be anti-bacterial, to help with the bad bacteria that creates the underarm smell. Be mindful that Coconut oil may not be suitable for everyone though. Coconut oil sits high on the comedogenic scale, this means it is more likely to clog the pores and may result in ingrowing hairs. Use sparingly at first to find the right balance for you.
Unrefined Shea butter is a nutrient-rich cosmetic butter packed with vitamins and antioxidants. It deeply moisturizes the skin to help soothe and repair dry, itchy, cracked skin.
Arrowroot Powder has earned a reputation as an elegant, lightweight, all-natural absorbent powder with added skin-nourishing and anti-irritant properties. It is frequently used in natural, vegan, and organic products. It can contribute to the thickness and opacity of solutions and add a luxurious silky feel to powdered products, absorb wetness, sweat, and skin oils
Baking Soda is considered to have antimicrobial properties, in theory, it should help fight off those smell-inducing bacterias. With it being a powder it also offers some benefits for helping to absorb any moisture and to give a sensation of feeling dry
How to make a Homemade All Natural Deodorant
As with any ingredient, it is important to do a small patch test first. All these ingredients may well be all-natural but some can still cause reactions on some skin types
All Natural Deodorant #1
Ingredients:
2 tbsp unrefined Coconut Oil
2 tbsp unrefined Shea Butter
3 tbsp Arrowroot powder (corn starch powder alternative)
1.5 tbsp Baking Soda
Essential Oils
5 drops lavender
5 drops grapefruit
1 drops tea tree
or
Essential Oils
5 drops ylang ylang
5 drops geranium
5 drops bergamot
5 drops sandalwood
For a more masculine all-natural deodorant
Essential Oils
15 drops sandalwood
5 drops black pepper
10 drops cypress
5 drops frankincense
5 drops tea tree
The process
- Put the coconut oil and shea butter in a glass bowl or jar and place the bowl/jar inside a saucepan.
- Add water to the saucepan (enough to surround bowl/jar, but not overflow it) and bring to the boil.
- Stir the coconut oil and shea butter until it melts.
- Remove from the heat and then add in the arrowroot starch, baking soda and essential oils.
- Pour the mixture into a jar and allow to cool (you can put it in the fridge to speed up the setting process but it does not need to be stored in there).
- Make sure your jar has a lid on it so that you can keep it covered.
- You may also wish to take the time and effort to pour the mixture into cardboard deodorant stick for ease of use. You can even reuse an old one
Plastic-Free Deodorant Applicator Tubes
Homemade all Natural Deodorant Spray
In order to make a Natural Deodorant spray, Rubbing Vodka is used as the primary ingredient and for two good reasons. The first is that the Deodorant requires a liquid base. Traditionally homemade deodorants have been creams and pastes. The second is that a high proof Vodka is an effective method of killing the odour creating bacteria.
How to make it
Ingredients:
5tdsp Rubbing Vodka (or higher the proof the better)
5tbsp pure witch hazel or distilled water or all Vodka
10tbsp Vodka
Essentials Oils to suit you
6 Drops of each
Combine all the ingredients together in a small dark coloured glass spray bottle and shake well to mix them together. A dark glass bottle is best as it helps prevent UV rays from penetrating the solution and causing it to spoil prematurely. Be sure to shake well before each time you apply
There you have a few excellent All-natural deodorant recipes to get you started. There really is no right or wrong when it comes to the combination of ingredients. Don’t be afraid to experiment, especially when it comes to your favourite essential oils. After all, for most of us, the smell of our deodorant is the most important factor
If you don’t quite have the time or patience for whipping up your own Homemade All-Natural Deodorant then you can find some excellent ones in our SHOP