Making your own deodorant can be a great option for sensitive skin. This homemade deodorant is made with all-natural ingredients, scented with essential oils and without baking soda, making it the ultimate deodorant for sensitive skin.
Homemade deodorant is simple to make and only requires a few ingredients. It is very soothing for the skin and works great for both women and men. Scented with essential oils, you can customize it just the way you want.
Deodorants can be loaded with chemicals and ingredients you don’t want to put on your skin. Buying natural deodorants can get pricy, so making your own deodorant can be a very cost-effective option.
Learn how to make this simple DIY deodorant and get my favorite oil blends to try!
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DEODORANT WITHOUT BAKING SODA
Baking soda has a pH level of 9 and is alkaline. Some people with sensitive skin can not tolerate baking soda. The skin under the armpits is already very sensitive, and certain deodorants can cause rashes to develop.
Baking soda is often found in natural deodorants. It is used to absorb sweat and cover-up odors, making it hard for people with sensitive skin to find an alternative. Try a natural deodorant without baking soda that uses ingredients such as arrowroot powder to help absorb sweat.
SUPPLIES YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE YOUR OWN HOMEMADE DEODORANT
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COCONUT OIL
Coconut oil makes a great natural deodorant all on its own and can be used on a whim in emergency situations.
It is a great natural deodorant base as it is anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. Coconut oil can kill yeast and other infections. It is very moisturizing to the skin and has a pleasant smell.
MANGO BUTTER
You will also need some type of “butter” for the base of this homemade deodorant. Mango butter, shea butter, or cocoa butter will all give you a similar result.
Mango butter can help to kill skin infections keeping the area under your arms clean, free of bacteria, and acne. It is very moisturizing and has a lot of benefits to the skin.
Mango butter is very smooth and is good for sensitive skin. If you decide to use shea butter or cocoa butter instead in this recipe, you can substitute it 1:1 ratio.
BEESWAX
The beeswax will help you to get the texture you need and hold the shape of your homemade deodorant stick. Beeswax is found in many skin care products because of the many benefits it has for the skin.
The added beeswax will help this deodorant to stay solid even in the warmer months without having to store it in the refrigerator.
VITAMIN E OIL
Adding in vitamin E oil is optional, but has many great benefits for the skin. Vitamin E oil is high in antioxidants and can be used as a natural preservative.
ESSENTIAL OILS
In this recipe, the essential oils are mainly for scent, but they do have benefits for the skin as well. Essential oils can be cleansing and purifying to the skin.
Here are a few of my favorite combinations of essential oils to use for men and women:
HOMEMADE DEODORANT FOR MEN
FRESH
- 10 drops cypress
- 10 drops eucalyptus
- 10 drops peppermint
WOODSY
- 10 drops sandalwood
- 10 drops cedarwood
- 10 drops lemongrass
ODOR BUSTER
- 10 drops lemon
- 10 drops rosemary
- 10 drops citronella
Use natural fragrances such as cologne when looking for added scents.
HOMEMADE DEODORANT FOR WOMEN
FLORAL
- 10 drops lavender
- 10 drops rose
- 10 drops jasmine
CITRUS
- 10 drops wild orange
- 10 drops bergamot
- 10 drops lemon
SENSITIVE SKIN
- 5 drops lavender
- 5 drops Roman chamomile
- 3 drops frankincense
DEODORANT CONTAINER
I bought a pack of empty deodorant containers online a while back, and I still have a few left. They are inexpensive and a great option for making deodorant.
You can choose to put the deodorant in a mason jar or other small jar with an airtight lid. Of course, having it in a deodorant container makes it easier for applying.
If you prefer a spray deodorant, be sure to check out my DIY spray deodorant with magnesium oil.
BAKING SODA FREE DEODORANT RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons mango butter
- 2 tablespoons beeswax
- 5 drops vitamin E oil
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
- Essential oils of choice, check out my favorite blends above
- Deodorant container
INSTRUCTIONS
Melt coconut oil, mango butter, and beeswax in a double boiler. I make my own by placing a glass bowl over a pot of water.
Remove from heat and add in vitamin E oil, arrowroot powder, and essential oils.
Store in a glass mason jar with an airtight lid or pour it into an empty deodorant container.
RECIPE NOTES:
If you are storing your homemade deodorant in a deodorant container, you may want to keep it in the refrigerator because the coconut oil will soften at temps above 76°
If you are planning on traveling with it, you can store it in a mason jar with an airtight lid.
TIPS FOR USING NATURAL DEODORANT
Using a natural deodorant without baking soda may be an adjustment at first, but with a few tips, the transition can be smooth! Homemade is different from store-bought, which is a good thing because store-bought deodorants are full of toxins and chemicals that can affect hormones and overall health.
Most store-bought deodorants contain aluminum.
Aluminum actually clogs the pores and temporarily stops you from sweating, which sounds good, right? Isn’t that what we want?
NO! Sweating is one of the ways your body detoxifies itself and is a natural healthy process. Plus, aluminum can interfere with estrogen levels causing a hormone imbalance.
So when you make the switch from antiperspirant, you may notice sweating, the arrowroot powder will help to absorb moisture, and the essential oils will help to cover up the smell.
It can take your body up to 30 days to adjust to the switch. Here are some pointers to make it easier:- Apply as needed
- Drink a lot of water to help the body detox
- Detox the armpits a few times a week to help draw out impurities
IN SUMMARY
Making your own deodorant is much safer and cheaper than purchasing deodorant from the store.
You don’t need any special equipment to make deodorant at home.
Leaving out the baking soda can help with rashes caused by deodorant.
The body may take up to 30 days to adjust to natural deodorant.
Homemade Deodorant without Baking Soda
Materials
Instructions
Shizu says
Hi Laura!
I enjoyed making your deodorant recipe! I just wanted to point out that baking soda pH of 9 is “alkaline” not “acidic”.
Laura says
Fixed it. Thanks for pointing that out!
Karmistha Poovan says
Hi Laura
Could one perhaps use Shea butter in place of coconut oil to prevent the possibility of melting at temperatures higher than 76?
Thanks
Laura says
You can use shea butter instead of mango butter, I have not tried the recipe without coconut oil.
Kath says
You could try making a smaller batch as a trial and reduce the amount of coconut oil and increase the amount of bees wax a little or you could reduce the coconut oil and add some shea butter to the recipe (this would be better in the warmer months)!
Coconut oil has lots of benefits to it and has anti-bacterial properties and nutralises odour, plus many more excelent skin caring properties…
Rebecca says
Hi Laura,
This recipe looks great and I can’t wait to try it out! The beeswax link keeps taking me to mango butter though. 🙁
Laura says
Sorry about that, it is fixed! 🙂
Peter says
Hi Laura
Have you tried using fractionated coconut oil instead of normal coconut oil?
Regards
Peter
Laura says
That won’t work in this recipe.
Megan says
How long does it last? 12 months or less?
Laura says
Yes, good for one year.
Sarah says
Hi Laura,
What would be a good substitute for the coconut oil. A friend of mine has eczema under her arms and is afraid that coconut oil will clog the pores. I told her it wouldn’t and would be a good moisturizer for it, but she is insistent over it and won’t use it. Sooooo I’m up to experimenting, and just wondered if you had any thoughts………thank you so much! 🤗
Joy says
Hi Laura! Can you please tell me where you get your mango butter? Thank you so much!
Laura says
I have the kind I used linked in the blog post.
Karrie says
What size of container did you use?
Laura says
I have the containers I used linked.
Jeanette says
How do you detox your armpits??..
Diane says
How do you “detox” your armpits”
Laura says
You can use charcoal soap, I have a recipe on my blog.
Firdaus mukhtar says
Thanks alot dear
Clark Daniels says
Can you forgo the beeswax for more of a spread?
Laura says
Certainly. Just store it in a jar rather than a deodorant container.
Laura says
Yes, you can but it will change the texture and not be able to go in the deodorant stick.
Khadeeja says
Hi
Can I use cornstarch instead of arrow root powder?
I’m finding it difficult to source
Thanks
Laura says
They are similar so that should work!
Mo says
Hi Laura!
Personally, the baking soda recipe irritated my skin. So I used this recipe instead and put it like 1/2 tsp of baking soda. It’s still doesn’t make me as fresh as the full baking soda one on my underarm area (but it doesn’t irritate it). Would you recommend I try more baking soda to this recipe or use another ingredient to help the power? Maybe more arrowroot powder or use activated charcoal? It could be the essential oils irritating my underarms in tandem. What is your insight? I could really use a more knowledgeable person on this as Id love to make sure the natural one works for me! Thank you so very much! God bless you and yours!
Mo says
Hi Laura!
Personally, the baking soda recipe irritated my skin. So I used this recipe instead and put it like 1/2 tsp of baking soda. It’s still doesn’t make me as fresh as the full baking soda one on my underarm area (but it doesn’t irritate it). Would you recommend I try more baking soda to this recipe or use another ingredient to help the power? Maybe more arrowroot powder or use activated charcoal? It could be the essential oils irritating my underarms in tandem. What is your insight? I could really use a more knowledgeable person on this as Id love to make sure the natural one works for me! Thank you so very much! God bless you and yours!
K. Lane says
Can you melt this back down and add the corn starch or baking soda? If so, how much should be added, the 3 tablespoons?
Antee Jean says
Hi, wondering if magnesium can be added to this for added antibacterial properties?
Laura says
Yes