I ran out of my old deodorant awhile ago, and was wondering what to do about it. I had been hearing a lot about “natural” deodorants, and wondered if they worked any better than store-bought. With all-natural ingredients and no aluminum, they are undoubtedly better for you. I found some links to various recipes here, changed some ingredients to create a stick-type product, and decided to try my hand at making my own DIY version. Here’s how:
Recipe:
1/3 c coconut oil
1/4 c baking soda
1/4 c arrowroot powder
4 T cornstarch
5-10 drops lavender essential oil
1 T vegetable glycerin
1 oz beeswax*
Tools:
measuring cups and spoons / empty stick deodorant package / plastic wrap / small saucepan** / spatula** (I didn’t use the funnel pictured)
**Note: Awhile ago I bought a dedicated saucepan and spatula for making home-made beauty products, so I don’t use these utensils for food. I’d recommend it if you want to be as safe as possible!
How To:
1. Line an old stick deodorant with plastic wrap. I found it easiest to press it on the top, then twirl the pusher down to the bottom, and use the end of the spatula to jam the wrap in there. This punctured the center of the wrap on the deodorant stick’s central spire. This does make a small hole in the wrap, but if your deodorant is the right consistency it won’t dribble out the hole.
2. Mix dry ingredients in a saucepan on a warm stove.
Add coconut oil and beeswax; mix until combined with the dry ingredients.
3. Add the essential oil; mix thoroughly.
4. In just a few minutes of stirring, the mixture will be less liquidy and won’t run to fill up areas you scrape away from the saucepan. It is now ready to be poured.
5. Transfer mixture into the stick, tapping the package on the counter to allow the mixture to settle. 
Mound off top and wrap wrap over it. (I found this recipe made quite a lot, so I poured the extra into a small, clean tub.)
6. Place in fridge to solidify quickly. (around 30 minutes)
7. Once solid, snip excess wrap at edges.
You can also use your thumb to smooth out the creases in the solid for a more finished look, though the stick warms and smooths itself upon contact with your underarms.
*Omit using the beeswax if you would like a softer deodorant that you “spread” on to use it. You would have to use it from a tub or jar in that case. Omitting the beeswax would also make this product vegan!
As you use the deodorant, cut down the plastic wrap liner as you go.
Materials for the DIY Natural Coconut Oil Stick Deodorant
Coconut Oil – available at most supermarkets. Available online here
Arrowroot Powder – I got mine from Lavender Lane, but they went out of business.:-( I loved them! You can get that here
Cornstarch – Available at supermarkets. I used [Japanese] potato starch and it seemed to work out just fine regardless.
Lavender Essential Oil – available at natural foods stores, or here
Vegetable Glycerin – available at most supermarkets, and also available here
Beeswax Pellets – sometimes you can find these at natural foods stores. Also available here
I’ve found that this deodorant smells like lavender powder, with a bit of honey musk scent provided by the beeswax. It doesn’t coat my armpits and build up like store-bought deodorants (which soap and water don’t remove and which I’ve often had to scrape off with my nails in the bathtub – gross!!). When I sweat, all I smell like is lavender and honey musk, with maybe a hint of coconut. It doesn’t completely stop the sweat entirely though – I’ve had to reapply halfway through the day if I want to stay dry. However, since using it (since early March!) I’ve found that I actually sweat less now…a welcome side effect.
Have fun making your own! If you have any variations on the DIY deodorant recipe that have worked for you – please leave them in the comments!
xo
Carly
This definitely the best recipe I have seen for DIY Deo! I would never use homemade deodorant if I had to spread it on myself. Definitely will have to try this since I need beewax for the perfume locket anyways!
Thank you Brenda! I bought my 1-lb bag of beeswax an eon ago, and it has definitely come in handy! Such a tiny bit goes a long way. I have used it for homemade lip balms and soaps, though this is the first time I’ve tried deodorant. I’m not a big fan of dipping my fingers in it to apply…I feel like I’ve just deodorized my fingers, and then need to spend time scrubbing it off at the sink. When rolling on the deodorant, the beeswax can sort of clump up in areas, so I just use the stick like a spreading tool if that makes any sense at all. Rather than fingers.;-)
SO cool that you did this! I’m all about finding natural alternatives to icky chemical products, have a post coming up about that later this week or next even, but have been a little intimidated to try deodorant. Such a good idea about reusing an old tube, though! Pinned this tutorial!
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Thanks!! It was my first time trying deodorant; I was definitely intimidated but found the results useful (and I’m still using the same stick 4 months later!!). I’ve found I’m actually sweating LESS than before when I was using the chemically-kind, and I don’t smell bad when I do sweat, which is an added bonus. It is a physical blocker deodorant though, so it does leave a film under your arms that washes off in the shower…I think if you didn’t like that you could omit the beeswax entirely and just use the powders mixed with coconut oil for a fresher, less-coated feel.