No need to be a hippy to make your own deodorant!
Making your own deodorant? Pretty crunchy, right? I thought so too, but actually it is pretty simple and a great way to reduce the chemicals you put on your skin. 
As the largest organ, anything you put on your skin is absorbed into your body. Kinda scary when you stop to think about it. I typically use Tom’s Deodorant – and probably will continue to in the summer, but this five-minute project is a great way to save some money (that stuff is EXPENSIVE) and will take care of your stinky needs most of the year.
As I mentioned yesterday, Bergamot is a natural deodorant (among its many other terrific properties). And it smells so good, I had to give this a try – I’ve had a recipe for homemade deodorant I found several years ago on Passionate Homemaking, but never got around to actually making it. But adding Bergamot? I’m in! I tweaked the recipe a little and here is what I came up with:
Homemade Bergamot Deodorant
6 T coconut oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot (or
12 – 16 drops Bergamot Essential Oil
Step one: Mix the baking soda, arrowroot and Bergamot into the coconut oil until well blended. It should have the consistency of solid deodorant, and thanks to the Bergamot will smell delicious!
Step two: Scoop into a jar – I used a small jelly type jar with a wide mouth.
Step three: Dip your fingers into the jar and apply deodorant.
Simple right? But, does it work? That’s the big question. I wouldn’t share this recipe without actually testing it out and I have to say, it worked better than I thought it would. Last weekend, we attended a swim meet and the pool area was HOT and crowded. So hot that we actually had to leave for a while because we were afraid we’d pass out. So, there was some intense sweating going on – and guess what? Not stinky.
Now, I haven’t tested this on a spin class – that might be too much for it, but I will try it sometime. I also don’t think this would work well in the summer as coconut oil tends to turn liquid in the heat. But, as a fun project and a way to cut down the cost of using those expensive natural deodorants all the time, I’d say this is a winner!
Want to get your own bottle of Bergamot and give this project a try? Each bottle contains several hundred drops of oil, so you can make quite a few batches (as well as use it for lots of other things) Check out this post on my findings and order a bottle or go straight to my YL site HERE.
Interested in getting coconut oil? Here is what I order – I have it on subscribe & save on Amazon so it ships regularly: Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, 15-Ounce Tubs (Pack of 2)
(this is an affiliate link).
Shared on WMFW, The Mommy Club, Oil Me Up Wednesday and Real Food Wednesday
I make my own deodorant too and have loved it for a little over two years now. I’ve never heard of bergamot, so I’ll have to check it out. I just do a simple baking soda and coconut oil mix.
Jelli, I was really amazed at how easy it was – and you should definitely check out the Bergamont – if you like citrus, it is quite yummy smelling!
Hey, there! Clicking over from Oil of the Month Club. I’ll be trying this, but I’ll confess I’m skeptical when it comes to homemade deodorant. LOL. But I’m game and I love Bergamot! Thanks for the recipe!
I was pretty skeptical too, but it actually works! Pretty easy and fun project too – give it a shot.
I will add bergamot next time I make this. One hint is to add a bit of beeswax, then it holds up in the summer. And it does work great, even through a spin class!! Thanks so much for linking up to Oil me Up Wednesdays!!
Janine – great idea on the beeswax – I don’t have any on hand but have been wanting to pick some up for another project.