Commercial antiperspirants are full of substances that can be dangerous to the human body this all-natural deodorant diy makes an effective all-natural substitute with no baking soda.
Ever thought about giving up antiperspirant? I stopped using it last year. Done. Finished. Gone. Caput.
No, I am not passionate about spreading body odor across the United States.
I am on a mission to protect my health… one personal care product at a time!
This post uses affiliate links. They don’t cost you a thing and help us bring you all natural body care tutorials.
A few years ago I began paying more attention to the ingredients in my personal care items and learned some shocking facts about antiperspirant.
That nondescript white stuff I'd been spreading under my arms for years was full of substances that can be dangerous to the human body.
I was completely unaware of the problem, so I decided to find out more about antiperspirant, underarm odor, and potentially dangerous ingredients.
Why do arm pits smell?
Smelly armpits are caused by the bacteria that grows in the damp underarm environment created by sweat. The bacteria feed on the fats and proteins that are released by our cells. Gross, but true!
How does antiperspirant stop smell?
Antiperspirants products stop underarm odor because they stop you from sweating. Their ingredients cause skin cells to swell until they block the ducts that release sweat.
- No sweat means a less desirable are for to grow and smell.
What is the active ingredient in antiperspirant?
I did some digging and found that aluminum compounds are the active ingredient in ALL antiperspirants. They can appear on the label as:
- Aluminum chloride
- Aluminum chlorohydrate
- Aluminum zirconium tricholorohydrex glycine
- Aluminum chlorohydrate
- Aluminum hydroxybromide
- Even natural crystal antiperspirants contain some aluminum in the form of potassium alum or ammonium alum.
These aluminum compounds are the active ingredient in antiperspirant, they cause the swelling that blocks the sweat ducts. This is BAD NEWS for humans who use want to use antiperspirant.
Why is aluminum bad in personal care products?
It turns out that aluminum is a neurotoxin that should not be in the human body.
- Aluminum has been found in increased concentrations in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
- Aluminum salts increase breast cancer risk by mimicking the hormone estrogen.
- Aluminum can cause the DNA damage necessary for cancer to develop in humans.
- Aluminum can prove fatal to people with impaired kidney function.
Reasons to Stop Using Antiperspirant
These facts shocked me! And then I learn even more startling data:
- Antiperspirant is the most common sources of aluminum exposure for humans. Repeated daily use can mean a massive exposure to aluminum.
- Antiperspirant is applied dangerously close to breast tissue. PLUS underarm shaving before applying deodorant can increase aluminum absorption. In fact, young girls who use antiperspirants may be more likely to develop breast cancer later in life.
- Stopping sweat blocks the body from naturally releasing toxins via your underarm sweat.
- Commercial antiperspirants and deodorants may also contain paraben, triclosan, and artificial fragrance. These substances can interfere with thyroid hormones, mess with your metabolism, impair brain development, weaken muscles, decrease sperm count, mimic estrogen (causing early onset puberty and/or breast cancer), act as allergens, and/or cause cellular level changes.
I decided to find a natural solution
Don't worry, you can give up antiperspirant and still prevent underarm odor naturally:
#1 Buy an all-natural deodorant.
Deodorants do not keep you from sweating, instead they target the bacteria that causes the smell to stop underarm odor from being produced.
Be sure to check labels when buying natural deodorant (or any body care product). Many commercial deodorants have synthetic chemicals or fragrances added. I like to check my products on the EWG Consumer Guides or on a Smartphone with the Think Dirty App.
#2 Make your own all-natural deodorant.
This all-natural deodorant recipe uses ingredients that naturally fight bacteria and keep you smelling sweet:
Essential oils that work together to eliminate odor and fight bacteria:
- Tea tree oil has an herbal scent and is both antibacterial and antifungal.
- Lemongrass has a fresh and clean aroma. Its main component is lemonal or citral, which has anti-fungal and antimicrobial qualities and acts as a deodorant.
- Rosemary has a fresh scent reminiscent of pine and mint. It has antimicrobial and antiseptic qualities.
Non-toxic ingredients that naturally fight bacteria, absorb moisture, and soften your skin:
- Virgin coconut oil is a raw vegetable oil that has a high content of lanauric acid which is anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial.
- Mango butter is pressed from the seed of the mango fruit. It is highly emollient (softening and soothing) and has a high content of tannins which have anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties.
- Corn starch and Arrowroot powder are both highly absorbent powders that absorb moisture. A dry environment is much less friendly to bacteria and fungus.
- Vitamin e oil is know for its skin healing and antioxidant properties. It acts as a natural preservative in homemade body care items.
How to Make All Natural Deodorant
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1 Tbsp Mango Butter grated
- 1 Tbsp Beeswax Pellets
- 1/2-3/4 tsp Vitamin E Oil
- 2 Tbsp Arrowroot Powder or Cornstarch
- 10 drops Lemongrass Essential Oil or Rosemary Essential Oil
- 10 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
Instructions
- Combine coconut oil, mango butter and beeswax in a small glass or metal container. I make mine in small Mason jars that hold 4 ounces.
- Place the container in a small saucepan of simmering water to make a fake double boiler. The water should only be half way up the side of your container. Do not get any water into the container.
- Watch the mixture carefully and remove from the heat as soon as the beeswax is melted. Use a wooden craft stick or popscicle stick to stir.
- Stir in the Vitamin E oil and cornstarch or arrowroot powder until smooth. Remove the sauce pan from the stove but leave the container in the hot water to make the mixing easier. (This keeps the wax hot and melted.)
- Once the mixture is smooth stir in your essential oils.
- Pour into storage container (you can also use an old deodorant container). Allow the deodorant to cool completely.
- Attach a free printable label, if desired.
- To use apply 1/4-1/2 tsp and rub into each underarm.
Natural Deodorant Tips
Keep yourself smelling sweet while your body adjust from antiperspirant to deodorant:
- Apply twice a day at first, after using it for a few weeks you can apply once a day.
- Apply a bit of cornstarch, Cooling Powder, or No More Stinky Feet Spray (it works on underarms too) to underarms before the deodorant.
- Get a free printable PDF label (available in the free printable library) for your homemade deodorant.
Like natural body care tips? Sign up for my newsletter below and never miss a thing!
Subscribe to the Bren Did Newsletter to Get Access
Follow me on your favorite social network or drop me an email with your thoughts! 
You read my mind. This is exactly the kind of recipe I’ve been needing. Pinned! Stopping by from Merry Monday.
Thanks Heaven! I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Hello when do u add the mango butter can u use avocado butter instead I don’t have mango butter
I have never used avocado butter, but it should work if it is the same consistency of mango butter.
can you make this without the butter?
Yes, but you should increase the coconut oil to 2 Tbsp or it will be too thick to scoop from the jar. Good luck!
I tried a lot of different natural deodorants before, but this is the best for me by far. 🙂 Really amazing and effective recipe.
Thanks Johanna! I am so glad to hear you like the deodorant recipe. It works really well for me.
Does it stain clothing? Just wondering……
I haven’t had a problem with staining.
Can Shea butter be used in place of mango butter? That’s all I have currently and mango butter is kind of pricey. Thanks!
Yes, you can use the shea butter. I simply prefer the smell (or lack of smell) of the mango butter. Good luck!
I can’t wait to try this!
Thanks Scarlette!
Hi! I poured this recipe into moulds to make it into a deodorant bar but it was too oily and felt like a lotion bar. Any tips?
Sophie, you can reward the mix and add a bit more beeswax to make it more firm. First melt the beeswax then add your already made deodorant to keep from over warming the EOS.
Can Jojoba oil be used in place of vitamin E oil? Thanks.
Raquel, you can use jojoba in place of the vitamin E as it would not change the consistency of the deodorant, however I am not sure that jojoba would act as a preservative as vitamin e does in this recipe. You can always try it and see what happens. When I make changes to any recipe I try a small batch to see how I like the results.
What can I use in place of beeswax? Does soy wax work?
Kaitlyn, I have never tried soy wax so I cannot tell you how (or if) it works. Sorry!
Hey Bren! This is a great post! I’m a nurse and a health and wellness coach. I’ve been really looking into more holistic products to share with my clients. The connection between aluminum and other diseases is startling and if we wish to live an optimal life we have to be willing to open ourselves to try new things. I’ll check back in once I try deodorant!! Have a great day!
Thanks Karen! I agree, being open to new ideas/things is key. I’d love to hear how you like the deodorant!
Hi Bren.
Thanks for the recipe and tips. I considered going natural with my deodorant because I started having hard white bumps in my underarms which I’m still trying to treat.
Would try out the recipe and hopefully it cures me of the bumps as well.
I hope it works well for you, Ruth!
This looks like a great recipe! How long does it keep for once it has been made and does it need to be stored in a particular way to preserve it?
I store it in my bathroom drawer, it lasts 6-9 months (I use it up in this timeframe with no problem.)
Hello Bren,
This is the first recipe i’ve tried and the consistency of it was great.
I had just switched from store bought deodorant to all natural and after a few weeks of using your recipe i started to have terrible body odor!!!
I read a lot of article saying that baking soda helps with body odor, do you have any suggestions or have you ever tried baking soda?
Some people use apple cider vinegar or baking soda for a detox period You might try this. It does take awhile to adjust to natural deodorant, but worth it got your health!
I was not able to print the labels for this recipe. There are other posts that I could not print labels for either — Laundry detergent/fabric softener and the glass cleaner. Any help would be appreciated. Every time I tried to print the labels a new window opened up for box.com and wanted me to sign up.
Sorry for the issue, Carol! Box seems to be having some sort of issue. I’ve moved the files to Google Drive. You can access them on my free printables page.
I don’t have mango butter. Will this work without using mango butter?
Yes, just increase the coconut oil by 1/2 Tbsp and increase the beeswax by 1/2 Tbsp. Good luck!
Can you you shea butter instead of mango?
Yes, you can use shea butter.
I’ve been looking for ways to make my own natural deodorant and this recipe sounds lovely!
I’ll have to give it a go soon!
Thanks!
Thanks Juliette, I hope you give it a try.
I think 10 drops of Tea tree oil is a bit too much. My arms starting welting up after a couple of days. Did anyone else have this issue? Is there something I can do to tone down the batch I’ve already made? Or something I can do to keep it from burning?
It might be too much if you have sensitive skin or have never used tea tree oil. Did you also add other EOs as well? You can remelt and add 1 Coconut Oil, 1 Tbsp Mango Butter, 1 Tbsp Beeswax pellets, and ½-tsp Vitamin E oil then stir in 2 Tbsp Arrowroot powder or cornstarch. Don’t add any additional oils and you will have a half strength batch.
Hai dear. Im from malaysia.. N iwanna ask u, it can be used until 1year or less??
N if im not using arrowroot n corn, still can or not?
I use mine up in about 3 months, it has no preservatives so I would try to use it quickly or make a small amount. I have never tried it without arrowroot or corn starch (corn flour) so I am not sure how it would work. Good luck!
What brands did you use there are so many.
Thanks
I like Schmidt’s Natural deodorant brand.
I have been going back and forth on this same topic for years. I really appreciate this receipt, it looks very promising and I am will to try but I do have one very simple maybe dumb question.
How do you apply the product on?
I am so conditions to popping the top and turning the base of deodorant s that I am.not sure how to apply this product.
Please clarify.
Thanks again.
I just scoop out a bit with my finger and rub it on like lotion.
I don’t have beeswax. Can I make this without using or should I go buy some?
I’ve never made it without beeswax, I am afraid it would be too thin.
Hi Bren Thank you so much for this recipe I have tried it and it turned out perfect smells gorgeous!I used 10 drops of Lemongrass EO and 10 drops of Tea Tree EO I have sensitive skin and I too felt a bit of welting up for an hour.
i gave that batch to my 25 year old daughter because I want her to use natural Deodorant I have only used it once yesterday and i smelled lovely all day no BO.
I am making another batch ,Do you think I should cut down on the Tea Tree EO to 5 drops ?
I feels soooooooooo moisturising on my arm pits!I love it!!!
Thank you so much x
Thanks Victoria! I would try making it with no EOs if you have sensitive skin the see how it works, you can always remelt and stir in the EOs if you decide you want them. Hope this helps! -Bren
Hi Bren
Happy New Year
I made a new batch on the 2nd Jan 2017 and left out the lemon grass and used the Rosemary EO instead,I also used half the amount of tea tree EO and now its perfect for me!I love it.Keep up the Good work!!!!
Thank you so much x
Hello bren am very excited to make this where can i buy mango butter that can be grated and beeswax?
Hi Wendy! I use this mango butter and this beeswax. Hope you like the recipe!
I have an allergy to coconut oil – could I use shea butter instead? Or would you recommend something else in replace of the coconut oil? Thanks!
You could use shea or mango butter in place of the coconut oil but you should also add an little oil to make the deodorant spread better (mango butter or shea butter are thicker than coconut oil). I would use 1.5 Tbsp mango butter, 1/2 Tbsp almond oil, 1 Tbsp beeswax, 1/2-3/4 Vitamin E Oil, 2 Tbsp Arrowroot Powder or Cornstarch, 20 drops essential oil. Good luck!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate the response – can’t wait to try this out!
I made this – with the modifications you suggested to avoid coconut oil – and am so impressed! It works wonderfully! Thanks so much!
I’m so glad it worked, Kara! 🙂
Can I use cocoa butter instead of mango butter? Also howbout guar gum instead of cornstarch?
Yes, you can use cocoa butter instead of mango butter. I’ve never used guar gum so I would not be comfortable making that substitution.