Dirty Beauty Gone Clean: Clean Deodorant

Why natural deodorant? Here's the story. Deodorant has always irritated my skin, always, but I don't wanna stink right, so I continued to wear it. Who hasn't heard people say the same, in fact my husband does not like wearing it and does not because of the aluminum in the stuff. Ah yes, added chemicals, how can I forget it is in everything we buy. So since I cleaning up my food, why not try to clean up my beauty products as well.

I did a little research on deodorants and the ingredients that make it up. I found this:

"Many popular store bought deodorants have some of the following ingredients that are harmful for our health, increasing our chances of breast cancer, possible Alzheimer’s and other diseases and illnesses:
Aluminum - linked to Alzheimer’s and breast cancer; the risks increase when added to the skin AFTER shaving! Propylene glycol - shown to cause dermatitis, liver and kidney problems in animal studies. May inhibit skin cell growth and cause skin irritation Butane - ingredient in aerosol deodorants, is listed as a skin irritantPropane - ummm, what? Enough said. Talc - Acute to chronic lung disease (talcosis), contributes to ovarian cancers

 Why are these ingredients so dangerous? They are applied to shaven skin (hair acts as a protective barrier), and to the underarm which is a location where a group of lymph nodes are gathered to help fight infection. We apply these toxins directly to an area of our body that has already been compromised because of shaving and to an area where these toxins are easily absorbed into breast tissue, into our lymph nodes and into our blood stream helping us to compromise our systems in life-threatening ways.

 What's the alternative? NATURAL DEODORANT using common products..."


We women use so much product, WAY more than men and we do not stop and read what is in these products we use everyday. Makeup, lotions for everything, DO, nail polish, all sorts of hair products etc have harmful chemicals and these products are not regulated by FDA so you have to take a stand and be more wise. It was hard to read about the ingredients in deodorant having links to breast cancer. These chemicals soak into the breast tissue which extends up into the armpit area. Scary because we use DO everyday for years. Do not trust what the ad or packing on the box tells you, research. I did a few more reviews and experiments of those expensive eye creams you get at swanky shops and beauty boutiques you can make your own at home. Stay tuned for that post.

So back to this DIY deodorant. It was super easy to make and this will last me 2 months. The hardest part was cleaning out the old DO container. Did you know that soap did not even help cleaning the gross DO? Goes to show all the garbage it was made from. So I searched high and low for the perfect natural DO to try for you guys. One that will not make me smell, one that will not melt or separate, one that would smell nice without using essential oil (I am wanting to buy some soon, I am just beginning here). The base of natural DO, I found, is always cold pressed virgin coconut oil, organic baking soda (no aluminum), organic cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Why organic? Because we want to make sure there are no GMOs defeating the purpose of natural. Kathleen's blog Becoming Peculiar, has a great post with pictures on how to make you own DO that won't melt in the summertime. I tried this recipe and tested it last night at the gym and it happened to be a warm day here in NY, it worked great and smelled delicious. I tweaked the recipe a bit because I did not have any essential oils on hand. I was very pleased with the results because I sweat crazy and if I did not wear DO I'd be stinking. This does not stop the sweat but controls the odor. I really love it. If you are wearing black or sleeveless anything, wait until it dries and maybe wipe off excess.

LEMONY FRESH NATURAL DEODORANT
1/4 C arrowroot (or organic cornstarch)
1/4 C organic baking soda
3 T coconut oil
1 T grated beeswax
zest of one lemon
cleaned out deodorant container

Double boiler: Use a medium pot and a recycled glass jar. Fill pot half way and bring water to a boil. While waiting for water to boil put coconut oil in the jar and zest the lemon if you have not done so (only the yellow part no white). When the water is at a boil turn down to low. Take a few minutes to put oil in the jar and place the jar in this water bath. Use a chopstick to stir the coconut oil until it melts fully. Now put in the zest and let it sit in this bath for 15 mins. Use a cheesecloth or coffee filter and strain the zest and oil. Squeeze the oil out of the zest and discard. Put oil back in the jar and add the beeswax and place this jar back into the bath and stir until the wax is fully melted. Combine cornstarch and baking soda together in a bowl. Pour this mix into the jar in the water bath and stir until fully combined. Working quickly pour this mix into the DO container and place in the frig to harden. Smells deliciously lemony fresh!

PERKS
arrowroot (for sensitive skin)/cornstarch - absorbs moisture
baking soda -  eliminates odor
cold pressed virgin coconut oil - has antibacterial, anti-fungal and antiviral properties
lemon - smells nice, eliminates odor, has antiseptic properties

Hope you guys try this and let me know what you think.