DIY deodorant, should you or shouldn't you?

My opinion is you should! Why? Because it is so easy and there are many harmful ingredients in the commercial brands.  Some of the natural ones also have questionable ingredients and don't always work. 

It has been years since I used commercial deodorants. Mainly because of the aluminum, pthalates and parabens in them. But there are plenty of other ingredients to worry about.  Studies have indicated that the skin absorbs everything we put on it, so why wouldn't it absorb the ingredients in deodorants?  Below are some of the harmful ingredients in commercial deodorants:

• Aluminum - has the capability of changing estrogen receptor sites
• Parabens - have been shown to mimic estrogen - these are found in so many beauty care items.  Check your ingredient list!
  
• Propylene glycol - considered a neurotoxin and can cause contact dermatitis.
  

• Fragrance - this is a big one, found everywhere.  Just about anything can go under this heading
• Pthalates - another endocrine disruptor.
  
• Triclosan - a chemical reaction with chlorine can produce dioxins when exposed to sunlight and again an endocrine disruptor.  
  

Underneath your skin in your armpit area are clusters of lymph nodes which is an essential part of our immune system.  Some ingredients like aluminum have come under fire for being a risk factor for breast cancer and alzheimers, although the breast cancer risk is non-conclusive, I err on the side of caution..  

So, it's been about ten years (at least) that I have been using natural deodorants.  There are so many to choose from, and this is where you can really see bioindividuality clearly.  What works for my husband, does not work for me! And I have an added issue, some really irritate! 

After settling on one that I like and have been using for years even recommending it to people they go and change the ingredients, adding propylene glycol (a preservative, but an endocrine disruptor). Why, I have no idea, there was no issues with preservation.  I am down to my last one with original ingredients and have about three others different deodorants in my drawer that I have tried and work decently in cold weather, but not in the summer.  In the winter, I was even able to get away with just using coconut oil.

I started to try different deodorants, yet again, when my sister inspired me by making her own.  She claimed it was really easy and for a busy mother of five, so say it is easy, it has to be!  She made me some and it worked better than most store bought but unfortunately my underarms were irritated, too much baking soda for my underarms.   Easy fix, less baking soda.  My son is now using the deodorant with no problems! 

I checked online for some recipes, it seems that common ingredients are: 
Coconut oil
Baking Soda or diatomaceous earth (food grade)
Arrowroot powder
Shea butter
Bentonite clay
Beeswax or Canuba wax
Cocoa butter
Vitamin E
Essential oils

So knowing that coconut oil works ok in the winter, I was definitely using that.  I bought shea butter, arrowroot powder and lemon essential oil and I already had the (non aluminum) baking soda, peppermint and tea tree essential oils.  The picture up top is the final product :) 

Some people like stick deodorants in which case you would add one of the waxes or the bentonite clay, but I don't care.  This is more like a lotion.  I use a spoon to take a little out and keep the deodorant clean.  And guess what? It works and it only took about 5 minutes to make! I may have to add a little more baking soda for hubby but this one is great and it smells awesome too! 

So take a look at recipes online, (they are abundant) and get creative in the kitchen. 









Source for ingredient list: www.mightynest.com

---