How to make solid deodorant

This DIY deodorant is good for your pits and the planet!

It’s never fun when you begin to notice a bit of B.O. mid-day. As natural as it may be, sweat is not always the most pleasant scent. Luckily, we’ve got a solid deodorant recipe to keep you In the Fresh! This homemade deodorant is gentle on your skin, but not on the bacteria that cause unpleasant odours.

Since many people’s skin is sensitive to baking soda, we chose to avoid including it so that everyone can enjoy this deodorant recipe! It glides on easily thanks to the carefully selected vegetable oil and butter, while the powders and essential oils prevent bad odours from forming. And, because it’s solid, it helps you cut back on packaging. Imagine: a DIY deodorant that’s good for you AND for the planet!

So don’t sweat about making it through the day without underarm odour any longer.

This gentle and effective homemade deodorant is here to keep you In the Fresh!

Before you begin

This homemade deodorant won’t prevent you from sweating, which is a natural and important bodily process. The chosen powders will slightly reduce how much you sweat, but smell is what they really act on.

Ingredients

15 g (18.5%) coconut oil
20 g (24.7%) white beeswax beads
15 g (18.5%) kokum butter
20 g (24.7%) zinc oxide
10 g (12.3%) white clay
1 g (1.2%) essential oils (choose one of the blends listed below)

Good to know!

We chose to use white beeswax for its hardening and protective properties, which are exactly right for this kind of recipe. You can use yellow beeswax beads instead, but keep in mind that its natural fragrance will partly mask the scent of the essential oils.
Coconut oil was chosen for its antiseptic properties and to give this homemade solid deodorant a slippery feel, so that it glides on easily.
Kokum butter contributes to the hardness of the final product. Like coconut oil, it also has a slippery, non-greasy feel that facilitates application.
The powders were chosen for their absorbent properties—a must in a deodorant. Zinc oxide was specifically chosen because it helps reduce the rate at which the bacteria responsible for unpleasant odours reproduce.
Here are some essential oils suitable for making homemade deodorant:
- True lavender essential oil is antiseptic and calming.
- Tea tree essential oil is purifying
- Lemon essential oil is antiseptic. Note, however, that it is photosensitizing, so it should not be used when your underarms might be getting sun exposure.
- Petitgrain essential oil is calming and purifying.
Hoping to use this homemade solid deodorant in the summer? That’s great! Do keep in mind that with heat, this DIY deodorant may melt more quickly. For summer use, we recommend using 22 g (27.2%) beeswax and 13 g (16%) coconut oil.

Steps to follow

Prepare and disinfect your equipment and workspace.
Weigh the coconut oil, kokum butter, and white beeswax in a small stainless steel bowl and melt on the double boiler.
Weigh the powders in a ramekin.
When the oil, butter, and wax have melted, add the contents of the ramekin to the bowl. Mix with the mini-mixer until homogeneous. Remove from heat.
Weigh the essential oils in a ramekin.
Add the essential oils and mix well with the mini-mixer.
Pour your deodorant into the molds. The product should still be liquid: if it has hardened, reheat it very gently.
Place the molds in the freezer for five to ten minutes before unmolding. Your homemade deodorants are ready to use!