How to Make Your Own Deodorant Sticks
Deodorant is something that we all take for granted, and it’s easy to forget to stock up on long-term supplies. Fortunately, making your own is not that difficult, and you can play around with a lot of variations if you have the right ingredients and follow the basic steps. Let’s look at a simple recipe that not only produces a quality finished product, but it can also help to reduce underarm smells at the same time.
Where does that Smell Come From?
Simply put, stinky arm pits (and other areas) smell because of bacteria. These bacteria feed on the moisture along with certain compounds that are released during perspiration. If you are able to kill the bacteria, or prevent it from forming, then you can significantly reduce or even eliminate foul odors that require deodorant in the first place. Most commercial products use a combination of baking soda, talc and perfumes to absorb moisture and neutralize odors. However, you can make your own and accomplish the same thing by using natural ingredients.
Ingredients:
½ cup of coconut oil
½ cup of shea, cocoa butter or a mixture of both
1 teaspoon of vitamin E oil (powder from crushed tablet can work also)
3 tablespoons of baking soda
½ cup of either organic cornstarch or arrowroot powder
½ cup and 1 teaspoon of beeswax
A couple capsules of probiotics that do not require refrigeration
Drops of essential oils to your liking
The probiotics and essential oils are optional. The probiotics will help to control bacteria and reduce odors in the first place whereas the essential oils provide fragrances as well as medicinal benefits to the skin. Feel free to experiment with different variations to this recipe until you find a few combinations that work best for you.
Preparing the Ingredients
Take the butter, oil and beeswax and place in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, fill a saucepan with an inch or so of water before placing a glass bowl over the top. Fill the bowl with the ingredients. Bring the water up to a low, gentle boil and continually stir the ingredients as they melt. Once melted and mixed, remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients.
Keep stirring by hand until the mixture cools and starts to thicken. Make sure that you have incorporated all of the ingredients evenly throughout. For bars, the easiest thing to do is to pour the liquid into molds. They can be anything from ice cube trays to muffin tins or anything else that’s practical. Allow the liquid to cool at room temperature, and you can remove the bars, wrap and store in a cool, dry place until needed.
If you prefer to fill up an old deodorant stick, it’s easier to let the mixture cool and thicken a bit before pouring. This will prevent it from dripping out of the bottom or sides of the container. Fill the container once the liquid has developed the consistency of a thick peanut butter or can hold its own shape without dripping. Keep adding and gently pressing down until the container is full. Keep compacting until the deodorant is flush with the top of the reservoir. Store in a cool and dry place as well.
Try this out for yourself today. See how this simple project can be just what you need to keep everyone happy and smelling fresh during a long-term survival situation.
