Homemade {Baking Soda Free} Deodorant
I loved, loved, loved my old homemade deodorant with baking soda and had used it for over two years. One day, I noticed my underarms getting super irritated. Of course, I thought nothing of it and continued on my merry way using it. That was until I started getting a bad and painful rash. Literally, my armpits started peeling… gross! Was that TMI? Sorry.
So, I tried a million things, like: taking a break from the homemade stuff for months, then going back to it, making other recipes with shea butter, and I even tried rubbing apple cider vinegar in my pits (to balance out the alkaline of the baking soda). Nothing worked, and I was super bummed. Then, I saw somewhere about just using essential oils! Perfect! Or so I thought. It helped against smell until I did some serious stress-sweating at work, and I think I could’ve made people faint from my stank. Was that too much TMI again? Luckily, this happened, because it gave me another idea! Why not make a recipe similar to the original, without the baking soda, and with a higher concentration of essential oils?
Homemade {Baking Soda Free} Deodorant
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup arrowroot powder (like this one)
or cornstarch (like this one)(antiperspirant properties) - 1/2 cup coconut oil (I use this one)
- 10-20 drops of tea tree (like this one) and/or lavender essential oil (like this one) (antibacterial, anti fungal)
- 10 drops of one, or a combination of lemon, orange, peppermint, and/or frankincense
(antiperspirant properties)
)
, 
, 
, and/or 
Side note: You could probably use another kind of oil or butter in place of coconut. I have not personally tried it, though.
Also, you can totally half this recipe!
If you need stronger protection, you can use 1/4 cup arrowroot powder and 1/4 cup bentonite clay (like this one)
or diatomaceous earth (like this one)
Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together and place in a jar (these are my favorite)
. It is easier to mix when the coconut oil is slightly melted.
To Use: Apply a small amount with hands. If you use peppermint, wash your hands after you apply, because if you touch your face, it will have a cool, tingling feeling for awhile. Not that I learned this from experience or anything… Ha.
I have been using this for about two weeks now and love it! No burning or rashes! Yay! Plus, it handles my stink way better than just the essential oils! Just so you know, there are a ton of people who can use the original recipe without any issues. Some of us, on the other hand, cannot – probably due to the alkaline property in the deodorant.
Have you had issues with homemade deodorant with baking soda in the past? What have you found that has helped?
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I quit using deodorant about 9 months ago and started just using straight coconut oil. I have been very pleased with the results! I never stink…ever! When I made the switch I was constantly checking and making my husband check, too. Yes, I stuck my armpit in his face and asked him to sniff. I haven’t had one stink! The only thing I had to get used to is the feeling of not being completely dry like with traditional antiperspirants. I’m sure you have already experienced that with your homemade stuff. Anyway, it’s just one less thing I have to make. I just keep coconut oil in a jar in the bathroom and use it for various things. I asked my husband if it’s normal to apply your deodorant with your fingertips and rub the excess in the ends of your hair as a leave in conditioner. He said “no, but we are not a normal family.”
I use just coconut oil also. Likewise, I get rid of the oil on my fingers by running my fingers through my hair. So easy and effective.
Haha my hair was looking a bit frizzy the other day opened the cupboard ahhh!!! My homemade deoderent!! No one will know, I told myself, as i skipped through the few ingredients lol glad to know im not alone!
Iam so glad to know you can just omit the Bake soda i was getting ghe irritation too Yaya!!
Hahaha Karas! I do the same thing to my husband too! I wish I could just use coconut oil but I think my stink is way to strong for that! But that would be a great idea for others. I used to feel weird about applying with my fingers but now I’m totally used to it and it feels weird doing it any other way!
Can’t wait to try this recipe. I must have something that WORKS WELL. I’m 52 and right smack dab in the middle of menopause so my dear, I don’t perspire, I SWEAT. A lot. So this recipe sounds promising. Might take me awhile to gather the ingredients but I will. And keep my fingers crossed for a happy outcome. Thank you.
I too am going thru menopause and I’m happy to report this stuff really works. I tried the baking soda and it irritated my skin something awful. My pits looks like elephant skin for a bit. It was beyond gross. I found the arrowroot powder at Sprouts and bought only what I needed from the self serve containers.
Hi Amy,
I read your post and it caught my attention as the exact same thing happened to me. Been using baking soda for yrs worked like a charm zero smell and suddenly rash and super itchy armpits. I’m going to try this recipe however I’m curious to know if this is still what you are using as the post is from 2013, and gown your armpits are doing now?
I do the same thing or just rub it on my pits as I am moisturizing head to toe…I LOVE THE COCONUT OIL…the other day I was baking bread and used it to “grease” my pan…then just rubbed the excess into my hands and elbows and arms.
Thanks for the recipe! Never had a problem with natural deodorants for years then all of a sudden my pits were so raw! Grrrrrr…
I live in the tropics where everything melts year round so I split the coconut oil with Shea butter to make it hold together a bit more.
Thanks for the simple, straightforward recipe!
Great idea GG! Thanks!
Thank you for this recipe. I too get a rash, it doesn’t bother me but it looks horrible. I’ll be trying this tomorrow.
I hope it works great for you!
I made this deodorant today, because I too get a terrible rash of baking soda. My version is much more liquid. Don´t know if it is too warm inside our house or is it because I used corn starch. Have you noticed that the scent fades in the jar? I think 40 drops of lavender and 20 drops of tea tree oil is too strong for my nose, but I don´t want to smell bad. By the way, I would not switch the coconut oil for another oil. I have read that coconut oil makes the good bacteria grow in your arm pits and that is why you don´t smell when you use coconut oil as a deodorant.
It may be to warm in your house since coconut oil can melt. I would just stick it in the fridge and see if that helps! I feel like the scent fades after awhile. Not sure if its my nose just getting used to it or the oils scent fading.
You could add beeswax to make it more solid.
Even though coconut oil has great benefits for others, coconut allergies do exist, as people can be allergic to anything; nothing gets past the “potential allergens” list.
For those who are allergic to coconut (very rare, so unfortunate :l *raises hand*), SEED oils tend to work well. Sunflower seed oil, hemp seed oil, sesame seed oil… it depends on which works best for you, as they tend to work differently for everyone.
Thanks for the recipe! I’m going to adapt it into a 100% allergen-free recipe for myself.<3
Just wondering if seed oils have the same antibacterial properties as coconut oil?
Walnut oil got antiseptic properties as well and some of the essential oils that are mentioned above (like lavender for example)… but otherwise coconut oil is fantastic as it is anti viral, too! 😉
My version was more liquid also. But it works great. Although I do reapply at least once throughout the day. I put it in a small roller bottle and slightly warm it before use.
I was thinking of trying cold-pressed, organic avocado oil. Any thoughts?
I would think it would work. The only thing would be that it would always be liquid. With coconut oil it firms up at temperatures below 75 degrees. So you may have to mix it more often.
Thanks! I had not thought of that.
I am soooo trying the coconut oil treatment. I live in Texas and am a runner. THE TEST!
That is the true test!! Let me know how it goes!!!
I’m like you, I can only use my baking soda deodorant once in awhile and only using caution (dab, never rub–ouch!). I will definitely be trying this out for myself. My armpits and I thank you!
I make a great spray on deodorant . I also had rash issues with Baking soda so i did some googling and found out plain old salt is good also.
In a small spray bottle ..
2-3 teaspoons of salt (preferably unrefined salt like himilayan or celtic)
1/2 teaspoon of water soluble lavender oil (or your choice of water soluble oil)
Fill with water.
Done.
Tea tree oil is good for a mans version. Add more salt if you find you still get odour.
This looks neat! I will have to try this recipe out!
I used salt under my arms before and it did not work for me. I now have really ugly scars under my arms from where the salt rubbed me raw in some areas. However, I do have sensitive skin and this may have been the reason.
I’ll bet this smells great. I’ve used a baking soda deodorant for a little over two years and only have issues with it when I’ve freshly shaven. I generally shower at night and don’t apply deo until morning, so usually there are no issues. It’s when I forget and apply right out of the shower after shaving that it irritates a lot. Thanks for sharing your new-and-improved recipe!
I’ve been using the baking soda version too for a while now. I had peeling also. It did sting after I shaved. I don’t shave any more *what*!!! Yes I know it’s odd…but I don’t stink and i do have a slightly darker tint in my left pit. I really want to try the soda free recipe.
I will have to try, and the Lyn’s recipe too.
I made a spray deodorant with jillsgoodthings recipe but two unpleasant things happened, i miscalculated the liquid ounces when converting measurements ( do Brits and Americans even speak the same language at all, all measures are different) and got a very oily solution, and since I added too much lemon essential oil, I got a skin reaction like you guys did with baking soda. Must try this one
Amy, how big is your cup, could you do your recipe in millilitres -I can not do the measure conversions! Pretty please.
Thanks for sharing, love your ideas
240 ml = 1 cup
Unfortunately I too got a terrible rash already the second day of using the baking soda deo. I made your sodafree one and am now using it together with a “deostone”, the type they sometimes sell in Thai shops. So I apply stone first, then let it dry and after that I apply your sodafree stuff. It works a dream; no rash, no stink :)!
Thank you so much! I, too, developed burning pits two months after starting my beloved homemade baking
Soda deodorant. I thought that the arrowroot/coconut oil combo would probably work just fine, but it is very comforting to hear that someone else has tried it before wasting more expensive ingredients! My light scent combo is a few drops tea tree for antibacterial properties (you can’t smell it), sweet orange, and lime. It’s very tropical smelling with the coconut.
OOO I bet that smells great! I usually use the same minus the lime. But that combo sounds fabulous! I hope you love it!
Hi, just wondering if you could make this recipe into a deodorant stick like your other recipe by adding beeswax? Have you tried? I don’t mind applying with my fingers but for traveling in warmer weather bringing a leaky jar is a bit of a pain! Thanks!
I don’t see why not! I have not personally tried it but if you do let me know how it goes!
I saw a different deodrant recipe that included beeswax to get it solid, not sure but worth a try.
Hi
Can I know how much coconut oil do you use in this recipe?
Is it 1/2 cup?
Oops! Yep 1/2 cup! Thanks for pointing that out!
Ah, you are a lifesaver. I’m a Texas girl and I already sweat a good bit as it is….but summer is going to be here before I even know it. And I don’t want to keep buying store deodorant but yet when I tried a few different recipes with any sort of baking soda even the slightest bit my armpits broke out after a day of using it. I was pretty much hopeless and thought “Oh geez do I stink or do I pollute my body with chemicals.” Then by pure luck as I was looking through a list of uses for coconut oil I saw that you had a baking soda free version. Which pretty much made me jump for joy, though I have yet to test it out. I hope it works for me too. 🙂 I just want to thank you in advance for not only this recipe but everything you do.
I tried using straight coconut oil (pharmacutical grade) with sent added. it worked about a week,then i started stinkin.so now im going to try your recepie.
Could you add beeswax to it to make it a little more solid?
Hi! Just wondering, do the oils in this stain clothing? Thanks!
I was having trouble with the baking soda in homemade deodorant also, but I didn’t feel like coconut oil alone was getting the job done for me. So I started making it the same way but I was but omitted the baking soda and replaced it with 1 tablespoon of benotite clay to help me feel a little more dry and protected. It works great! I also add a mixture of lemon, lavender, and rosemary essential oils.
i use baby powder instead of cornstarch or arrowroot powder. i cant wait to try your recipe.
Baby powder is a known carcinogen. Please don’t use this.
also would this work in an old deodorant tube?
Can you use 1/4 cup shea butter and 1/4 cup coconut oil? I have tons of she butter left from my first attempt at making homemade deodorant
Sure! It will just be a thicker deodorant.