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Why Natural Deodorant?Why even consider using natural deodorant when there are hundreds of pre-made store bought

deodorant options available? Why not just keep using regular deodorant and avoid the whole

problem? Glad you asked…

Conventional deodorants and antiperspirants contain a variety of chemicals and additives. It

takes something unnatural to block the body’s natural ability to sweat, and the chemical list in

some deodorants is impressive:

• Aluminum– some evidence links aluminum to cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease

• Phthalates– Endocrine disruptors often also found in plastic that can cause hormone

imbalance and even infertility (especially in med)

• Propylene glycol– common name: antifreeze. It is a hotly debated additive in personal care

products but the Environmental Working Group reports that it carries a moderate risk of

immunotoxicity and allergies.

• Formaldehyde- a known carcinogen… guess it kills the germs though.

• Parabens- Another hormone disruptor and parabens have been found in biopsied tissue

with breast cancer

• Antibacterial Substances- I talked about these before but they are endocrine disruptors

and can negatively affect the immune system

Why is this a big deal? Ever gotten sick and had a lump in your neck or armpit? That is a lymph

node and they are a major part of your immune system. Putting endocrine disruption chemicals

directly on top of them is a great way to screw up your hormones and suppress immune function.

The skin is the body’s largest organ and what touches our skin can easily enter our bloodstream.

With skyrocketing rates of breast cancer, it would seem prudent to avoid these chemicals until

further research is done.

For those of us who have sought a more natural option, you may have noticed that the pickings

are rather slim. There are a lot of natural deodorants out there, it’s just that, well… most of them

don’t work well. I say this from experience, as a woman who has been pregnant multiple times in

the last 5 years (pregnancy increases sweat) and worked out through the pregnancies.

So what to do? Sweat like a horse or get Alzheimer’s and breast cancer? Is there no other option?

Fortunately, there is! Unfortunately, it takes more time than going to the store, but it lasts alot

longer and is a whole lot healthier! In my pursuit of healthy armpits, I finally found a recipe that

works and is still healthy. This is after trying every natural variation I could find (which didn’t

work or caused a rash) and after several very failed attempts at making it.

I did find in the process that pure baking soda or plain coconut oil work pretty well, so if you

aren’t into making your own, maybe try that.

Unfortunately, some people react even to homemade natural deodorants. From experimenting

and reading through almost a thousand reader comments, the issue seems to be the baking

soda. I found that removing the baking soda in homemade recipes fixed the problem for almost

everyone, but it also made the deodorant less effective.

Other people have issues with rashes or odor or excessive sweat when switching to natural

deodorant. I’ve found that the magnesium spray deodorant can be a good alternative, but wanted

to find a way to help those who were still having trouble.

After much experimentation, research and help from a few brave friends, I found an unusual

solution that works really well! Detoxing armpits from the chemicals that seemed to be

contributing to the itch...

Why Armpit Detox?It occurred to me as I sat researching the sebaceous glands one night with a bentonite clay face

mask on that perhaps my face mask was the answer to the armpit question as well.

After all, I’d used bentonite clay to detox my hair before (and use it in my shampoo now) and in

natural detox baths and it worked incredibly well… perhaps it would speed up the adjustment

period to natural deodorant as well.

A great advantage to doing an armpit detox, besides that it helps speed up the natural deodorant

adjustment period, is that it might help pull some of the chemicals from regular deodorant use

out of the skin and tissue of the armpits. This can be especially helpful after years of conventional

deodorant use and helps balance the skin and reduce the chances of a rash.

Does it Work?I tried it personally and had several friends who hadn’t yet made the switch to natural deodorant

try it as well and then switch. Here are the results:

• We all noticed less odor, even without wearing any deo afterward

• Nobody who tried the detox noticed a rash when using the natural deodorant

• All but one person said they noticed less sweat

• Everyone said they would recommend it to a friend

Completely unscientific trial but practically applicable and the results seem promising!

How to Detox Your PitsDon’t you love when something is so easy that it almost doesn’t need instructions? You might

already have the ingredients on hand. You’ll just need bentonite clay, apple cider vinegar and water.

Ingredients• 1 tablespoon bentonite clay

• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

• 1-2 teaspoons of water (to get right consistency)

Instructions1. Mix all of the ingredients in a glass bowl (do not use metal!) with a wooden or non-metal

spoon until about the consistency of sour cream.

2. Spread in an even layer over the armpits and allow to sit for 5-20 minutes. I suggest

starting slowly and working up to a longer period of time once you see how your body

adjust. If it hurts at all, remove immediately.

3. This may cause some redness as it will increase blood-flow to the area, but it will go away

quickly.

4. Wash off in the shower or with a warm, wet washcloth.

5. Repeat daily or as needed until under-arm odor goes away and natural deodorant is non-

irritating.

NotesI’ve found that I don’t even need the baking soda in my natural deodorant after doing this.

Additional Things to TryIf you are still struggling with odor or have itching or lumps in your armpits, consider dry

brushing, which is said to help improve lymph circulation.

Also, make sure to drink a lot of water any time you stimulate lymph flow (dry brushing, massage,

detox, etc) to help flush the body and avoid getting dehydrated.

What is Dry Brushing?The basic concept of dry brushing is using a coarse, dry brush to brush the skin in a particular

pattern. Though I haven’t found any scientific research supporting it, there is a ton of first hand

information from people who have tried it and swear by it.

Benefits of Dry BrushingSupporters of dry brushing claim that it can stimulate the lymph system, help the body rid itself

of toxins and increase circulation or energy.

I’m not completely sold on all of those benefits, but this definitely falls in the “can’t hurt” category

and I have personally noticed that my skin is softer (and possibly firmer, though this is hard to

measure) from dry brushing. It is very invigorating, and it can’t hurt, so it has become part of

my routine.

Especially during pregnancy, I found that dry brushing seemed to help keep me from getting

stretch marks and also seemed to help tighten skin after pregnancy.

What to Do• Use a natural bristle brush.

• Start on dry skin before bathing.

• Start at the feet/ankles and brush in long circular movements up toward the heart.

• Always brush to the center of the body.

• On stomach and armpits use a circular clockwise brushing motion.

• Brush softly at first and eventually work up to firmer pressure.

• After dry brushing, shower (cool water or alternating cool and hot is best)

• If needed, moisturize after showering. I use a homemade body butter.

• Repeat daily or as needed.

Natural Low-IrritationDeodorant Recipes

Deodorant Recipe 1 – Ingredients• 3 T Coconut Oil

• 3 T Baking Soda

• 2 T Shea Butter

• 2 T Arrowroot (optional)

• Essential Oils (optional)

Note: You can get all the ingredients here.

Deodorant Recipe 1 – Instructions1. Melt shea butter and coconut oil in a double boiler over medium heat until barely melted.

UPDATE: Combine in a quart size glass mason jar with a lid instead and place this in a

small saucepan of water until melted. This will save your bowl and you can just designate

this jar for these type of projects and not even need to wash it out…

2. Remove from heat and add baking soda and arrowroot (If you don’t have arrowroot, use

more baking soda)

3. Mix well

4. Add essential oils and pour into a glass container for storage. It does not need to be stored

in the fridge.

5. If you prefer, you can let it cool completely and put into an old deodorant stick for easier

use, though it may melt in the summer!

If you don’t have all those ingredients around, or don’t want to wash a double boiler, this recipe

is faster and easier:

Deodorant Recipe 2 – Ingredients• 6 T coconut oil

• 1/4 cup (4 T) baking soda

• 1/4 cup (4 T) arrowroot or cornstarch

• essential oils (optional)

Deodorant Recipe 2 – Instructions1. Mix baking soda and arrowroot together in a medium sized bowl.

2. Mash in coconut oil with a fork until well mixed.

3. Add oils if desired.

4. Store in small glass jar or old deodorant container for easy use.

Spray Deodorant – Ingredients:• 4 ounces magnesium oil

• 10-15 drops of your favorite essential oils or a mixture

• A 4 ounce or larger glass spray bottle (I use this one but replaced the top because my kids

dropped the bottle and the original top broke)

Spray Deodorant – Instructions:1. Make the magnesium oil if using homemade magnesium oil.

2. Pour in to glass spray bottle and add any essential oils if using.

3. To use: spray a small amount on underarms and rub in gently. Let dry for about 5

seconds.

Note: Stinging can sometimes occur if used right after shaving or if you are low on magnesium.

This should subside after a few days.