Most deodorant has aluminum in it to work as an anti-perspirant agent. "What is the problem with that?" you may ask. Well, aluminum is toxic to our bodies, clogs the pores to prevent you from sweating and thus prevents your body from releasing other toxins. Sweat doesn't smell - bacteria smells. Aluminum is also linked to cancer, especially breast cancer in women.
That's not a risk I want to take, however small it may or may not be.
So today I made my own homemade deodorant by modifying a recipe that I found on www.passionatehomemaking.com.
Here's what I used:
About 4 table spoons of coconut oil
An ounce of beeswax (I didn't measure it exactly)
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder (a thickening agent - from what I've read on other websites you could also use cornstarch)
Essential oils: tea tree oil, lavender oil, and some rosewater
First I melted the beeswax and coconut oil on low heat, then I whisked in the baking soda and arrowroot powder. I added about 5-6 drops of each oil, and wa-la! It was as easy as pie!
For my dispenser, I took a cardboard toilet paper roll and lined it with plastic wrap. I just poured the warm goo into it, stuck it in the fridge to solidify, and within 5 minutes I had myself a neat little stick of deodorant! Each time I use it, I can just pull it up with the plastic wrap, and then cover it back up when I'm done.
I wore it for the first time today and I'm so impressed! It's 6pm and I still smell fresh!
Tea tree oil and lavender oil are both anti bacterial, so while I still sweat, they kill the bacteria that smells bad and make me smell great in the process. Rosewater just smells good, and supposedly it's good for the skin.
Try it yourself!
I think it's cool that you made your own deodorant, Laura! But I do have to say that you don't actually sweat out any toxins. Your kidneys and liver flush out all toxins from your system. Your sweat glands only really flush out water and a few natural compounds. Also, there has been no conclusive evidence linking deodorant or anti-perspirant to any kind of cancer... breast or otherwise. :)
ReplyDeleteI stopped using anti-perspirant/deodorant a year or so ago (& was using a more natural deodorant before that), & now I just use a spray that is simply essential oils. Not as cheap as homemade deodorant, so I still may try it one day. But I'm not comfortable with the chemicals in deodorant & I don't miss it. :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/AP-Deo
ReplyDeleteThe research is not "conclusive", but that doesn't matter to me. It's very difficult to show that something is "conclusive" and even many "conclusive" studies have later been shown to be potentially false. For me, if there is any evidence of a link (which there is) it's just not worth the risk. We ingest/absorb/inhale so many chemicals and toxins on a daily basis that the more I can eliminate, the better.
My sister does this. She has gone completely natural/organic, even drinking raw milk which p.s. is awesome!!
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