Thursday, April 22, 2010

homemade deodorant and face scrub

i've been excited to post this deodorant recipe for a while, but wanted to be sure it stood the test of sweaty days before i did. well, john is back to slaving working as a union electrician lifting pipes and digging trenches under the warm sun, and he comes home with pits smelling as sweet as a lemon drop!=)


for all you skeptical sweaty bettys (or eddies), this stuff really works! it's as good as, if not better, than any commercial brand out there. it almost works too good, so i just use it when i'm going out. i like to let my pits breathe.=)

this recipe came from the lovely passionate homemaking site:

Homemade Natural Deodorant

Ingredients:

5-6 Tbsp Coconut oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch

Combine equal portions of baking soda and arrowroot powder. Then slowly add coconut oil and work it in with a spoon until it maintains the substance you desire. It should be about the same texture as the store bought kind, solid but able to be applied easily. You can either scoop this into your old dispensers or place in a small container with lid and apply with fingers with each use. After applying the product, you can just rub the remains into your hands as a lotion! This recipe lasts about 3 months for two people with regular daily use.

kelli's notes: some are reporting an itchy rash from this deodorant. if you have sensitive skin, i suggest halving the recipe and spot-testing one underarm.

edit: using less baking soda, about 2-3 tablespoons, also helps with the itchiness. 

if your coconut oil is too solid, simply warm it up by placing the jar in a dehydrator or warm water. coco oil melts at around 76° F.

to make a scented deodorant, add 5-10 drops of your favorite essential oil. i used lemongrass and love how fresh and clean it smells. rose and lavender also make for nice scents.

***

i've ditched most of the chemical-laden beauty products and simply use baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) with some dried lavender and a little warm water for washing my face.


since i've stopped using commercial face soaps, my face doesn't get dry like it used to. in the winter months, i moisturize the rare dry spots with a dab of organic virgin coconut oil or vitamin e.

since we're all adults here, i also want to share a little secret i learned from first magazine - coconut oil makes a great chemical-free lube. it really does! throw that ky crap out and put a little container of coco oil in your bed stand. you can thank me later ;)

wise words to live by: don't put anything on your skin you wouldn't eat.

i tried to go 'poo-free for a few months but felt a tad too greasy. i was washing my hair every few days with baking soda and rinsing with apple cider vinegar. it didn't work for me at the time, but i'm willing to try again. anyone else 'poo-free?

in the meantime, i'd like to find dr. bronner's soap and try lindsay's homemade shampoo recipe. i'll let you know how it works for me. if you use a homemade shampoo recipe, please share!=)

19 comments:

  1. thank you, thank you! I have no luck with the deoderant that's in the health food stores. I have to try this. Thanks for the lady tip too:) I haven't gone 'poo free but the hubby did for a couple of weeks. His hair was pretty greasy and in the end he went back to the 'poo (makes me chuckle lol). I want to try that shampoo recipe and so thank you for sharing. Happy Earth Day to you:)

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  2. David Wolfe says to have 3 jars of coconut oil: one for the kitchen, one for the bathroom and one for the bedroom. ;)

    Thanks for posting this! Love it! I want to try the deodorant. Hey, what do you use for taking off eye makeup? I've done coco-oil but don't like that (like it to moisturize after tho) and most soaps are too drying. Anyway, loving the idea of using homemade scrubs and deodorants.

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  3. a post after my own heart...this really does interest me...i want to make a moisturizer...perhaps you and i can come up with something??? we can call it kelli nelly...haha!

    thanks for the tips...i'll have to let johnny know about the coco oil in the bedroom...

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  4. Can i just talk coconut lube for a second. Omg love it. Well have never tried it but you really dont need any of those creepy scary flavored adult-themed jelly's if you have coconut lube. Cant believe i am typing this....sorry!

    anyway the face wash, i need to just try baking soda washing b/c everyone tells me it's really the best but i am a doubter, but i should just do it.

    coconut oil deoderant. totally skeptical you BUT i have seen your work in the kitch so i believe you but just am like whoa...if that works, i now know what to do with my coconut oil that i have quarts and quarts of!

    btw do you ever notice a funky smell to your opened jars of coocnut oil but then in like 24-48hr there's no odor? i try to be super careful about hygiene and cross-contamination but sometimes i feel like those huge quarts last forever and that they get funky/go "bad"? Any thoughts?

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  5. i have dipped into the coconut BUTTER for that reason but not the oil. those two are different and it did not really work out if you know what i mean. I am a sensitive sort so I have to be careful. if you catch my drift.

    i have wanted to try making homemade deodorant. thanks for the recipe.

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  6. This is why I order coconut oil in 55 gallon drums. I put my lamp on it next to the bed. It keeps it warm and, it's just more convenient that way. If I have any left over I'll try the scrub. ;)

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  7. hey girl -
    thanks for stoppin by my site!
    i love your creative ideas! genius.
    -r

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  8. Hi my l♥ve,
    Thank's for the Great awesome recipe. I like homemade stuff!! Cocooil is in every corner, the kids like it specially with the DRY weather in Riyadh.
    I never tried the noPoo thing! I heard that the greasy phase is a long process, once passed the hair would glow! Never tried it tho!!
    xOxO

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  9. I will have to try the deodorant recipe some time. Also another good lube that is completely safe is olive oil. Kell, I will tell you how I know this later. :)

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  10. I love it, thank you for sharing the recipe.

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  11. Great ideas - thanks Kelli :-)

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  12. Thanks for sharing your homemade deodorant recipe. I have been searching for something like this and can't wait to try. I've never found a store bought "natural deodorant" (like from Whole Foods) that truly worked for me. I always end up going back to the toxic stuff, so I can't wait to try this. I like your cleanser recipe also. Do you add the lavender for scent or some other purpose. I don't have the leaves but I do have dried flower buds.

    My local Whole Foods sells Dr. Bronner's soaps. Does yours not carry them? It's actually on a bottom shelf, but it's there. That said, I have ordered from the Dr. Bronner's web site, and that was a good experience.

    I saw your comment on Bitt's blog about the raw pet food. I give this to my cat (nature's variety brand). It is hard for me to deal with the raw meat, but it's frozen, and easier than trying to prepare myself, which I couldn't handle. I had three cats die from cancer. I thought I was feeding good food - like Science Diet, plus being "responsible" by regularly taking them to the vet for yearly shots :(. I just didn't know better at the time, and I paid for it in heartbreak, and my cats had to suffer from the terrible disease. Each one was put to sleep in my arms. Two in their teens, but one was a 6 year old male. Now, for my remaining cat, ten year old Bonnie, I'm doing it all differently. She eats Raw food, and also the 100% grain free kibble by the same company. Yes, it's hard to deal with the meat, but everything I've read tells me cats are truly obligate carnivores, unlike dogs which can evidently do well on a vegan diet. You know, we just do the best we can. I feel I'm minimizing the suffering by not eating animals myself. Anyway, good luck to you and your pet, and thanks again for sharing your recipes.

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  13. Kelli!!! What a fabulous idea.... i must try this. I admit, Ive tried all kinds of "natural" deodorants, none of which have worked for me, so I use a regular brand/scent-free one... I like this sounds of this. Thanks for sharing.

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  14. GREAT RECIPE! Thanks for posting. Now this deodorant... does it work as an anti-perspirant too? That's the one thing that keeps me buying Dove deodorant instead of Tom's or making my own. I hate soppy pits! :) I'd think that the coconut oil would help keep you dry though.

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  15. Kelli, this is a great recipe! I use the rock crystal thing and it works great, but am going to try this as well because of the coconut oil ... who doesn't love silky soft pits?

    I don't know if this makes me officially "no poo" but I don't shampoo my hair anymore ... I use Burt's Bees conditioner as a "cleansing conditioner" ... I just put on a dollop and rub in, let sit while I shower, then rinse ... so far it works really well ... I bet it would be even better followed by a vinegar wash ... the "no poo" baking soda was really drying ...

    Oh yeah, coconut oil is good for SO many things ;)

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  16. i'm glad you were all interested in the tips!=)

    yardsnacker - you crack me up!

    mindy and lisa - thanks for sharing your tips!!!

    farty girl- it's been keeping me dry until the other day - just my left pit got a little sweaty but not smelly. i was really hot and i think it had something to do with the material of my shirt. i don't mind a little sweat though, as long as i'm not offending anyone with my b.o.!=)

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  17. oh, mindy, i should have mentioned that i've read lavender has many benefits for the skin, like stimulating cell growth and balancing the production of oil. i also really like the smell.=)

    so sorry to hear about your cats, and thank you so much for telling me about the raw pet food. i found a pet store right by me that sells nature's variety!=)

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  18. Hi Kelli. I like to just use a combination of baking soda, cornstarch and mint. It's basically a deodorant powder. It works really well for me, but I can't use it while wearing a black tank, if you know what I mean.

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