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DIY Detoxifying Deodorant
These homemade bentonite clay deodorant bars are simple to make and super effective! They are free of baking soda and coconut oil, as some find those ingredients irritating, but still moisturizing with jojoba oil and cocoa/shea butter. Add essential oils for a unique scent! The bentonite clay helps to absorb toxins for overall wellness.
Homemade Bentonite Clay Deodorant Bars
Store-bought deodorants can contain toxins like aluminum, parabens, triclosan and SLS.* These toxins easily absorb into our skin and wreak havoc on our bodies.
Homemade deodorant is free from these toxins and therefore so much healthier for our overall wellness.
If you have a nursling, I highly recommend making your own deodorant since the dangerous ingredients in store-bought may absorb into your breastmilk - and baby's little hands also make their way into momma's armpits.
Armpit Detox
This deodorant bar recipe calls for natural ingredients like arrowroot powder, jojoba oil, cocoa butter, and beeswax to prevent stinky armpits (and also moisturize your skin!)
The bentonite clay will help detox your armpits and absorb toxins that are leaving your body.
While you can use this deodorant at any time, it's a good idea to use it when you are switching from a store-bought deodorant to get rid of all the toxins in the area.
You'll find that this homemade deodorant is free from baking soda and coconut oil. For some people, these ingredients are irritating and drying. Count me as one of those people!
* (Read more about why store bought deodorant is horrible for us.)
Making Deodorant Bar Designs
When I used to make and sell soap bars, I loved creating designs on my bars using stamps and other items.
If you decide to gift these, your lucky recipient will be impressed anyways but even more impressed if they look pretty, too!
To make a design on your deodorant bar, remove a rubber stamp from the wood and place the stamp design-side up in your mold. Simply pour the mixture into the mold. When it solidifies, pop the bar out of the mold, and gently remove the stamp using your fingernails or a knife.
You can also find acrylic stamps at craft stores that are not attached to a wood piece to make this even easier.
How to Store:
- I choose to store mine in the fridge in a glass container to lessen the residue that I get on my fingers. However, this deodorant bar recipe makes for a fairly solid bar even sitting at room temperature. This will depend on how warm or humid your house gets.
- You can also pour the mixture while it's warm into an old deodorant tube (great way to upcycle!)
Important note: Always use glass, plastic, or wooden utensils, bowls and storage while working with bentonite clay. Contact with metal may cause the bentonite clay to absorb those metal elements and less of the toxins found in your armpits/body.
This deodorant bar recipe was inspired by Simple Life Mom.
Are you looking for more ways to improve your holistic health? Check out 5 Simple Steps to Improve Your Holistic Health
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons bentonite clay powder
- ½ cup arrowroot powder
- ⅓ cup jojoba oil
- ½ cup cocoa butter - - or shea butter
- ⅔ cup beeswax*
- Optional: 5-10 drops essential oil for scent
Instructions
- Mix together the bentonite clay and arrowroot powder in a bowl.
- In a small pot over low heat on the stove, melt together the jojoba oil, cocoa (or shea) butter, and beeswax. As soon as the beeswax is melted, pull from the heat.
- Pour the melted mixture into the bentonite clay and arrowroot powder. Add essential oils if desired.
- Stir, working quickly before the mixture hardens.
- Pour the deodorant bar mixture into molds. Muffin tins or soap molds work great.
- Set the molds aside to let them set until no longer liquid. Then, move to the fridge to completely solidify for 2-3 hours.
- Remove the bars from the molds and store in the fridge in a container.
- For use: Simply the deodorant bar on your armpit like you would a deodorant stick and place back into the fridge.
Notes
Hayley says
Try mixing in food grade diatomaceous earth, it works well for me and it didn't irritate one bit.
Patience says
I’ve made other deodorants. This one has too much. Red wax and almost blocks me sweating. Which isn’t what I’m looking for. I personally would cut the beeswax down and add baking soda to this recipe. I added vanilla powder. I don’t like essential oils.
Hailey says
Hi, I like the look of the ingredients but I don't see how I can make this recipe without more precise measurements. I buy my beeswax in a block, how much is 2/3 of a cup would greatly depend on what you used to grate it unless you use the pellets (mine comes out of the hive instead of a bag) Same issue with the butter measurement as well. Unless you meant to melt them down first and measure out the liquid??? I really want to try this, breast cancer is only a matter of time in my world. My Mother, Grand Mother and all my Aunts have had breast cancer. Please help
Karissa says
Hi, Hailey. Unfortunately, I don't make these deodorant bars anymore. But when I did, my measurements were never incredibly precise. I'm sorry I cannot be of more help. I now use Corpus Naturals deodorant https://corpusnaturals.com/
Louise Malcolmson says
hailey -i looked the measurements up -i think on a baking measurement conversion site or something. i think the jojoba was 60ml when converted. 1/2 cup was 65g, 2/3 cup is 85g etc
Danielle says
I just made this for the first time. First time making anything really. I have a couple of questions, Do you use the cocoa butter that smells like chocolate? And how in the world do you get it off the bowl when you are finished? I can't get it off to save my life.
Karissa says
Yes, it smells like chocolate. Soaking the bowl in hot water helps.
Dani says
Thank you for the answers to my questions. Unfortunately this deodorant doesn't work for me. I really hate having to go back to the poison stuff. I have tried several kinds of natural deodorants and the ones with baking soda work very well but irritating my underarms is an understatement. Back to hunting. Thanks again