My Armpits: The itch. That stink! The SOLUTION! Part 2.
Written by Helga
Friday, 15 January 2010 11:13
OK. Where did I leave off?
Oh, yes. I was stinking up the place.
Off I headed to Whole Foods once again, the nearest store with the most natural, chemical-free options. There is a whole slew of natural deodorant options. The Crystal natural mineral salt deo. The Crystal helps to neutralize the bacteria that feeds off of your sweat, thus cutting down odor. (That’s how most all of the natural deodorants work, by trying to neutralize bacteria.) Tom’s of Maine’s line also works the same way, by using natural ingredients to reduce bacteria. I went with Tom’s of Maine Lavender scented Long Lasting care stick. It claims to work for 12 hours.
Try two hours. Maybe three, tops. I’m sorry, Tom, but I have to tell it like it is. My pits were ripe and nowhere near a field of lavender after a couple of hours. I was using this product in September & October, not too hot and not too cold here in New England, under normal circumstances. Cleaning house or raking the yard, it didn’t matter. I was disappointed. I love the Tom’s of Maine line and what that company stands for – and I know that it must work for somebody.
So I went back for another try. I was standing there staring at all these natural deodorants. They offered a plethora of organic natural ingredients: hemp, tea tree oil, organic essence oils like lavender. Pure plant and seed oils. Name it. There was a very crunchy 
granola looking employee working in that section. You know how Whole Foods has their employees who are trained and knowledgeable about their supplements, beauty products, etc. She approached me and asked if she could help. *Sniff sniff* She didn’t stink. Maybe she could clue me in.
“Have you tried any of these deodorants? I’m allergic to the regular stuff. I tried Tom’s but, you know…I was having to clean my pits and re-apply several times a day.”
She nodded her head and looked sympathetic. And very quietly said:
“They are all kinda that way. I’ve tried most of them myself. You just have to get used to cleaning and reapplying a few times a day.”
WHAT?! No way. I must have looked taken aback, she pulled a Nature’s Gate deo off the shelf and said “This one isn’t bad” I don’t want to start a collection of half-ass deodorants in my house. She tells me that Whole Foods, bless their hearts, would take it back even if I used it. My used deo? Yup. They take back most everything. Folks have returned dead floral arrangements and have gotten their money back. Nice policy. Because within 2 weeks I returned the Nature’s gate.
I still had the stick of Tom’s, not having kept my receipt. so I started to swipe tea tree oil on it then putting it on. That helped extend the protection a bit, but not too much. Tea tree oil has anti-bacterial properties. But it still wasn’t enough for me.
Then one day while cleaning my bathroom with vinegar and baking soda, it occurred to me to dip the Tom’s stick into the baking soda.
The heavens sang. Angels wept. Glory be, it worked. And it worked well. No kidding. The baking soda really knocked out odor. I did NOT stink all day. Nope. I put this one to the test over and over with great success. Yes, it leaves some white stuff on the inside of 
your shirt but who cares? It even helped with some of the wetness.
After getting online and checking it out, many people have figured this one out. There seems to be a question of aluminum in baking soda, so I bought Bob’s Red Mill organic baking soda. never hurts to be safe.
Then I started to poke around some more online. And I found Simple Mom. One of my new favorite places to land when sussing out advice on a whole host of topics. I clicked on the Green & Frugal living link to find just the article I was looking for on homemade deodorant and the reasons behind why we should avoid deos with parabens. Parabens are linked to cancer. See the FDA page on this here.
So I decided to try the recipe she provided. A mixture of Barlean’s virgin coconut oil, which is solid (a favorite of mine that you will see in 
many future posts) that I already had on hand, baking soda, and cornstarch. Virgin coconut oil anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and antiseptic properties. Mashed all together, and smooshed it onto an old deodorant container. Let it set. Next time I went to use it, bingo. That was the ticket. Easy to use.
Please note that coconut oil does start to melt at 76 degrees Fahrenheit. So in the warmer months in will be stored in the fridge. I also recommend putting it on and letting it absorb into the skin & drying a bit before putting on clothes. I noticed a tiny bit of oiliness on my shirts unless I let it dry first. Then, it was no problem. (I usually wear cotton shirts, nothing fancy. I don’t know if it would rub off and leave an oily mark on other fabrics. Let me know how it works for you.) I also have a container of baking soda and cornstarch in my bathroom cabinet with an old makeup brush. I dip the brush in and swipe a bit more on my pits, in addition to the coconut oil stick, if it’s going to be a particularly sweaty busy day. It even helps with wetness. I know this stuff works for me. I can be pee-yew free for a couple of days. How do I know?
Because I don’t bathe every day.
Helga, Live Green Mom, have you gone too far? You don’t cleanse yourself on a daily basis?
Until next time, folks, when I defend myself. Stay with me!
*SUMMER UPDATE* July 7th, 2010
I’ve been using my home made deodorant now since January. Now, I know it is easy to say it works well in cold weather, but how about in the hot summertime? I have no air conditioning and we have had a heat wave here on the east coast this past week. I am thrilled to report that this deodorant has stood up to my sweatiest & grimiest activities, from running around all day outside with the kids or mowing the lawn (with my Fiskars Momentum Push reel mower!) to cleaning the house, all while dripping with sweat. No stinky pits here, I even made my husband (bless his heart!) give me the sniffing over to make sure. You know how sometimes you can’t smell yourself. Maybe that’s only when you have bad breath. Whatever. To remind you, you do need to get used to having sweaty pits, this does not prevent sweating, but you don’t want to prevent sweaty pits. Your pits sweat for a reason, to help cool you down and move toxins out of your body. It took me a while but not too long to adjust to this. AND this deo does melt at 76 degrees, so do not make the mistake I made and forget about it in your medicine cabinet when it gets warm outside. What a mess! I keep it in the fridge, quite refreshing. Another note: if you think you are an extra smelly person and you might need some extra odor protection sometimes, you can dab on some tea tree oil first, then the home made deo. Tea tree oil is an anti-fungal, anti-microbial that will give you that extra layer of confidence should you need it. Now, I do not recommend this every day, since tea tree oil is strong and can be an irritant to skin. It can sting if you have just shaved, too. Health hazards that might come from using tea tree oil on your armpits for prolonged periods of time are still being studied. I have used it a few times and it works fabulously!
Anyone else tried this recipe? Would love to know how it worked for you!
I use the same recipe you do, although I also add a few drops of lavender oil when I make it. I have been loving it for months now. I also use a powder puff with baking soda and cornstarch sometimes on top of the oily stuff if I am worried about it getting clothes oily (powder is much easier to brush off!) but I haven’t tried tea tree oil yet. Thanks for sharing your ongoing success with us–doesn’t it feel great to know you found a truly natural solution?
I hadn’t thought of lavender oil! That’s a super idea, because I love lavender oil. Can’t take a bath without it! I do love that something natural can be effective. I love hearing that it works for others, too. Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to read and comment!
Oh, I found you through a twitter link and I must say I love this post. I have been searching aimlessly for something to use instead of traditional deodorant for quite some time (i’ve used the crystal, toms, jasons and I keep switching between those and traditionals). Thanks for doing the leg work for me. The more I read the more I find coconut oil is good for everything!