A few years ago I made the switch to a natural deodorant. The switch was going great until I started to develop red marks and a light rash on my arm pits. I had no idea what was causing it until someone mention that I probably have an underarm sensitivity.
Apparently, many people have the same sensitivity to baking-soda so I tried to find a recipe online that didn’t use a lot of baking soda. And I found a GREAT one and I loved it for months and months. I still love it…however, the underarm sensitivity returned even though this recipe uses a very small amount.
So, my quest continued and I found this recipe that uses magnesium oil and essential oils. I never knew magnesium oil could help with underarm stink! We had some magnesium oil laying around the house so I tried it and SURE ENOUGH it’s been working great! However, I love a “stick-based” deodorant and decided to formulate a recipe that is baking-soda free, yet uses magnesium oil.
Note: Magnesium oil isn’t technically an oil so it won’t leave your pits oily…yuck! It has a SUPER low PH which is very helpful at keeping stink at bay…plus you get a nice boost of magnesium which we all need! Some people experience a tingling when they apply magnesium on their skin. No worries — many feel this during the first few applications, especially if you are a little low in magnesium.
A few more things:
- I use raw shea butter which is yellow. You can use a lighter shea butter or cacao butter.
- I find that giving my underarms a spray with magnesium oil while getting out of the shower helps a ton with odor! I then apply this Baking Soda Free Deodorant recipe. You can also make a apple cider vinegar spray to use before you apply your homemade deodorant! If you workout and sweat alot, I would highly recommend a pre-squirt of magnesium oil or apple cider vinegar.
- TEXTURE – this is not like store-bought deodorant. The texture is more “wet” but will absorb quickly into your skin. Also, if you are using this deodorant recipe in a area with hot climate or in the summer, then you will want to put it in a small jar and scoop it out with your fingers.
Baking Soda Free Deodorant:
Makes one full bar if using a recycled deodorant stick!
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 Tablespoons of Magnesium Oil (where to buy)
- 2 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil (where to buy)
- 2 Tablespoons of Raw Shea Butter (where to buy) or Cacao Butter
- 2 Tablespoons of Arrowroot Powder (where to buy)
- 2 Tablespoons of Bentonite Clay (where to buy)
- 5-8 Drops of Melaleuca Essential Oil (where to buy)
- 5-8 Drops of Geranium, Lavender, Lemon, Ylang Ylang, or Thyme (where to buy) – these essential oils pair well with Melaleuca and offer a nice fragrance
SUPPLIES NEEDED:
- Wide Mouth Mason Jar
- Immersion Blender (where to buy)
- Small Glass storage container or Recycled Deodorant Tube
DIRECTIONS:
- Melt the coconut oil and shea butter in a double boiler. I stick the coconut oil and shea butter in a wide-mouth mason jar and put the mason jar in a pot of simmering water. Remove from heat when melted.
- Mix in the arrowroot and clay into the wet mixture with an immersion blender. I find the immersion blender necessary in properly mixing the oils and solids together and creating “emulsification”.
- Let cool for about 15 minutes. You may see some liquid rise to the top….that’s ok. We have one more mix!
- Ever so slowly pour in the magnesium oil while mixing with the immersion blender and mix until the mixture becomes creamy. This means you have properly emulsified the mixture.
- Add in your essential oils and mix and then blend again.
- Immediately pour into a small glass jar or a recycled deodorant tube.
- Allow to cool for a few hours before capping. If you are eager to use it, toss it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes!
- Slap on a pretty label and you got yourself a nourishing bar of deodorant that works great!
i have the same problem with baking soda. I even purchased a brand that uses just a small amt & still experience sensitivity. I wanted to know if dryness is an issue. Do your underarms stay wet because there is no baking soda or does the magnesium help with that.
The magnesium helps a lot with that and so does the arrowroot and clay.
Jackie, does the deoderant pictured have clay in it?
Yes it does. There is bentonite clay in this recipe.
My deodorant came out much darker than the one pictured and is clumps more rather than is creamy. What did I do wrong?
I just made this and mine came out much darker than the picture and had the same clumpy chalky consistency and wasn’t creamy at all
Does this recipe keep you dry since it doesn’t have baking soda?
Yes it does because of the arrowroot and the clay.
Hi Jackie! I’m excited to try this! Does it leave stains or white residue on your clothes?
Hello
Does this melt or get soft in the summer heat?….is it possible to email me your answer? TY…:)
IT could get soft in the heat.
The essential oils that you add (excluding the Melaleuca) is the recipes stating 5-8 drops of any of these oils such as Geranium or Lavender etc or is the recipe stating 5-8 drops of each of these oils?
It’s 5-8 drops of just one of those options
Mine turns dark brown when I use clay. What gives?
It’s a tiny amount of clay so it won’t turn that dark.
I used the amount of clay in the recipe and mine turned dark brown too. Hoping it will lighten when it cools? Otherwise I think I did something wrong. 🙁
I doubt you did anything wrong. And it doesn’t matter the color. It still works great and some clay might be lighter than other clay. Depends on where you purchase it from
Jackie,
I purchased the clay that comes up when you click on the where to buy link and my deodorant was dark as well. I don’t mind it but others seem to so what clay do you purchase to not have it come out dark??? Thank you in advance.
Hello, I use another natural deo recipe with baking soda and but it stains my clothes yellow, and I am not able to wear any white clothes because of it. I don’t mind-because the trade off is worth it, however do you find this recipe stains clothing and in particular whites? Thanks!
I don’t wear a lot of white tops cause we have a farm and white does not mix well! But, I’ve never noticed any staining on any of my clothes.
I have made this recipe and I just love it! I tried the all natural deodorant with baking soda and it felt like using sand paper on my tender area, arm pits. I didn’t like the dark color of the clay, so the second time I made this, I used DMAE instead of the clay and I like it much better. The clay worked just fine, I just didn’t want it to be that color. But this recipe is wonderful, thank you for sharing it. Recently my husband and I took a road trip, he forgot his deodorant. So he used my homemade, and he loved it! I was very happy about that!
Did you mean DME for diatomaceous earth? Because DMAE is something entirely different
I can’t wait to try this! Magnesium has been on my radar, and give my underarm rash that started a few weeks ago, it might be time to ditch the paste I’ve been using (which includes baking soda). Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
I have everything geared up to make this recipe, but I have a few clarifying questions first. The first set of instructions have me melting the coconut oil and shea butter twice. Basically I am pouring the melted oil and butter into a mason jar to melt them again? Next, how do you clean your immersion blender once done? I have tried using other kitchen tools when making lotion and I still have a film on everything I used. Thank you!
I recommend keeping an immersion blender that you only use for making things like this.
It would be helpful if you posted this tip in the main directions. I just made a batch and I’m having a hard time getting it off my stuff. :/
I use gloves and alcohol to get the film off my stuff, works great! Nothing else I tried to get it off worked.
This looks great and I’m gearing up to make a batch tomorrow. Question: Can I basically use any type of clay for this to work – for instance Moroccan red clay powder?
Thanks so much, and I’ll let you know how this goes 🙂
What is the difference using arrowroot powder or cornstarch in making deodorant. 🙂 Thanks!
I don’t know what Jackie’s reasons for using arrowroot were, but I always use it instead of cornstarch in my recipes b/c I’ve read from multiple places cornstarch can lead to yeast infections, and most of it is GMO.
Hi! I’m so excited to try this! I too get the b.s. rash and I know I’m magnesium deficient due to medication I’m on. But I’m wondering how many tubes this makes? I would like to make enough for friends and family to try 🙂 Thank you!
Mine would not come together at all. Not sure what I did wrong. Tried twice and all it came out to be was a grainy mess. Bentonite clay made it look like baby poop, so not sure what kind of clay you are using or if there are different kinds of bentonite clay. Would love to see a recent pic of some that you made up. So bummed. Magnesium oil is like gold. This was a waste 🙁 I’ll stick to using magnesium oil neat with some essential oils.
There are different types of Bentonite clay. A good quality Bentonite should be a grey/cream color. Here’s a link to a good one. https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/products/bentonite-clay/profile
I tried this recipe. I didn’t have an immersion blender so I just whisked it really well. While it was setting I saw that the oils were rising to the top, so I mixed it in… though after it set in the fridge and I took it out to use it, the texture was heterogeneous. Some of it would congeal into this rubbery, plastic-like sticky stuff and some of it was runny and slimy like coconut & magnesium oils. The rubbery stuff would all clump together when I applied it to my underarms rather than spreading out over the skin.
What happened? Did I not emulsify it completely? Should I not have stirred it after it had already started to set?
That’s a good question I’d love to know the answer to as well. I saw the same thing happening and that’s when I pulled out my immersion blender. I poured the mixture into a deoderant tube quickly and out it in the fridge… Hoping it sets up ok in there.
Hey Rheannon, did it work after you immersion-blended it, or did it still take on that clumpy/greasy texture?
Did you use a metal whisk??? I’m going to try using silicone whisk in the next couple days, as I had the same issue with the immersion blender. I believe bentonite clay reacts with metal.
Silicone whisk would be best!
i don’t believe the picture shown of this deodorant is actually from this recipe. I used a very light tan clay and still the deoderant was very dark gray. It would not spread on my underarms without making a mess. I threw it away and I am really disappointed that I wasted the ingredients. I followed the recipe exactly as stated.
I am also having problems. I used the clay and the shea butter from the link provided. The final product looks like ground beef! 🙂 I thought it over mixed with the immersion blender until I read that someone else had a similar issue from whisking. It’s still cooling, so I’m going to see if it still works. I’m afraid it is too separated though. If you have any ideas as to what happened, I’d love to hear them. Thanks in advance!
Mine turned out looking like ground beef too! Did you ever solve that problem?
Can I use tea tree to kill the bacteria instead of the other oil?
Hi! is this safe for children/girls under 10 years? thanks in advance!
Hello. I made this last night and its still super runny.. Could I have done something wrong? I double checked all my ingredients? I’m gonna try it out today anyways though.
Can I use cornstarch in place of the arrowroot?
You sure can!
For those having difficulties, I have made this a few times now and have figured out a few things: First, an immersion blender is definitely needed to get this well emulsified. To clean it well afterwards, rinse it right away in boiling/very hot water and wipe off as much residue as possible. Soap and water should take care of the rest. Alcohol works well, too for the residue, if needed. Second, if you heat shea butter too high or for too long it will become grainy. Keep your heat low and slow to avoid the grainy texture and take it off the heat as SOON as everything is completely melted. Third, yes, it is quite pasty, not firm like “regular” deodorant. To combat that, try adding some beeswax. I’m still working out my own ratios but I’d recommend starting with at least 1 TBSP of beeswax for a more solid consistency. It will likely take more than that for it to be more like the solids you’re used to. Hope this helps some of you out! 🙂
could I apply this deo. after shaving or not?
Unless you have really sensitive skin, it should be fine to apply after shaving.
Have you tried adding beeswax to make it firmer?
Will this work without the clay?
I made this recipe & had to use magnesium gel because I couldnt’ find magnesium oil locally. I also added in an extra tbsp of the arrowroot & magnesium gel & it worked better for me to stop smells from happening. 🙂 One thing I found is that when I spread the deodorant on my skin it tends to pill. Anyone else experience this? I’m wondering what is making it pill? The bentonite clay? When I finish this batch I’m going to try without bentonite clay.
I found that using essential oils, such as eucalyptus, will kill the bacteria that causes body odor.
One thing that I haven’t seen mentioned is that bentonite clay should not come into contact with metal…which means no immersion blender (unless there is one with plastic parts). I too was having problems with pilling. I suspected that it was the Arrowroot and decreased the amount of it and the pilling stopped.
I tried this recipe and it turned out very runny and impossible to spread. I threw out everything. Plus the clay cannot come in touch with metal and that is not taken into consideration.
Do you have to use the essential oils? Are you able to use beeswax or Diatomaceous earth instead of the clay? Thank you
I made the deodorant but it is more of a paste that is chunky. Any suggestion on how to make it more of a solid? Seems to keep the smell away for most of the day.
Hello! I make my own deodorant with my own recipe. I was thinking of adding magnesium oil.
Magnesium oil (homemade i know for sure which is what i do) is mostly just water and magnesium flakes.
I am concerned by this because oil and water separate. So how do I prevent the water magnesium mixture and the coconut oil from separating?
Thanks so much,
Amber 🙂
Also i use kaolin clay. I know bentonite clay should not come in contact with metal. Does this include magnesium?
Found some research on magnesium and the clay! I think it is safe!
First the clay contains magnesium! Along with amny other minerals.
“When combined with magnesium, the clay has been shown to benefit the purity of tap water, which leads to some promising possibilities for using it in the future as a widespread cost-effective water purification method.” So i feel they compliment each other?
Here is my source. https://draxe.com/10-bentonite-clay-benefits-uses/
I just finished making a batch. Mine turned out dark, like many have mentioned, but also it is very runny. I haven’t not even added the magnesium oil yet. Any ideas what happened? Thanks
Two possibilities is that either you were using the oils in a too warm climate (thus they were liquifiying) or there was a problem with the emulsifying.
What is the purpose of the coconut oil? The shea butter is the carrier for th EO’s, why add oil?
Hi paleomama,
This recipe looks great, but given all the comments and concerns, I was wondering if it was possible to use beeswax instead of the bentonite clay. I live in Jamaica, so I’m pretty concerned about having sticky runny deodorant.
Any thoughts would be groovy.
🌻
Hi, I have underarm odour problem puberty. I used to apply underarm deodorant till I discovered Bergamot oil. It prevents the growth of germs that cause body odour. One my first application, my underarm odour is gone. I have been using it since for about 4 months now. On days I am home, I did not apply any product but still smell fine. The only inconvenience is that it is light sensitive. You can find more information at Dr Axe’s website, https://draxe.com/bergamot-oil/
Hi I just made this following recipe to a T and after setup I apply to underarms and the clay was pilling. What did I do wrong??? I feel like I’ve wasted all these ingredients (some kind of expensive)! Help!!
I’m sorry Rochelle! Im not sure what happened. Maybe the magnesium didn’t emulsify with the solid ingredients well enough.