Monday, July 23, 2012

The Great Homemade Deodorant Experiment of 2012, Part 1


For so very many years now, we’ve been hearing about the dangers of commercial deodorants. Research has shown that daily use of deodorants containing aluminum and parabens can increase our risk of cancer… yikes! Seems like a very good reason to skip our traditional deodorant and try out something natural, right? Yet somehow, although I’ve removed most all other chemical personal care items from my life, I was hesitant to give up my old deodorant, for fear that I’d end up stinky and embarrassed. I did try switching to Tom’s of Maine natural deodorant once, but it made me break out in a rash with the first use. Damn sensitive skin! So I switched back, because at the time my desire for sweet-smelling and rash-free pits won over my chemical fears. No, I am not proud of this vanity! But now, finally, a good 10-15 years after I first heard of the dangers of deodorant, I finally decided to take the plunge, and give up traditional deodorant for good!

Now, let me just begin by telling you that I embarked on this little experiment during the month of July in New England, when temps were in the 80’s to upper 90’s! It was quite a chance to take, but I figured if I could find something that kept me fresh in this weather, it had to be good, right? Also, it happened to just be when I ran out of my regular stuff. So… The Man of the House agreed to support me in this adventure, and promised to (very nicely, of course) let me know if things got… unpleasant. So the experiment began!

Day 1: I found a recipe online which looked easy…plus, I already had all the ingredients on hand (Hello, Simple Living Shopping List!) This particular recipe was made with baking soda, corn starch, Coconut oil and essential oil. I mixed it all per the instructions, but the consistency wasn’t quite what it was supposed to be (very gloppy!) but I assume that’s mostly because it’s been so hot here that the coconut oil is all melty and liquidy. Still, I think next batch I might try using less oil, to see if that makes it a little thicker and less messy.

So, I poured the gloppy deodorant mixture into a little jar, and put some on, using my fingertips (much messier than my old stick) and waited to if it kept me from getting stinky.

End of Day 1: Still smelled good! Though, The Man of the House was already tired of hearing me ask, “Do I stink?” He reassured me multiple times that I smelled just fine… Bless him!

Day 2:  When I opened the jar this morning, I noticed that the oil had separated a little bit from the solid, but I just stirred it back up and put some on again. It was 90-plus degrees, and my pits were fresh smelling all day! Dare I say, I felt like it might have worked even better  than my regular deodorant?!

Day 3: Same as Day 2… except… Uh oh! I noticed my left armpit stung a bit! Hoping it was just some razor irritation, and not from the deodorant! Also… I went for a run in 80+ degree weather today… very sweaty, but no stinkiness!

Day 5: Razor irritation is gone, and armpits are feeling good and smelling good! Still not thrilled with how messy and gloppy this stuff is, though. Going to try tweaking the recipe and making a new batch.

As of today, I still haven’t gotten around to making that second batch! (Been very busy with Birthday Celebrating, and taking care of some work stuff!) But I plan to get to it this week, and will post the results. Meanwhile, I'm still using the gloppy batch, and still feelin' good! 

Happy Monday, Everyone!

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