"Mom! Smell my armpits! I'm smelly! I need deodorant!"
"Ew. No thank you. Are you sure you need deodorant? I don't smell anything."
"I'm sure! All my friends already wear it!"
My ten-year-old is the opposite of me when it comes to rites of passages like wearing deodorant. When I was ten, I liked being girly sometimes, but I loved the fact that I was the fastest, tallest, and strongest kid in my class, even compared to the boys. Nation ball was my favorite. I was the best; always picked first and out last. My, was I proud of that. The deodorant convo between my mom and I happened more like this:
I just got in the car after winning a rad game of Nation.
Mom: "Oh my gosh, Katie. It's time for you to wear deodorant."
Me: "What? I don't smell anything."
Mom: "Well I do. Big time."
Me: Grumbling sounds.
I've become a bit more self-aware and realize when certain deodorants don't work. Which is just about every natural, non-toxic kind out there. As a last effort before reverting back to toxic anti-persperant for the sake of mankind, I tried making my own stuff. I had serious doubts, but it worked. Even though it only takes a few minutes to make, I couldn't get myself to make it while I was pregnant. Big mistake. Sorry, humanity.
My daughter's newfound excitement about deodorant encouraged me to whip up a new batch of the homemade goodness. Our pits are very porous and absorb whatever you put on them, so staying away from anything with aluminum, and even lots of "natural" deodorants (that may contain parabens, phthalates, propylene glycol, and other toxins) is really beneficial to our health. Tea tree oil lends it's anti-fungal, antimicrobial, antibacterial properties to keep us clean and smell-free. This recipe is especially quick to make in the summertime when the coconut oil is already liquified.
Homemade Deodorant
Makes about 1 cup
- 1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
- 3/4 cup baking soda
- 4 drops tea tree oil
- 12 drops essential oil of choice (I recommend lavender, lemongrass, tangerine, eucalyptus, or cinnamon oils)
- If coconut oil is solid, melt it on very low heat. Mix in baking soda. Add tea tree oil and other essential oil of choice. Mix well. Pour into a glass jar and place a lid on it for storage, or clean out an old deodorant container and pour your mixture into that. If storing it in a deodorant container, unless your house is cooler than 74º, keep it in the refrigerator so it solidifies. If storing it in a bowl, apply using fingertips.
I'm sharing this at Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter.
