//diy deodorant — mia lauren

This post is actually a few weeks past due! We have been moving (another blog post on that later!), we are living out of boxes, and life has just been nuts. I have been using this deodorant for almost three weeks now, so I can definitely give you my honest opinion on its effectiveness!!

As most of our society does, I have been using deodorant since adolescence....I was super excited to buy that first lime green Teen Spirit "Caribbean Cool" or sparkly purple "Berry Blossom". As I got older, wiser, and more mature, I graduated to Secret deodorant, with the goals of"powder" fresh and sweat free. I've used it daily, sometimes more than once a day, for as long as I can remember!!

Well, when I became pregnant and started "cleaning" up our house of toxic products, I discovered deodorant was one of those stinky subjects people don't like to talk about - see what I did there?

What we aren't really told, mainly because there aren't enough studies being done on these subjects (yet), is that deodorant contains toxic chemicals. Chemicals like aluminum and parabens - which have both been linked to breast cancer, propylene glycol - a neurotoxin that's been possibly linked to kidney damage, silica - a skin irritant, and many other several other no-good ingredients.

If its not clear yet, I am not a doctor or a scientist, and I don't claim to be....so I definitely urge you to do your own research and find out about the effects and decide for yourself. My thought process is - if I have a 10 out of 10 chance to get cancer, and can reduce it down to 4 out of 10, why wouldn't I take that step to protect myself and my family? That's just me!

And ergo....enter natural deodorant. Now, I've been doing a lot of research, and a friend told me about this recipe from E ssentially Ally.

So....using a natural deodorant is just different, first and foremost. If you are contemplating making a change, ANYTIME you are switching to something without those toxins, please know that you body will go through several weeks of transition, and it will start getting rid of some of those chemicals that have built up in your system. This could potentially look like extra sweat or unpleasant body odor with deodorant....with face wash or face lotion, this could result in potential breakout. This does not mean, it's not working, or its not effective. Just give it time to let your body adjust before making that decision. You can read a great article by Refinery 29 about it here.

So, let's start with the ingredients.

1/3 cup coconut oil (which I already had in my pantry)
3 Tbs. Beeswax pellets
2 Tbs. Shea butter
1/3 cup Arrowroot powder (I use Bob's Red Mill, found at Trader Joe's; also already in my pantry)
2 Tbs. baking soda
10-15 drops of essential oil (I used 7 drops dōTERRA lavender, 8 drops dōTERRA lemon - feel free to be creative on your combinations!)

You'll also want some deodorant containers to pour your creation into! This recipe makes RIGHT about two full deodorants.

Next, the process:

First, you're going to put the coconut, beeswax, and shea in a small saucepan

Over low heat, stir continuously until it's melted all the way through! No lumps!

(sorry about the water stains - yuck haha).

Slowly add in the arrowroot flower, a little bit at a time, while continuing to sir, until it's all mixed in at a smooth consistency.

At this point, you'll put in the drops of essential oils into the mix and then pour into the deodorant containers. I would make sure the mixture isn't too hot when you're pouring in. You obviously don't want the mixture to harden, but keep stirring just a bit until the mixture cools off. If it's too hot when you're pouring it in, it will seep RIGHT through the containers...not that I'm speaking from experience or anything!

And voila! Super easy, it honestly took MAYBE ten minutes once I got all the ingredients together!

So my review:
Cons:

Biggest downside to this deodorant...since it does have coconut oil, it gets "wet" fast. I'm not a huge fan of that, because it tends to make a mess.
No chemicals mean it's not an antiperspirant, so it's not going to clog any pores to stop you from sweating. That's a little weird, to be honest, and it took a minute to adjust to.

Pros:

Chemical free, duh!
It goes a long way. This recipe makes two deodorant canisters, and since you only need a small amount every day, this recipe should last you several months.
No skin irritation. I used to deal with painful/raw underarms at least once or twice a month and I have yet to experience that!
No stinky smell - now, again, I'm not getting that powder fresh smell, but I don't smell bad throughout the day. At the end of the day, I may need to reapply, but I honestly contribute that to my RAGING hormones right now.

Overall, I've really enjoyed using this deodorant! I have found a few other recipes that I would like to try in the future so I will keep you updated!!