Deoderant base/EO question

[boyago]

So I thought I'd try making my own stick deodorant so I found a recipe online and whipped it up. The recipe was
3 Tbs Coconut oil
2 Tbs beeswax
2 Tbs baking soda
2 Tbs Arrow root
and It called for Tea Tree and Lavendar EO

I didn't have any Tea Tree or Lavendar but someone had given me some some "Jasmin Scented oil" It is an Aromatherapy oil that eludes to being an EO but does not say so directly. It's from a company called Now Personal Care. It was my first try and it is okay. The base is a little grabby on the skin and hair and after a couple months of using it I have broken out a little rash that clears up in a day or two. I suspect the oil but does anybody have any suggestions for EOs? A basic base recipe to fiddle with? Anything for an absolute beginner?

 

[Miz Jenny]

The rash may be from the e.o. or baking soda. I'd be concerned about the beeswax clogging pores. I use coconut oil, arrowroot, very small amount baking soda, touch of fragrance oil and keep it in a jar.

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[lsg]

Certain essential oils act as antimicrobials, a fragrance oil will not do anything except make the deodorant smell good. You can do that using essential oils. Lavender essential oil is mild and acts as an antimicrobial. Lavender e.o. is usually available at local health food stores.
Try substituting cornstarch for the baking soda in a very small batch. If you can't get access to essential oils, but have dried rosemary, try infusing the coconut oil with the dried rosemary.

 

[cmzaha]

I use 2% neem oil in my deodorant sticks. I also use beeswax and have noticed no problems with the beeswax. Have been using this formula for 3 months and love it. My eo blend is lemongrass,I use lavender & tea tree. I use 8.5% Cornstarch & Kaolin Clay with 2.7 % baking soda. Kokum, Shea, Castor, SAO and PKO are the oils I use.

 

[freyacat]

Gotta love making your first product. it's addictive eh?

Like the others have said, it's likely the baking soda as it causes rashes for lots of people. I use a recipe with zinc oxide in it which works very well and I find is more effective for me than clay or other substitutions.

It is more of a cream and has coconut oil, beeswax, cocoa butter, arrrowroot, zinc oxide, a smidge of baking soda and lavender and tea tree oils

With your recipe, to make it less grabby, try cutting down to 1 tbls beeswax and add in 1tbls hard butter like cocoa butter.
You could also try 2tbls zinc oxide instead of the baking soda

The essential oils are there for their antibacterial qualities and imo essential.
If you don't like lavender or tea tree, try rosemary or eucalyptus.

Good luck and please report back how you go.

 

[Miz Jenny]

No problems with the extra oils staining clothes? I've been using mine for several months and love, but the stick would be a bit mmore convenient, especially for traveling. I'll use beeswax and add a bit of tea tree sweet orange e.o.'s to the mix.

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[PinkCupcake]

I used a homemade deodorant from a friend that had a large amount of baking soda, and it set my underarms on fire!! I have been reluctant to try homemade deodorants ever since.

 

[PippiL]

Love my homemade deodorant.
My recipe
beeswax
coconut oil
calendula,chamomile infused olive oil
shea butter
mango butter
cocoa butter
and essential oils
I just made a deodorant using NG FO's and didn't realize,what a small amount I can use.I should have checked it out first.
You can only use .2%.
I use way to much and have to throw the batch away

 

[boyago]

For deodorant recipes are the %s being described from total weight including the powders, wax and butters?

 

[lsg]

I haven't seen the recipes you are referring to, but most with the recipes I have seen the percentage means percent of the total weight.

 

[dreadhead]

Personally I don't like either baking soda or wax in my deo and it took me a long time to found a recipe I liked, but when I did, I never went to back something else. My is without oils. Just aloe vera gel, which hazel and a few drops tea tree, lemon and lavendel eo. I shake it togeteher and then I fill a roll on bottle. It works very well on me.

 

[boyago]

Thought I'd throw out an update. I made my second batch of deo based on your advice here. It's good! Went with
3Tbs Coconut oil
1Tbs Beeswax
1Tbs Cocoa Butter
1Tbs Baking Soda
1Tbs Corn Starch
2Tbs Arrow Root
Threw in .25g lemon EO, .25g lavendar and .5g Frankencense (those amount are wildly aproximate)

smooth non clumpy, non grabby, and though it doesn't make me smell as pretty as the jasmine scent it is nice.

 

[kryse13]

Boyago, did you put it in a deoderant stick?

 

[boyago]

Boyago, did you put it in a deoderant stick?

Yep. Re-purposed an old Tom's stick container.

 

[kryse13]

I've really want a homemade deoderant but mine have not been working.

First recipe I tried was 1/2 baking soda, 1/2 cornstarch, coconut oil and some tea tree oil. I put that one on after a shower (always shave my pits in the shower) and it burnt and left a rash.

Second recipe was less baking soda more cornstarch and coconut oil. No eo or fo. Coconut oil was virgin so it smelt delicious. Still couldn't use it...

I really want to get some arrowroot powder and I guess ill omit the baking soda. May give your recipe a try also.

 

[boyago]

I'm pretty sure it was the baking soda I was reacting to. Were you applying yours like gel? Got my arrowroot from Essential wholesale and labs.

 

[kryse13]

Were you applying yours like gel?

I had it in a jar and it was pretty solid. More like scraping some out to use with my fingers and rubbing it on. I live in canada, so right now the coconut oil 76 deg. is very much a solid
Not sure if that answers your question.

 

[boyago]

I had it in a jar and it was pretty solid. More like scraping some out to use with my fingers and rubbing it on. I live in canada, so right now the coconut oil 76 deg. is very much a solid
Not sure if that answers your question.

Ha, my roots showing through. I'm original from Southern California. Still getting used to coconut oil being solid most of the time. Even when I see it white in the grocery isle I assume it must be cold there.

 

[Ancel]

Baking soda can become very sensitizing after a couple of months of using it. You can get away with using only a very little amount. I use no more than 3 grams for a butter/oil/wax base of 200grams. I put in arrowroot order, about 15grams, and it works really well, not grabby or sensitizing. Scented with lavender and tea tree eos. It might have been here on the forum where someone posted why people can become sensitive to baking soda.

 

[boyago]

Hey everybody, after tweeking my original recipe a few time and still not being super happy I scrapped it and started with another that I found posted by Jessica "scratch mommy" Healy on her blog that I am very happy with. Here is her recipe and my subs.

30g CO
20g Shea butter
10g Almond Oil
10g Beeswax
15g Arrow Root
15g Diatomaceous Earth (I didn't have any and subbed Bentonite clay)
5 drops Vit E oil
20-25 EO (I used 15 Balsam, 5 ylang Ylang and 5 camphore)
I poured it into a stick container

No baking soda, no grabbyness, no rash I am pretty happy with it.