Natural Deodorant Paste

by Krissy | Apr 4, 2016

Many commercial deodorants contain aluminium and chemical fragrances, along with plenty of other nasties that I am not comfortable putting anywhere near my body.  Worse than roll-on commercial deodorants is the aerosol variety; the mist that you inhale goes directly into your mouth, airways and lungs, where it is readily absorbed by your body.

I can only imagine how much toxic crap my body absorbed in my high school PE locker rooms, where Impulse was sprayed liberally by me and 40 other teenage girls… Not good at all. As well as being toxic, commercial deodorants can be expensive!!

So I created this natural deodorant recipe and have been using it since 2015. I must say that I, along with hundreds (even thousands) of others, all agree it’s pretty damn good! Having a thermal appliance makes it easy to create, and a little goes a very long way so you’ll save bucket loads of money too!

To help prevent any irritation, be sure never to apply after hair removal (especially shaving or waxing), when skin is broken and compromised. Or, try either of these versions (Sensitive Deodorant Paste or Carb-Free Deodorant Paste). This handy blog post will you give you lots of tips when transitioning to natural deodorant too! Warning: You will still sweat. That’s a normal, human, bodily behaviour. But, you won’t smell. Trust me, this works!

NATURAL DEODORANT PASTE

Makes: 250 g | 8.8 oz Prep time: < 10 min.

Ingredients

65 g | 2.3 oz shea butter

65 g | 2.3 oz coconut oil (the type that solidifies)

10 g | 0.4 oz beeswax

70 g | 2.5 oz sodium bicarbonate (bicarb)

40 g | 1.4 oz arrowroot flour (or cornflour)

40 drops of essential oils

My choice of essential oils…

My favourite essential oils in this recipe are patchouli, tea tree and lemongrass, but don’t be limited by my suggestions. Use oils that fit your budget, or those that you already have in your collection. Read here for more information.

Method

1. Add shea butter, coconut oil and beeswax to a glass bowl and heat until completely melted. (Double boiler method– place bowl on a pot of gently simmering water and stir frequently; Microwave method– heat in short bursts on low, stopping and stirring frequently). Remove from heat.

2. Add remaining ingredients and mix until combined.

3. Transfer into container of choice.

4. Place into the fridge or freezer to set (this will reduce the chance of graininess developing over time).

Thermal Appliance Method

1. Add shea butter, coconut oil and beeswax to thermal appliance bowl and melt: 4-5 minutes | approx. 70˚C (158˚F) | low speed. Extend time if required, until ingredients have completely melted.

2. Add remaining ingredients and mix for 5-10 seconds on low/medium speed. Scrape down sides and repeat if required, until ingredients are combined.

3. Transfer into container of choice.

4. Place into the fridge or freezer to set (this will reduce the chance of graininess developing over time).

To Use

Scoop a small amount of balm (the size of your fingernail is plenty) and rub gently onto clean armpits.

Recipe Notes

For an extra kick, substitute the arrowroot powder for bentonite clay – a simple straight swap. Sometimes deodorant paste just doesn’t cut the mustard for everyone all of the time and this little hack might just do the trick!

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Krissy Ballinger

AUTHOR & ADVOCATE FOR NATURAL LIVING

Krissy wants to see a world where people make conscious choices that honour both humans and habitat. It is her mission to gently guide people towards this beautiful way of life. With a background in education and health promotion, she devotes her time to increasing awareness on common and avoidable toxins, as well as educating individuals on simple ways they can adjust their lifestyles to better serve themselves, and the planet. Natural DIY is Krissy’s speciality, and she has sold over 50,000 copies of her recipe books, including her latest book, The Lifestyle Edit, the award-winning, Naturally Inspired - Simple DIY Recipes for Body Care and Cleaning, and her kids book, Make & Play - Natural DIY Recipes for Kids. She offers honest and gentle guidance, education and 100+ free natural DIY recipes on her website.

17 Comments

Helen on March 25, 2021 at 8:35 am

Krissy ,,,,,,I’m quite new to all your recipes, I find them so useful I’m just concerned that are your recipes okay to use in septic tanks ,,,, m My husband is very anti as hates all these recipes as kill the septic ,,,,, So I have backed away from making certain recipe recipes
Reply
- Krissy on March 25, 2021 at 8:59 pm
  
  Hey Helen, have a read of this blog > https://krissyballinger.com.au/blog/septic-systems-your-questions-answered/ 🙂
  Reply
Terri on March 1, 2021 at 6:11 pm

Absolutely love this deodorant- applies like silk and I love the different combinations of essential oils you can add/try.
I have made it for 5 friends and have 5 friends and now returning empty containers for refilling. Too easy 🙂
Reply
Emma Maxwell on March 1, 2021 at 4:59 pm

Love this deodrant!! Super easy to make and great deodorant.
Reply
Sarah on November 3, 2020 at 8:30 pm

Hi Krissy,
I’ve been making this for a couple of years now and love it. The most recent batches have had the bicarb noticeably settle to the bottom (I set it in the fridge to cool). The last of the jar is very gritty and irritating, but this wasn’t happening before. Could it be ageing ingredients?
Thank you 🙂
Reply
- Krissy on November 4, 2020 at 9:46 am
  
  Hey Sarah, good to hear you’re using natural DIY deodorant! It could be that your bicarb is grittier than usual? Or your ingredients were too hot when you added your flour and bicarb? Just let it set and mix vigorously with a spoon, squashing the bicarb against your bowl/container – that should help. I don’t think the age of the ingredients would cause this issue.
  Reply
Andrew Panetta on September 15, 2020 at 1:55 pm

Hello,

I have made this recipe for my wife and she loves it. We even put it on our kids feet.
I want to make the same for myself but can’t use bicarb. Do you know if I can just replace it with magnesium hydroxide powder?
Reply
- Krissy on September 17, 2020 at 6:28 pm
  
  Have you seen my carb-free recipe? https://krissyballinger.com.au/recipes/body-skin-care-recipes/bicarb-free-deodorant-paste/
  Reply
Andrew Panetta on June 29, 2020 at 8:47 am

Hello
If i wanted to add vitamin e oil how much should i add. Thank you
Reply
- Krissy on June 29, 2020 at 9:57 am
  
  I’d add about 1 tsp.
  Reply
  - Andrew Panetta on July 6, 2020 at 6:57 am
    
    Thank you for letting me know.
    Reply
  - Catherine on July 14, 2021 at 4:26 am
    
    Hi. I’ve used natural deodorant for years, and I’ve found I can’t have bicarb in there. What can I substitute the bicarb for, or can I just leave it out? Thanks.
    Reply
    - Krissy on July 26, 2021 at 9:32 am
      
      I have low carb, or carb free recipes > https://krissyballinger.com.au/recipes/sensitive-deodorant-paste/ | https://krissyballinger.com.au/recipes/body-skin-care-recipes/bicarb-free-deodorant-paste/ Good luck!
      Reply
Emily on June 18, 2020 at 9:15 am

hi ,

curious about how much of each essential oils you use in your recipe??

thanks and can’t wait to give This a go.
Reply
- Krissy on June 18, 2020 at 9:35 am
  
  Hi Emily,
  It is totally up to you. Try equal amount first time and see if you like it 🙂
  Reply
Sheryl Davenport on November 13, 2019 at 7:18 am

Hi Krissy
In regards to the deodorant I notice it leaves a stain on the clothes under the arms and I am having to soak the clothes. I use bentonite clay and my friend uses cornflour and we both get the stain.

Is this normal?
Reply
- Krissy on November 13, 2019 at 12:48 pm
  
  Hi Sheryl, if you’re getting stains you’re using too much. Just the smallest smear will do the trick and you can boost effectiveness with a drop of tea tree before application. If you haven’t seen my stain removing recipes, check this link out 🙂 https://krissyballinger.com.au/?s=stains
  Reply