Smell Ya Later!

I love to cook and my friends all know it (clap your hands).

By far, the most questions I get is about Mama Ellen’s recipe for homemade deodorant.  It never fails…when I tell someone I make my own deodorant they wrinkle their face, say something like, “Ew gross” and by the end of our conversation they ask me for the recipe.  Now it’s quite possible they are putting it in their back pocket for the next time their husband bitches about dinner not being ready, but I like to think they have their “pits” in mind and not their “putz”.

Unfortunately my journey into the green is still a sweaty one and with all of the crappy toxic chemicals in deodorant, I took baby steps and bought different brands of “organic”, “non-toxic” and “more natural” deodorants.  They were all great in their own way except for the only one that mattered…I still stunk.  I smelled so bad by the end of the day that I had to shower before bed.  If I didn’t my hubby would mumble something about a locker room and gym socks as he grabbed his pillow and made his way onto the couch.  I couldn’t blame him, I hadn’t been out hiking or running or bike riding, but I smelled like I was in terrific shape.  I smelled just going to drop the kids off at school and buying groceries.  Now that I CrossFit it is totally unacceptable to smell like a young boy in the midst of puberty.  I wasn’t going back to off-the-shelf deodorant, no matter how many pink flowers and pretty names it had on it.  They might as well have given it a name like “Toxica:  Because Aluminum isn’t just for the foil in your kitchen, NOW IN LILAC!”

So I tried making my own deodorant, and let me just tell you that Rome wasn’t the only thing not built in a day.  I suffered more than a couple of setbacks, but with every failed attempt and itchy rash I knew that I was on the healthy road to the dryville.  My kids thought I was crazy, my husband would just shake his head and walk away and I’m not sure but I think someone mistakenly ate an early batch (but no one fessed up).  Then one day, the skies parted and the angels sang…I wanted to scream like Dr. Frankenstein “It’s Alive!”  I’ll be honest, I had my doubts for a while, but it really paid off in the end.  After some fine tuning I am happy to report that I’m rash-free and no longer smell like I should be standing in line for bread.   I’ve been little-miss-clean-pits for 2 years now and I still don’t smell.  Trust me, there would be a husband-shaped dent in the couch if I did.

So here’s my recipe:

• 1 Tablespoon Organic Coconut Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Organic Shea Butter
• 1 Teaspoon GMO-free Cornstarch
• 2 Teaspoon Aluminum-Free Baking Soda (if needed)

You can add Tea Tree Oil or other essential oils but I haven’t yet.

Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.  I usually leave out the coconut oil in the window until it starts to turn liquidy (makes it easier to stir).  You can either put it in an old deodorant stick holder or a small glass container and use it like a crème.  The first few months, I poured it into an old deodorant container but it wouldn’t stay hard (ladies, you know what I’m talking about).  At one point I started keeping it in the fridge but to be honest I like a hot cup of coffee to wake me up in the morning, not jamming what feels like a cold stick of butter in my armpit.  These days I prefer the cream approach, it’s in a glass jar in my bathroom and the chances of my husband accidentally spreading it on a bagel have been drastically reduced.   Bonus: reusing glass jars.

**Also a note on baking soda – originally I broke out in a terrible rash so I used less in mine.  After a few batches I took it out all together because one armpit kept getting a rash (I did a lot of research and this is common so I just removed it).  My older daughter, who is new to the deodorant world, has her own batch.  She has no problems with the baking soda, so for hers I leave it in.