Difficulty: Beginners
Time: 20 mins
Yields: 1 tube (85 ml)
Having tried all sorts of natural deodorants, including crystal deodorants (remember those), and being quite fussy when it comes to deodorants, I decided to create my own.
This solid deodorant is completely natural, including the environmental friendly cardboard tube it comes in, which you can order from Go Native. It contains no aluminium or other synthetic ingredients. Likewise, it contains no baking soda, which can be irritating to some skins (like mine) and other harsh ingredients. Instead, I focussed on using only natural ingredients that are effective, yet mild on the skin.
To absorb sweat, I used a combination of tapioca starch and bentonite clay. Bentonite clay is a highly absorbent natural clay (see this article about the properties of clays), and it will keep you feeling dry and clean.
Shea butter helps with the glide, but it is also moisturising and easily absorbed into the skin. This helps leave the absorbing clay and starch on the surface of the skin to do its work, without creating a messy paste.
Avocado is also well absorbed into the skin, but it also contains beneficial nutrients and vitamins, to help keep your skin healthy and nourished.
Beeswax is what makes this deodorant solid and at these proportions will deliver just the right amount of deodorant to your skin. Not too much and not to little!
And lastly I used a special blend of essential oils to keep you feeling fresh:
- Lemon myrtle: like tea tree, it is anti-bacterial, killing off those smelly bacteria, but unlike tea tree, it has a pleasant fresh lemon scent!
- Rosemary: has also antiseptic properties, helping to keep your skin healthy
- Lime: is refreshing but is also deodorising and cleansing
- Spearmint: not only refreshingly cool, but it will also help soothe skin. Great for sensitive, irritating skins (especially from shaving!)
All the ingredients, including the essential oils, are available from Pure Nature.
ONE: Weigh out your avocado oil, beeswax, and shea butter in a small pot. I use my pot straight on the stove, but if you prefer you can use a double boiler or bain marie method. Heat on the lowest setting on your stove until all the beeswax and shea butter has melted.
TWO: Stir in the tapioca starch and bentonite clay and mix briskly using a whisk.
THREE: Add the essential oils, and mix.
FOUR: Pour the mixture into the tube. If the mixture has started to set, just pop it back on the stove for a moment until it becomes fluid again.
Once you’ve filled the tube, let it set and cool down completely before putting the lid on. This will prevent condensation forming on the inside of the lid.
Natural solid deodorant
Ingredients
- 30 g beeswax
- 20 g shea butter
- 30 g avocado oil
- 20 g tapioca starch
- 15 g bentonite clay
- 25 drops lemon myrtle essential oil
- 15 drops rosemary essential oil
- 15 drops lime essential oil
- 5 drops spearmint essential oil
Directions
- Melt the beeswax, shea butter and avocado oil in a small pot on the lowest setting on your stove.
- Using a whisk, mix in the tapioca starch and bentonite clay.
- Add the essential oils.
- If the mixture has started to set, gently heat it on the stove again until fluid.
- Pour the mixture into the tube. Let it cool down completely before putting the lid on.
If you liked this tutorial, please consider donating the equivalent of a cup of coffee to me to keep this blog going. In My Soap Pot is not affiliated with any other companies and no money is earned from the links and products recommended by the me. I also avoid having (annoying) advertising on the site. Thank you!
What are the measurements for each ingredient? I am so anxious to make this!
If you scroll to the end, you should see the formulation with the exact measurements!
For some reason I’m just not seeing it here, maybe phone format is different? I will try from my computer instead! Thank you so much for your quick reply! All your “recipes” look amazing & can’t wait to try them!
I think I’ve fixed it!
Does the clay show or stain clothing
It doesn’t show on your skin, but depending on how much you use and/or sweat, it could possible show up on white clothing. I’ve created an improved formula https://inmysoappot.co.nz/2021/10/11/natural-vegan-deodorant/ which doesn’t stain at all!
Hi! How are you? I loved the recipe 🙂
One question, what other ingredient could beeswax supplant with? Since I have used it in another deodorant that I bought and it turned out that it stained my clothes and left something sticky in my armpit, in case that deodorant was not good in any way. I appreciate your advice, kisses !!
You can substitute beeswax for a vegan wax, like sunflower wax, but the deodorant will need to include a wax of some sorts. Sunflower wax is white and less sticky than beeswax. You might also need to use a little less, maybe 80% of the amount of beeswax to make sure it’s not too hard. Hardness also determines how much is applied, too hard and you can’t get anything, too soft and it becomes a smeary mess…. 😉
I just made your DIY Natural Deodorant for the first time. Can hardly wait for it to harden! I’ve seen lots of recipes, but yours sounds better. No chemicals or preservatives!
Thank you, Laura! I’m working on a two other deodorants. One is a nice white colour, and one is a cream. Both still completely natural, of course!
Hi, thank you very much for sharing information. Is it possible to replace the beeswax with carnauba wax for vegans? If so, would it be the same proportion? Thanks
I’ve created a new and improved formulation that’s vegan friendly: https://inmysoappot.co.nz/2021/10/11/natural-vegan-deodorant/
I love this deodorant!!! And I love the recipe for the detox. I was very skeptical but I made it. My husband and I tried it. We are so happy to know that there is a natural deodorant that works. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for your kind words! We love it too!
Can you replace the beeswax with candelilia wax.
You won’t be able to substitute beeswax with candelilla one to one, because they are both very different waxes. Beeswax is much softer and candelilla is a very hard wax. However, I have created a vegan version of the deodorant. Here’s the link to it: https://inmysoappot.co.nz/2021/10/11/natural-vegan-deodorant/
Hi! Is it possible to substitute the avocado oil? If so, with what other options? Thanks 🙂
Yes, you can replace the avocado oil with another oil. Sweet almond oil is a nice light oil, which absorbs easily into the skin, but you can really use any other vegetable oil with it.
It was fascinating and insightful. Thank you for sharing that detail..Continue to share useful resources over these blogs…
Can you replace shea butter with coconut oil? If so, would it be the same amount?
Hi Wendi! Because coconut oil is a lot softer and has a lower melting point, I wouldn’t recommend it. If you don’t have shea butter, you could swap it for another butter like cocoa butter. If you do need to use coconut oil, I would use less, maybe half and add a little bit more wax.