Let’s face it: Sweating is gross. It makes you all wet, it smells bad, it leaves stains on your clothes. But you probably know as well as everyone else that sweating is a necessary process. It evolved in order to regulate the temperature of human skin during times of intense heat and vigorous activity. It cools your body as it evaporates, and thus it’s your first line of defense against overheating. Your body may also use your sweat glands as an excretion mechanism.

Knowing this, you might see the first problem with commercial deodorants: They block these natural pathways for detoxification and regulation. The word “antiperspirant” refers to an agent that will keep you from sweating, not necessarily one that will keep you from stinking, and one does not necessarily lead to the other. Did you know that there is a natural deodorant recipe that you can use to keep the stench away without blocking your sweat glands with aluminum or other potentially noxious substances?

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The benefits of using a home-made, natural deodorant recipe instead of the store bought stuff are numerous: You will probably save money, probably find that your deodorant is more effective, and you may also lower your risk for breast cancer. If that sounds shocking to you, you should know that in certain regions, an increase in the use of deodorants that contain aluminum, parabens, propylene glycol, phthalates, and triclosan has been associated with an increase in breast cancer. The jury is still out, of course, and correlation does not always imply causation, but this is definitely something to think about. Lymph nodes reside in the area of your armpit, so it’s important that you are careful with what you choose to do to this sensitive part of your body. Using a natural deodorant recipe is simple and may even help protect you from disease.

There are many different kinds of mixtures that you can put together to fight that stench, but we’ve found that the best option is the natural deodorant recipe below:

Best Natural Deodorant Recipe:

Ingredients:

Coconut oil -1/3 of one cup. Coconut oil has antibacterial properties, and it also will serve as a subtle, pleasant odor.

Baking soda – 2 tablespoons. Baking soda, as you know, is the king of odor control. Just as it works in your fridge, it works on your pits.

Beeswax – To taste, depending on your sensitivity. Beeswax can act as a protective barrier.

Shea butter – 1 or 2 teaspoons. This should help moisturize.

Arrowroot/cornstarch – 1/2 of one cup. This will serve not only to absorb moisture, but to give the deodorant its form.

Essential oils: Lavender and Tea Tree oil or Frankincense – Just 1 or 2 drops of each. Don’t overdo these. Tea tree, lavender and frankincense essential oil have antimicrobial properties that help destroy the bacteria on your skin that cause body odor.

Empty deodorant container – This is where you will house your new natural deodorant.

Directions:

Mix all of the dry ingredients together first to make things easier, then add the wet ones. Once you have a mixture of a gel-like or semi-solid consistency, plop it into the old deodorant container. Now, this deodorant may be a little different from what you are used to, and may be a little wetter than commercial versions until it dries, so make sure that it is thoroughly dry so that it doesn’t leave residue on your clothes.

Try this natural deodorant recipe for a few days and you may be surprised to find that it works better than anything you can get at the store—and it’s better for you, too!