Homemade Deodorant (The Update)

If you remember, last July I posted about this recipe I saw for a homemade deodorant.  In case you missed it, check out my earlier post.

I promised that I would actually try it out and report on how effective it was.  I admit, I’ve been remiss in my duties and have consequently forgotten my little experiment, until people started asking me about the update on whether or not I tried it out.  Finally, yesterday, I got off my lazy ass and took the ingredients from the cupboard and went ahead and concocted my armpit brew.

It seemed simple enough: mix equal amounts of baking SODA and cornstarch (the recipe suggested 1/4 cup each) and 5-6 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil.  Mix with a spoon until you get to a solid consistency similar to a solid stick deodorant that we buy in the market.  So I took out our mixing bowl (I know, gross right?), and mixed the 2 powders and the VCO.  After 5 tablespoons, it was still quite powdery, not sticking at all, then magically, after the 6th spoonful, the mixture suddenly solidified as a mushy whole!  This is how it looked liked:

Then, the instructions said to put it in a covered container, where you can keep it, and you can apply it like you would a regular stick deodorant or using your fingers, whichever you’re more comfortable with.  My deodorant came out a bit runnier than I expected.  I think I should’ve put half a tablespoon less of the VCO for a more solid consistency.  It’s solid enough not to drip if I turn it upside down, but I can’t hold the mass like a stick deodorant as well.  So in my case, I have to apply the coconut-y mass with my fingers.  This is how it looked like after I put it in a container:

I must say, I loved how it smelled (unless you hate the coconut smell).  So I was excited to try it.  I took a shower, then applied the deodorant as instructed.  I was expecting it to be oily, given the VCO, but I was surprised that the skin absorbed the oil rather quickly, and soon it dried to a point where you wouldn’t think you applied anything to your pits.  The only vestige of the deodorant is the mild macaroon scent that’s left on your skin.

So I went out for dinner and I was happy that the restaurant was very warm.  So within minutes, we all started sweating because of the lack of ventilation.  Everyone was complaining except me, who was secretly hoping for more heat so I could test the efficacy of my new organic, chemical-free deodorant.  Then, when I got home, I tried to move around, short of jogging in place, to get more sweat going.  And when I was satisfied with the amount of sweat I generated, it was time to check out Shakira and Beyonce (yes, my armpits have names).

CONCLUSION:

It works!  I admit, I was skeptical that a simple homemade brew could top commercially available deodorants.  Those deodorants had millions of dollars put into formulation, research, marketing, etc., so you’d think they’d have an edge, but honestly, I was happier with the results of this solid paste that took me less than 5 minutes to make in our salad bowl.  Shakira and Beyonce were both dry AND still smelled of fresh young coconut picked from a tree with virgin hands.  Of course I haven’t tried how it would fare if I did outright exercise like playing badminton or running, but for everyday use, I think it will really work wonderfully!  And I like the idea that there are no chemicals in it, so I feel really all organic.  Now I can proudly say I have organic pits (or organikili-kili).  From now on, I’ll be using this everyday to see how well it stands up to regular use.

Next stop: homemade shampoo and homemade toothpaste!