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I’ve used countless store-bought natural deodorants, and they always leave me stinky and sweaty. In 2011, I decided to make my own homemade deodorant recipe. After a few tweaks, I have created the best natural diy recipe that smells great, works wonders and I’ve used for 13 years now. I’ve shared this recipe with thousands of others— and I can’t wait for you to join my diy deodorant party.
Why I Use Natural Deodorant
Making your own deodorant saves money, is healthier for your body, and actually stops sweating and body odor. Seriously, jump on this bandwagon ASAP!
In 2011, I went on a journey and started making homemade granola bars, natural cold and flu remedies like ginger lemon honey tea, elderberry syrup, homemade lip scrubs, and even went 10 days without shampoo (I don’t recommend that last one).
It was during this time that I began questioning all the things I was putting in and on my body.
Most store-bought deodorants contain chemicals like parabens and aluminum, which I wanted to avoid. Why use those when you can create the best natural deodorants with safer, more effective active ingredients? Even newer products with labels like organic deodorant often include ambiguous ingredients like “fragrance.”
To me, that’s reason enough to ditch commercial deodorants and make my own. I’ve been using the same recipe for over 13 years now, and I absolutely love it and use it every day. The only thing I change up is the essential oils I use, depending on what scent I feel like that season.
The Best Natural Deodorant Recipe
No joke—you can put this deodorant on at 5AM, run a few miles, blend the world’s Best Green Smoothie, throw on some work clothes, work an 8-hour shift and come home smelling good.
At first, my husband and I were baffled by how well this DIY deodorant worked. We would smell each other’s armpits just to brag. Then we decided to push the boundaries and slathered it on before a long day of helping friends move. We sweated all day and still came home smelling good!
It’s important to note that this is not an antiperspirant deodorant. We are meant to sweat, it’s natural. The harmful chemicals in conventional deodorants to stop the body’s natural need to sweat is not something I want to use (and you prob don’t either).
Ingredients You’ll Need
You only need four ingredients to make your own all-natural deodorant. Chances are you probably have at least half of them already. You can buy arrowroot powder in the baking section of most natural food stores or online.
- Baking soda: Absorbs moisture to keep you dry and helps neutralize odor (feel free to use less if you’ve got sensitive skin and notice irritation in your underarm area). Opt for aluminum-free baking soda, as it’s gentler and free from unnecessary additives.
- Non-GMO arrowroot powder: A better choice than traditional cornstarch, arrowroot powder helps absorb moisture to keep you dry. You can easily find it in health food stores or online.
- Organic unrefined coconut oil: Provides a moisturizing base and has natural antibacterial properties that help combat odor-causing bacteria. You can find this in most grocery or health food stores.
- Essential oils: Grapefruit oil, tea tree oil, spruce oil, and sweet orange oil are my favorites for their refreshing scents and antibacterial properties. They add fragrance while also helping to fight odor naturally.
How to Make Homemade Deodorant
This DIY deodorant recipe is super quick to whip up with just four ingredients. If you’ve ever wondered how to make deodorant at home, don’t worry—I’ve got you covered! Just follow these 4 simple steps:
- Mix the arrowroot powder and baking soda together. I use my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer.
- Add the coconut oil and your favorite essential oils, like grapefruit or tea tree, to the mixture. You can adjust the consistency by adding more coconut oil if needed.
- Pour into a small glass jar (I like pint-size mason jar) and store at room temperature. Homemade deodorant will last up to two years in an airtight container.
- Use a popsicle stick to get the deodorant out of the container and transfer to your finger. Make sure you use enough under your arms to keep you “sure” all day long. A pea-size amount is usually good.
Application Tip
If you’d prefer to have it in a traditional “stick form,” melt 1 tbsp of beeswax and 1 tbsp of shea butter right into the recipe. Pour into a reusable deodorant containers and store in refrigerator until solid.
Tips for Switching to Natural Deodorant
- When you initially make the switch, you may experience an itchy rash, red bumps, or increased sweat and odor when transitioning to a homemade deodorant. Don’t let this stop you!
- Drinking plenty of water and dry brushing are two awesome ways to assist your body as it adjusts away from the chemical-laden deodorants you used to use. My #1 recommendation (drumroll, please!) is to detox your armpits. Sounds weird, I know! But it’ll help speed up your body’s adjustment period to this natural homemade deodorant.
- In addition to detoxing your armpits, you may also want to consider detoxing your whole body. All the processed foods we eat contain chemicals that end up affecting the way we smell when we sweat. Try out a seasonal cleanse to get started on a whole-body detox.
- These cleanses are super easy to follow and use only whole, plant-based foods (no expensive supplements!) to gently clear your body of unwanted toxins.
Common Questions
Making your own deodorant at home is easy with just a few simple ingredients like baking soda, arrowroot powder, coconut oil, and essential oils. It’s a natural, effective way to stay fresh without any harsh chemicals. Once you gather your ingredients, you’ll be able to whip up a batch quickly and enjoy the benefits of homemade, toxin-free deodorant.
To extend the effectiveness of homemade deodorant, apply a thin layer to clean, dry skin. Storing it in a cool, dry place will prevent melting or spoilage, while absorbent ingredients like arrowroot powder can help increase its longevity by controlling moisture and odor.
Yes, coconut oil is a key ingredient in my homemade deodorant recipe. Its natural antibacterial properties help fight odor while keeping your skin moisturized.
Leave a rating and review to let me know how this diy deodorant recipe works for you! As you can tell by the over 200+ reviews so far, this is a recipe you must try.
Best Homemade Deodorant
Ingredients
- ½ cup baking soda use 1/4 cup if have sensitive skin
- ½ cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- 5 tbsp coconut oil melted or softened
- 20 drops essential oil grapefruit, tea tree oil, etc
Instructions
- Mix baking soda and arrowroot together.
- Add the coconut oil and essential oils. Mix well.
- Pour into a clean, air-tight jar and store at room temperature.
- Use a popsicle stick to get the deodorant out of the container and transfer to your finger. Use a pea-sized amount to apply under your arms.
Equipment
Notes
- Consistency: This deodorant changes consistency depending on the temperature. In cold climates, it can be pretty hard to get out. If that’s the case for you, I recommend storing it by the shower and allowing the steam to warm it before applying. If you live in a warm climate and the deodorant is too liquidy, store it in a cool cupboard to thicken it up.
- Technique: For the past couple of years, I stopped using the popsicle stick and actually just use my fingers and dip them in the jar.
I made this (only half the amount as it was my first go) and it works fantastically for me. I have developed a bit of irritation under one arm so am going to make another batch with less bicarb. If I do that, do I make up the difference with more arrowroot? Also, can you use fragrance oil instead of essential oil? It says it can be used to make soap so can I assume it’s ok to put in the deo?
Hey Deb. Yes, do a little less bicarb and a little more arrowroot and that should help.
As far as the fragrance oil, I’m not sure. I’d look at the ingredients and see what it says. We love this deodorant because it’s made with a few simple and natural ingredients. The problem with many things listed as “fragrance” is that it’s a blanket term for hundreds of hidden harmful chemicals that can cause irritation, allergic reactions and even more serious health problems when used long term. Single oil EOs are exactly what they say; for example, grapefruit EO is made from cold pressing grapefruit rinds and tea tree EO is made from steam distillation of the leaves from the tea tree.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I had become so frustrated(especially during Summer months) & worried about odor.
Now, I am always confident applying this deodorant. Not only in it’s reliability. But, health and cost reasons, as well.
Awesome, Martha! You’re very welcome. 🙂
I’m looking forward to using this deodorant! I just made it and mine came out very powdery like the consistency of the flour. Can I add more coconut oil to make it more like a paste or will that lessen its effectiveness?
Thank you for sharing this with us!!
:o) Stephanie
Hey Stephanie! Did you melt the coconut oil first? That should help the mixture reach the consistency you want. You can add a little more coconut oil if you need to but add a very little bit (like ~1/2 tsp.) at a time. I learned that the hard way. 🙂
Awesome!! Thank you…I will melt it next time but even so, the recipe works great…thank you!!
I’m glad to hear it! You’re very welcome. 🙂
Can I use almond oil as a substitute for the coconut? And tea tree oil instead of grapefruit?
Lucinda, you can use any essential oil that has antibacterial properties. I don’t think the almond oil will work, though. I think you could use shea butter and/or beeswax if you don’t want to use coconut oil.
I see what Wayne’s issue may be, and I wonder if it is because neither the ingredient list nor the instructions say anything about melting the coconut oil. It makes a huge difference! I had the same result Wayne did until I scrolled through the comments and found that one person asked if you melt the coconut oil first. I would suggested adding (melted) to the coconut ingredient list and then providing instruction on how best to melt it. I am excited to try this for the first time!
Sounds good, Helen. Thank you for the feedback!
Only on day 3 but LOVING this deodorant so far. Thank you for making a recipe that’s so easy to throw together!
I’ve been gradually making the transition to plastic-free health & beauty products. I exhausted every local option for a zero-waste deodorant and picked one out online but having something shipped across the country (or from another country) didn’t feel right. I tried your recipe because the ingredients are so readily accessible I figured it would be a pretty low-risk experiment. Bonus- I have access to arrowroot & baking soda in bulk!!
I skipped the detox for now because I haven’t found the bentonite clay locally. Hopefully this will work out okay. *fingers crossed* I’ve been using A&H deodorant for many years so the baking soda shouldn’t be a problem for me.
Before making the switch a few days ago, the pits of my T’s were drenched on a regular basis, as though my previous deodorant wasn’t working anymore – the worse I’ve ever experienced. The past few days have been 70-80 degrees, I did a high intensity strength training session yesterday and 4.5 mile run today. I stayed completely dry yesterday and had very minor sweat spots running but ZERO smell both days.
My husband has agreed to the occasional sniff check such a good sport) and says there’s a nice light coconut smell and that’s it! I added lavender EO since I had some around which he can’t smell but that’s perfect for me, I prefer little to no scent. Once his last stick of deodorant runs out I’ll be making his & her batches!
Looking forward to seeing how it performs long term!
That’s awesome, Kate! Hope it continues to work great for you! 😀
Are the 1/2 cup measurements for both of the dry ingredients correct? 1 cup dry to 5 tbl “wet”?
Should that maybe be 1/2 *tsp* each dry ingredient? I’m mixing this by hand so maybe it takes a lot longer to incorporate but I can’t see this ever becoming “pourable” and seems like this is going to leave big white marks under my pits…
Hey Becky. Yes, the measurements in the ingredient list are correct. You’d be surprised at how well 5 tablespoons (roughly 1/3 cup) of wet ingredients mixes with 1 cup of dry ingredients. The final product should be kind of a paste-like texture. So you don’t want to use too much of the coconut oil, otherwise it will be too runny. I’ve been using this for years and it doesn’t leave white marks. 🙂
It clumps up when putting on pits, like regular deodorant. But I’m not a fan of that. I used gel deodorant for years because of that, before trying your recipe. Is there any way to make this less clumpy and still have the same effects?
Elizabeth, you could add a little more coconut oil and that will help the mixture have more of a creamy texture that shouldn’t clump up.
I did it in May and it works amazing so far! ❤ I used tapioca starch instead and lavander esential oil. My friends heard all about this masterpiece
Thank you for sharing your recipe and believing in alternative ways!
Hugs from the Netherlands
Hi Luana! Thank you so much for stopping by to leave a review and rating! (I love this recipe also and have been using it for years.) Where in the Netherlands do you live? A few years ago, I visited Amsterdam and took a train down through Nijmegen to Venray. Your country is so beautiful! Sending hugs back to you, we love our international community! <3
The amount of the powdered ingredients are like, hilariously off.
Hi Wayne, did you make this and have trouble mixing everything together? I’ve made this recipe many times and have never had a problem with the ratio of dry ingredients to wet. Curious why you say the amounts are off.
So far I have just made it, however I had only refined coconut oil on me. I used that and I’m pretty sure it will still work. Hope this goes well! Thanks for the recipe!!
You’re welcome! 🙂
Hi 🙂 thank you for sharing. Do you have any alternatives to coconut oil?
I made this amazing recipe and at the beginning worked fantastic until I started getting this big and very painful pimples / cyst in my underarms.
Any advice on how to avoid this?
Many thanks!
Carmen, you may have a sensitivity to the baking soda. What you’re describing sounds like what others (me included) who have sensitive skin have had happen after using this. I’d recommend decreasing the amount of baking soda and also detoxing your armpits. Those things worked great for me. If you search “detox armpits,” there is lots of info on how and why to do it. Hope you can get it sorted out! 🙂
Best homemade deodorant recipe ever! It’s so easy to make and works just like regular deodorant and even makes my skin really smooth. I like just using my hands to apply it and wash them right after and the coconut oil makes them so smooth and moisturized. It’s also ridiculously cheap to make, like 50 cents a batch and it lasts a long time. I just ran out of my first batch and it lasted me six months! Officially my deodorant forever more.
Awesome, Lauren! You seriously just listed all the reasons I love this so much. I started making it years ago and I never looked back! So long, store-bought deodorant! 😀
Have you got a recipe where the deodorant is not too hard or too liquid so I can put in a roll on? Thanks
Hey Sylvie, I’m not sure this recipe can be made to put into a roll on. I think you’d have to increase the amount of coconut oil by so much it might not allow for the other ingredients to work as well.
Just wanted to say I’ve been making this for years and love it! It works great.
Amazing. It’s my first home made beauty product and it works a treat and I smell like cake in the mornings! I’ve shared it with a friend who is a yoga instructor and she’s fresh as a daisy after her classes now. 100% would recommend to a friend ❤️
That’s awesome, Sophie! Thanks for the feedback + review. 🙂