First thing I want to run by you is the importance of switching to a more natural deodorant - almost all conventional deodorants contain aluminum as the active ingredient, which is a known neurotoxin that has been linked to cancer and Alzheimer's. And this is put right under our arms, where many lymph nodes lie close to the skin. Aluminum effectively blocks our sweat glands, which is why they all use it, but the odor only comes when bacteria mixes with sweat. Sweating is your body's natural way to detox and to rid your body of toxins, really what we should want to do is not block our body from detoxing, but to prevent bacteria growth. And with certain anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory essential oils, you can make your own deodorant spray that is 100% natural and that still allows your body to detox, and that works.
For sake of this post, and any of my DIY posts, the only brand of essential oils I use and trust for myself and my family is Young Living. (If you are interested in Young Living oils, I'd be happy to talk with you more about them and get you started! Please feel free to email me at mummascorner@gmail.com!) My recipe is fairly simple - I left out baking soda because it can irritate your skin, and does in fact irritate my own skin, but baking soda does have super duper effective deodorizing properties, so if you feel like you need a little extra deodorizing and can cringe through the initial sting, feel free to try adding about 1 tsp of baking soda to this.
Ingredients:
-4 oz amber glass spray bottle (amber glass is the best way to store your essential oils - the glass does not absorb the oils like plastic can and the amber color protects from harmful UV rays).
- natural witch hazel (all natural, astringent, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and soothing. Also prevents razor burn!)
- distilled water
- ethanol (drinking alcohol, not rubbing alcohol. I used 80 proof or 40% alcohol)
- Himilayan salt. (Salt is known for anti-bacterial properties and inhibits the growth of odor causing bacteria and also helps the essential oils bind because they will not mix with water or witch hazel alone).
- 12 drops of each of the following essential oils: patchouli, lime, grapefruit, tea tree, and clary sage. These are all the best eo's with the highest antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antifungal properties.
Directions: Fill your amber glass bottle half way with witch hazel. Then fill up to about 3/4 full with the ethanol. Add your essential oils. Add your Himalayan salt. Then fill to top with distilled water. Shake well and apply as often as necessary. It can last all day but every person is different and have different bodies and different levels of exercising so depending you may apply once in the morning, or also again mid afternoon.
Hope you guys try this! Don't have the time or ingredients to make this yourself? I am now selling on my etsy shop for only $12! (View listing here). I also have a 2 oz plastic bottle listing in the drop down, perfect for traveling. You can use code "FREESHIP" for free shipping :)
