Cheap and Easy DIY Deodorant

Deodorant is surprisingly expensive! Especially if you buy an all “natural” deodorant. Additionally, most store bought deodorants come packaged tons of plastic.

The solution? Make your own!

Homemade deodorant is cheap, effective, and made with ingredients you most likely already have on hand.

I have been making our deodorant for years and I have to say, I think it works better than anything I could buy. My husband agrees.

You only need three basic ingredients to make this recipe. If you want to take it to the next level, you can also add tea tree oil for some extra antibacterial properties. I always add some and we’ve never had an issue with smell.

(This post is not sponsored by any of the brands pictured. These just happen to be the brands I have on hand in my house at this time. However, if you own any of these brands and would like to sponsor a post, let me know!)

Baking Soda

Baking soda gives the deodorant odor control. Most people have baking soda either in the pantry or in their cleaning supplies. We purchase a large bag that lasts us a year or two for all our various cleaning and odor control needs.

If you aren’t already using baking soda for cleaning, you’re missing out! Check out this post for an easy DIY Grease and Grime Remover (Works great on showers and stoves!)

Arrowroot Powder

Arrowroot powder is a great alternative to cornstarch in cooking and baking. In deodorant it helps with moisture control. You can find arrow root powder at almost any grocery store. You can also easily purchase it online. A one pound bag usually lasts me a year between DIYs and cooking.

In a pinch, you could substitute with cornstarch. In our house, we try to limit our use of cornstarch to avoid highly processed corn products, and, as far as I can tell, the processing needed to create arrow root is simpler and closer to traditional methods than processing for corn starch.

I imagine you could also use any other kind of starch as well. If you try a different starch, let me know how it went in the comments below!

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil brings the whole deodorant recipe together. It is also moisturizing and antimicrobial, two great properties to have in a deodorant. We keep a large jar of coconut oil in the pantry for cooking and DIY creations.

Coconut oil is also a solid at room temperature which is a property you want in homemade deodorant.

Tea Tree Oil

This essential oil is optional, but a great addition to homemade deodorant. Tea tree oil is known to have antibacterial properties and therefore is a great ingredient to help control odor. While a small bottle can be somewhat expensive, a little goes a long way. One bottle can last you for a very long time!

Putting it All Together

To make your deodorant, start by melting one table spoon of coconut oil in a mug or microwave safe glass jar. You can also melt it in a mason jar in a pot of water on the stove, but this will take longer.

If you are adding tea tree oil, add it at this point. For 1 TBSP of coconut oil I like to add 15 – 20 drops of tea tree oil. If your coconut oil is really hot, let it cool for a moment or two before adding the essential oil. Mix.

Now it’s time to add the baking soda and arrowroot powder. My husband is sensitive to too much baking soda (it can be rough on the skin,) so I use a 50/50 blend of baking soda and arrowroot. You can play around with the ratios here to find what works best for you.

I have found when I omit the tea tree oil I need to add a higher ration of baking soda to arrowroot powder to have the same level of odor control.

Start by adding a tablespoon each of baking soda and arrowroot. Continue adding these in in equal proportion (or the proportions you choose) until you have a thick paste. You want to make sure it’s not too liquidy at this point or you’ll end up with oil stains on your shirts.

Transfer the paste to a clean container for storage and let cool to room temperature.

How to Use

In the past, we have tried putting the paste in an empty deodorant tube, but found this doesn’t work very well, especially in warm weather. I store ours in a small 1/2 cup mason jar and we use our fingers to apply. In the winter, you do have to rough it up with a spoon or your thumb nail. But when you apply it, your body temperature will help it melt and go on smoothly.

To apply, rub a small, pea sized amount or less into each armpit.

There you have it! A cheap and easy homemade deodorant. One jar of this will last my husband and me for several months.

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