Looking for an easy and natural way to make a solid deodorant? Want to get rid of packaging and switch to zero-waste cosmetics?
Look no further! In this post, I’ll explain how to make a deodorant using natural ingredients that keep you smelling fresh all day!
BAKING SODA-FREE DIY DEODORANT
There are a lot of recipes for natural deodorants on the internet, and most of them are based on baking soda. There is nothing wrong with baking soda: it is not expensive, available, natural, and biodegradable. But (there is always a “but”:) it has a basic pH (around 8,5) and might be very irritating for skin.
Some people can tolerate baking soda, which works fine for them; some – can not (me, for example). But baking soda is not your only option when you want to make a simple but effective natural deodorant!
MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE
Magnesium Chloride is a naturally occurring Magnesium salt typically used for anti-stress and pain-relief bath soaks. It is an active form of Magnesium that can penetrate the skin and help your body fight stress. But it is also a very effective anti-bacterial agent (less irritative for your skin than baking soda). So when we make our deodorant with magnesium chloride, not only will it help to fight bad odor, but it will supply your body with Magnesium 🙂
You can also make your deodorant with Magnesium Hydroxide, but it is much more challenging to buy on a small scale. You can not use Epsom salt (Magnesium Sulfate); it does not stop bacteria from proliferating and does not work for deodorants.
SOLID DEODORANT RECIPE
I share the recipe for the deodorant and show the process of making it step by step in my new video; check it out:
This is a natural deodorant, so its structure can change in different climates. It will remain solid if the room temperature is around 22-23 degrees Celsius (73-75 F).
Still, if you live in a hotter climate, you should either replace the part of soybean wax with beeswax (which has a higher melting point) or take 10 g of Cetearyl alcohol and 23 g of soybean wax. You can also make this deodorant with baking soda instead of Magnesium flakes (if your skin can handle baking soda, which is not always the case).
