Hey everyone,

A while back I wrote a post about the deodorant from the Crystal Essence line and many of you asked me to share my homemade deodorant recipe with you. This recipe has been in the works for over three years as I have been trying and trying and trying… different ingredients to get one mighty mix that actually works.

In 2014 I watched a documentary that gave some very startling information about many commercial products that we use on a daily basis. I was very disappointed to learn that many traditional deodorants contain ingredients that are harmful to humans and that, in fact, really do not have any business on our skin.

Related: Jason Deodorant Review: Best Natural Deodorant that Works?

My Failed DIY Mix

I was using a spray on deodorant back in 2014 with the usual ingredients: parabens, silica, triclosan, aluminum… oh you know the normal carcinogens! It worked great, though, in that I never had a bad odor (I’m not much of a sweater anyway). After I was made aware of the unnecessary ingredients in that deodorant I knew I had to make a change. The problem was that I had tried natural deodorant before and boy did it suck. I didn’t think it smelled nice and it stopped working after an hour or so. So, I did what I do best and sought advice from my good friend Dr. Google. Through helpful blogs I discovered that many people made their own deodorants to combat the naughty no- no’s in traditional ones.




So I looked at a few recipes and endeavored to get mixing. The first recipe I used was coconut oil and baking soda. Yowza! My underarms were on fire from the moment that I put it on. Sure there was no bad smell but the itching and burning was relentless. When I returned home that evening, my armpits were red and scaly :(. I kept using it for about a week, swapping the coconut oil for jojoba in thinking it was the coconut oil that was causing the disturbance. I soon discovered that it was the baking soda that caused me such harm and vowed to never use it under my arms again.

My DIY Deodorant Attempts

I found the Crystal Essence line soon after that fail and was very happy with that natural deodorant until I learned that there was a chance that the product makers were not forthcoming about the ingredient list. Pfft. What was I to do?! I couldn’t be some smelly lady everyday! So I experimented.

I tried lemon slices under the arm which worked great but only for some hours. I tried lime which worked for a couple hours but made me break out in a rash at times. I tried apple cider vinegar but an odor would creep up after 2 hours. I tried a lemon essential oil, peppermint essential oil, and rosewater mix but would smell bad after an hour. I tried applying Shea Butter first then spraying on an ACV, Witch Hazel and essential oil mix and some days it would work while others day it wouldn’t stop the odor. I tried a shea butter, coconut oil, and beeswax mix and again some days it would work and other days it simply wouldn’t.

The most effective thing to do was for me to rub some lemon under my arm before going in with one of my DIY mixes, but the problem was that it was not always guaranteed, which meant that I could be out somewhere and wacko! Odor time. I did always carry a bottle of Crystal Essence deodorant in case that happened, but I desperately wanted to find my own recipe that would work well all day!

Then I thought about it. The only thing that ever really prevented a bad odor all day was the baking soda. I was just terrified of trying it again because I didn’t want to feel that horrible sensation or break out in that dreadful rash. After days and days of deodorant fails, I decided to give the bicarbonate another shot.

This is What I Did

I melted down some shea butter, coconut oil, and beeswax, then added a tiny bit of baking soda (much less than my earlier tries). I used enough to squelch bad odor but not too much to cause irritation. I then added in some pure lemon juice, pure lime juice, and a few drops of my favorite essential oil (lemon). I let the mix cool and when I applied it to my pits, I had zero problems, plus no bad odor. I was ecstatic. I lasted the full day without the need to even reapply. For the first time I not only was NOT worried about a bad smell, I smelled lovely! This mix has been wonderful to me and now that I have the recipe right, I am confident in sharing it with all of you.




My underarms are very sensitive and in the past with other deodorants (even Crystal Essence) I have broken out in an itchy rash where only Shea Butter is able to calm it. Now I do not have a problem with sore under arms, as my homemade mix has ingredients like Shea Butter and beeswax that is both calming and nourishing for the skin and also has lemon and baking soda to prevent bad odors. This is literally the only deo that I have tried that works on all levels. It stops bad odors, makes me smell great, lasts all day, and does not cause irritation! If you are interested in creating your own mix then I would definitely recommend giving it a whirl.

What You’ll Need

• Saucepan
• Something to stir with
• Shea Butter
• Coconut Oil
• Beeswax
• Lemon Juice or Lime Juice
• Baking Soda
• Essential Oil (optional)

What to Do

I use shea butter the most of all ingredients but you should experiment with what works best for you. Put your saucepan on medium heat and add two spoonfuls of Shea Butter then mix equal parts coconut oil and beeswax (one spoonful each). Once the first three are all melted take them off of the heat and stir in maybe a teaspoon of baking soda. Then add in the lemon juice and the essential oil. Mix it well. You can place it in the fridge to make it set quicker. Once it is set, spoon the mix into a deodorant bottle.

If you do not have a deodorant bottle on hand you can also scoop your mix into the cap of a jar and cover it with plastic wrap (cling film/saran wrap), this is more makeshift but if you do not have another option this works fine! I prefer the cap to a jar because it is easier to roll on rather than scooping it or using my fingers.

Final Thoughts

That’s it handbookers! After all those trying years the secret ingredient was the first one that I had ever tried. I know many people who break out from using the baking soda but it is the only ingredient that I have tried that makes the mix work. I would recommend playing with your portions and using a small amount of the baking soda where it is enough to get the job done but not too much to cause you irritation. I hope that this recipe works as great for you as it is for me!

• Let me know if you have another recipe that works that does not include baking soda!
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