Homemade, Natural Orange Dreamsicle Deodorant

My latest creation is so, so sweet. I am just so thrilled at how this product turned out. This is the formula that I plan on using for the next few weeks, and longer if it turns out to be as perfect as it seems. I found the recipe online and decided to give it a whirl. Here's where I found the recipe.

Creamy Homemade Deodorant Antiperspirant

My first attempt was good, and the tea tree lime scent that I used was heavenly. It just didn't seem to do the trick. I could still smell sweat, and it wasn't good. I also didn't have cocoa butter, but I have to add that I LOVE cocoa butter. The smell of it reminds me of being pregnant with my sweet babies. Very fond memories. I plan on picking some up when I have some cash to do so. What I had to do is add baking soda, and now the product works.


Ingredients:
4 1/2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. beeswax pastilles (or grated beeswax)
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. baking soda
8 drops tea tree essential oil
20 drops orange essential oil
7 drops vanilla extract (if you don't have a dropper for this, use a spoon and let it drip off)


Materials:
small pan
pyrex glass bowl
metal spoon- for stirring and scooping
whisk- handy for mixing the powders in
clean, dry containers with lids- to hold product
~or~ wash out an empty deodorant tube.
measuring cup
measuring spoons

The Process:
~I made sure I had gathered everything I need.
~Put the pan on the stove on about medium heat.
~Fill pan with water part way, and put the pyrex bowl on top, so that the water heats the bowl.
~Heat the water hot enough to melt the wax, but not boiling. Always check to make sure the water doesn't evaporate.
~Add coconut oil and beeswax pastilles to the pyrex bowl, stir with a spoon occasionally, let them melt.
~Turn heat off or down.
~Add tea tree, and orange essential oils, mix well.
~Add the vanilla extract, mix well.
~Slowly add the cornstarch and baking soda, mixing well with a whisk.
~Scoop the mixture, carefully, into a little jar or container of choice (we didn't have a deodorant tube).

Notes:
I've found it's easiest to mix the powders into the melted coconut oil and beeswax with a whisk in the pyrex bowl. It's much easier than having to scrape the sides of a pan to get all of the ingredients mixed in.

The baking soda in this recipe makes it a little "grainy", but without the baking soda the recipe didn't seem to work well enough. If you want to make it less grainy, you could use less baking soda. It really helps to keep you dry, and that's why I used as much as I did.

The scent in this formula is quite gentle, and can be kicked up a bit by adding more orange essential oil and more vanilla extract. Do this gradually, so you don't add too much scent!



Warnings:

1. This is a natural deodorant with some antiperspirant properties. It probably won't work all the time. I tend to apply it a few times per day, just to keep it working. I have found that it works better than the Tom's brand natural deodorant that I was using, but it's not as fragrant.

2. This is made with coconut oil. It can stain your clothing. Please take that into consideration.

3. The essential oils in this recipe could be irritating to some people's skin. If you are sensitive to them, you can omit them from the recipe.

4. Please be careful using orange essential oil, or other oils that can cause phototoxicity, on skin that will be exposed to sunlight. It can cause damage to your skin. You can learn more about that here.

I will add pictures when I can...Enjoy~

~Amanda Star~