How to Make Your Own Deodorant

I have been making my own deodorant for two years now. I see several benefits to it:

• It's cheaper then buying commercial deodorant / antiperspirant
• Less waste (no more little blue plastic containers to throw away - and anything that reduces plastic waste is a good thing)
• I never run out, as long as my ingredients are well stocked (and they always are)
• Fewer chemicals on and in my body. There is a great deal of Internet debate about whether or not the chemicals in deodorant and antiperspirants cause cancer and/or Alzheimer's, but whether or not it's true, I'd rather not take the chance...especially if I have a natural alternative that works just as well as the commercial solutions.

What You'll Need:

-Coconut Oil (available in the baking aisle of most supermarkets)

-Corn Starch

-Air-tight container for storage

-Baking Soda (optional)

-Tea Tree Oil or lavender oil (optional)

I find it's easiest to mix if you first melt the coconut oil in the microwave. I remove the jar's lid and microwave on high for 2 minutes until most of it is melted.

My preferred recipe is simply 1/2 C. Corn Starch and 4 Tbsp. Coconut oil, mixed together and stored at room temperature. I apply it with my fingers and it works well for me, even in the Summer. 

If that doesn't work for you, an alternative recipe would be 1/4 C. Corn Starch, 1/4 C. Baking Soda, and 4 Tbsp. Coconut oil. If that still doesn't control odors, you can add 10 drops of Tea Tree or Lavender oil to the mixture. 

Store in an airtight container and just mix more when you need it. I also use a little travel size container (that used to contain eye cream) for traveling.

This is a deodorant only, not an antiperspirant, so you'll still sweat (but you shouldn't stink). If I was a teenager, though, I'm not sure this would be a good solution, but since I'm older and don't sweat as much as I used to, this works great for me. 

Another important note - sometimes it takes a couple of weeks for your sweat glands to adjust to not being squelched by a commercial antiperspirant. So, if you feel like this isn't working because you're so sweaty, try giving it 10 days or so to see if your body adjusts. It really is worth it!

How to Make Your Own Aromatic Shower Bombs

According to many experts, we may see record-breaking pollen levels this Spring. That is bad news for allergy sufferers, and I'm already feeling the miserable effects of all this pollen. I went in search of something to help clear my stuffy head, and I was lucky enough to come across this post.

I was lucky enough to already have most everything needed, so I decided to give them a try. I changed it up just a little, though, and I was very pleased with the results.

I decided to make shower bombs with three different scents, and I added food coloring to help me tell the difference once they were done. For one group, I used Eucalyptus Oil, Lavender Oil, and green color. For the second, I used a Refreshing blend of Lemon, Geranium, Rosewood, Maychang, and Cedarwood oils, and yellow color. In the third, I used a Stress Relief blend of Lavender, Ylang, Black Pepper, Petitgrain, Pine, Clary Sage, and Vetiver oils, with a few drops of red color, giving me a nice pastel pink.

I mostly followed the original instructions, using 2 cups of baking soda, enough water to make a paste, and 20 drops of oil (total) for each batch. I also added 4 drops of color to each batch.

I then spooned the paste into the paper cups. Since I was in a hurry and wanted to use them quickly, I baked them at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, then turned the oven off, left them in the oven with the door shut, and waited until they'd cooled. They had dried by that point (and boy, did my house smell terrific!), so I took them out.

Time for a nice, long, hot shower!

A few lessons that I learned and will change the next time I make them:

• Don't fill the cups past the half-way point. I filled mine like I would normally fill when making cupcakes, and it was too much. The weight was too much for the paper cups, and they ended up sticking to the cupcake tins. Spraying the cupcake tins with non-stick spray probably would have prevented this, too.
• Instead of paper cups, I plan to use the foil baking cups next time. I think they will hold up better, and they'll be easier to peel off in one piece when I'm using them, rather than fall apart like the paper ones. I think they'll look nice, too.
• The original post said that you could put the bomb anywhere on the floor of the shower, and I agree. However, I get more scent when I put it toward the back of the shower, out of the direct path of falling water. It definitely lasts longer this way! My husband also suggested that it might be beneficial to plug the drain while you're showering, to get even more scent while you shower. I may try that, too!