Coconut, Palm & Tree Nut free Paste Deodorant
This is one of my earliest and favorite recipes, and it really really works! I know some people prefer a stick deodorant to a paste as it can be a little bit messy, but this is literally the only thing that has kept me stink free in even the hottest Texas summer weather.
If you want to use infused oils (I use calendula flower infused olive oil), you’ll want to set this up about 4-6weeks in advance. Just take a mason jar (I recommend a 16oz-ish jar for personal use) and fill it about 1/3 with dried herbs* (I use calendula flowers). Then pour the oil in until the jar is filled, cap it and ideally place it in a windowsill for the next 4-6 weeks. Shake occasionally. Once this is ready:
4 Tbsp (heaping) arrowroot powder
3 Tbsp (heaping) cosmetic grade kaolin clay (cosmetic grade is an important distinction when purchasing)
1 Tbsp (flat) organic baking soda (you can change this amount to more or less depending on the climate you live in and your personal sensitivity to baking soda). I recommend Bob’s Red Mill for this after quite of a bit of trial & error over time with other organic brands. Some brands are just more harsh on the skin I have found.
Approximately 2oz Olive Oil (I infuse my oil, as stated above, because it adds healing & soothing properties to the deodorant. Totally worth the ahead of time prep, IMO)
Step 1– mix dry ingredients well.
Step 2– slowly add approximately 2oz of the infused oil. You want to get to a nice smooth consistency, not too liquidy, not too chalky- this can vary a bit. So mix some, add a little more, mix again, basically until you get the consistency that you like. Then scoop into the container of your choice. This makes about 3oz of deodorant.
Optional Step 3– If you like, add some essential oils after this. I honestly don’t measure this part- add about 20ish drops . You can tweak that to be as light or strong as you prefer.
*Notes: You don’t have to use calendula flowers or olive oil for the oil part. Since this is for you, you can personalize this however. That saying, I choose olive because it’s a good consistency & infuses well. It also has a good shelf life- around a year. So if you do swap out oils, check on shelf life (for example, hemp is 3-6 months if stored in the fridge) and I don’t recommend choosing an oil that’s too thick, like jojoba or meadowfoam. But otherwise there are lots to choose from. Same with the herbal infusion- lots of great healing herbs to choose from! Calendula is my favorite, but St. John’s Wort, Plantain & Comfrey are also amazing. Rose hips & rose petals can be good choices as well, and all of those herbs are easily found online.
Best to store your herb bag in a ziplock so as not to attract anything that likes to chew on them. It’s not often, but can happen, and it’s a huge bummer to throw out organic herbs. I also recommend Bob’s Red Mill baking soda. It more expensive than quite a few other organic baking sodas and comes in pretty small bags (though this can last quite a long time when making for personal use), but I’ve tried many and ALWAYS go back to Bob’s. The consistency & quality are perfect for the deodorant.
And that’s it! Like many of my recipes, the trickiest part was in the initial research & formulation. But now you can also make coconut & palm free deodorant anytime you need it, yay! 🙂
True Love Soap Company 