Looking for an *effective* but natural deodorant
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skin Care and Makeup Forum

Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:11 pm

I use a crystal rock deodorant too, combined with a little bit of body powder on top of it to soak up wetness. It doesn't make me feel totally bulletproof though, so I might try some of your suggestions.

free skin care · Tue Jul 31, 2007 9:48 am

The best one is for this is like a white iced rock that you can make in a powdery form. This not only get rid of body odours but also bad odours and wetness on feet!!! (you can find this in asian shops) .... HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!

ginnielizz wrote:

Hi folks, I decided it might be time to give up on my Lush deodorant I've been using in favor of something better. I'm big on using very natural products, i.e. no propylene glycol, aluminum salts, or Triclosan in my deodorant - but most natural formulations are crap for effectiveness. They leave you sweaty or stinky or both, and some have weird side effects.

So I finally found [url'http://usa.lush.com/cgi-bin/lushdb/2170?expand=Closeup]Lush Aromacreme[/url], which is a big creamy log that they slice a chunk off of. You have to rub it in with your fingers, and the bottom line is that it's the most effective natural thing I've ever found - but it has a freaky side effect.

It makes your underarm skin peel! This doesn't happen to everyone, but if you look on the Lush forums, it's experienced by a lot of people. It can also really sting sometimes or turn your skin red and irritated or brown and dry (right before it peels - it's kind of a cycle). I find that using just a tad, and using it on totally dry skin, and not using it right after shaving, helps a lot - but who wants to put all those conditions on a deodorant!?

So I'd like to know if you fellow EDS natural gals have any alternatives to suggest - are there any long-lasting, odor- and wetness-busting deodorants that are natural, or at least mostly so? And if not, do any of you make DIY deodorant? I may try recreating Lush's formula without the synthetics, but I think the baking soda is probably what makes it absorb moisture and what makes it irritate me, so I may be out of luck. I previously thought it was the magnesium carbonate, but someone on EDS tipped me off that that's actually pretty common in many makeups, and isn't usually an irritant. So I don't know! Maybe it's the fragrance? Anyway.

It's summer, I'm sick of red blotchy stinging peely armpits, but I'm also not interested in harsh chemical "traditional" deodorants, nor am I interested in half-assed "natural" ones (and I've tried Alba, Kiss My Face, Desert Essence, Jason's, Tom's of Maine, and probably more that I can't remember). Please let me know your thoughts and suggestions!

free skin care · Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:29 am

You guys, this is some awesome advice. When I Googled the - butter, there were no ingredients listing on their site, so I emailed the gals and got a response. The ingredient list is so similar to my old Aromacreme! But the smells sound nicer. Still, though, my strong suspicion is that the high baking soda content is what's giving people the rash - so I decided to DIY myself some custom - butter!

This is my first DIY project in a LONG time, but it's a relatively simple formulation that doesn't require any emulsifiers, etc. so I wasn't too worried about it. I just blended shea butter, coconut oil, a small amount of baking soda, and a LOT of kaolin clay (along with some neem and tea tree for --busting, and some lavender EO and sandalwood in a jojoba base to cover up the neem stink). I wanted the absorbency to come more from the clay than the baking soda, and hopefully that'll make it less irritating. I'm also going to be adding some powdered orris root when it arrives from Mountain Rose, as I've heard that's quite good for deodorizing too.

I'll post an official "recipe" in DIY when I see how this works! For now I'm testing it, but I'm just sitting around the house today so it's not exactly strenuous and sweat-inducing. I'll keep trying it daily though, and see if it at least lets me shave and apply directly without irritation. Trust that you will be updated!

free skin care · Wed Aug 01, 2007 10:37 am

OK, so my homemade - butter is holding up really nicely. I really think it's the neem - even though the neem smell is awful, it seems to do an incredible job of keeping bacteria at bay. I definitely still get some wetness, but not stink! And I wound up doing a bunch of chores yesterday after putting it on, plus our thermostat said 87 degrees Farenheit, and I wasn't smelly at all. Yay, I think I may have finally found my deodorant! My skin doesn't get irritated even when I apply it right after shaving, and it hasn't done any stinging, peeling or drying yet. We'll see how it holds up over time.

free skin care · Wed Aug 01, 2007 6:02 pm

Still holding up awesome, after running to catch the bus and sweating a ton. This stuff is absolutely my new deo fix. So pleased I came up with a solution myself, just from analyzing everyone's suggestions!

I do have a question for you guys, though. Does anyone know where/if I can buy a powdered version of the crystal deodorant rock that some people use, so I could try adding it to my mixture?

free skin care · Thu Aug 02, 2007 1:56 am

Hi Ginnielizz,

I had a little look on google and found this http://www.deodorantcrystal.com/products.htm

I'd really like to try these now.

free skin care · Thu Aug 02, 2007 10:51 am

Thanks! I suppose, too, that I could always just buy a deodorant crystal and grate it with a cheese grater. Laughing

Aah, my poor, patient boyfriend, suffering my weird cosmetic obsessions in our kitchen... wait until I get more into DIY stuff again, he's gonna be so weirded out when he comes home and thinks it's dinner on the stove, when in fact it's lotion I'm trying to emulsify. Maybe that'll help my case when we eventually buy a house, since I've always wanted one with a mother-in-law apartment downstairs so I could eventually have that kitchen as my "apothecary"!

free skin care · Fri Aug 03, 2007 9:11 am

Thanks for posting that info, ginnielizz! Sounds like your deodorant is coming along nicely.

free skin care · Fri Aug 03, 2007 9:51 am

It really is! Though I just realized that possibly I'm not supposed to post DIY stuff? Embarassed

Well I'm not trying to sell anything so hopefully it's no big deal. Anyway, my Mountain Rose order came so I'll have to see if adding some powdered orris root is helpful too, but honestly I'm not sure my concoction really needs anything now!

free skin care · Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:08 pm

chimera wrote:

Lucinda, does the Simply Devine deodorant combat wetness?

Not completely in a humid environment. But it does a pretty good job. I am really impressed.

free skin care · Fri Aug 03, 2007 2:03 pm

ginnielizz wrote:

It really is! Though I just realized that possibly I'm not supposed to post DIY stuff? Embarassed

Well I'm not trying to sell anything so hopefully it's no big deal. Anyway, my Mountain Rose order came so I'll have to see if adding some powdered orris root is helpful too, but honestly I'm not sure my concoction really needs anything now!

ginnie, if this is a recipe you've concocted, you can certainly post this in the DIY section. The limits on what we can post is strictly limited to reviews and questions about product from home-based businesses.

free skin care · Fri Aug 03, 2007 2:11 pm

Great, thank you for that clarification. Smile

This is all my own doing, based on reading Oyin and Lush ingredients lists and hacking them apart. And I must say I'm pleased with how I did!

free skin care · Mon Aug 06, 2007 2:12 pm

Yep, okay, I've finalized my recipe. I had a DIY-tastic weekend, and I made a good OCM mixture, a good moisturizing facial oil, a new MMU concealer, and more deodorant.

First of all, I mentioned I was going to try adding powdered orris root - DON'T DO THIS. It stank and was not finely ground enough, so the texture was hideous and it had all these grainy bits. I also tried doing this with bentonite clay instead of or as well as the kaolin - another bad idea. Stick to the fine, powdery, white stuff. Lastly, I tried adding some cornstarch, and while I don't think it was BAD per se, my batch with cornstarch was not as smooth as the other stuff, so I won't be adding it in the future.

I'm posting my official recipe on the DIY threads, but I'm going to come back and update if/when I get around to ordering some deo crystals and adding them into the mix. Thanks again for your suggestions! I need to remember that with some products, if I can't find the perfect thing out there, I can always just have a go at making my own. Smile

free skin care · Wed Aug 08, 2007 12:42 am

Thank you for sharing your findings! How very interesting

Tue Aug 14, 2007 1:12 pm

rkai93 wrote:

I like real purity and aubrey's high C

I recently purchased Real Purity deodorant based on all of the rave reviews I read; however,I've gotten mixed results from using it. Out of curiosity,how many hours after you applied it does it last before you notice any BO?

What about Aubrey Organics E plus High C? I also was considering trying this deodorant based on favorable reviews posted on another forum.

I tried the - Butter a couple of months ago and it is Truly Amazing and inexpensive too; Only $4.50 for a tin. On me, it provides up to 24-hour deodorant protection on just one application! This is remarkable considering I can be a smelly gal Wink

. During summer's heat and humidity, I can get down right smelly and funky-just like a man. I ran out of the - Butter and was test driving other deodorants to find an equivalent to the - Butter so that I can alternate the two deodorants at the change of the season: I'll use one for the fall/winter and the other for the spring/summer. So far, nothing else I tried comes close to the - Butter.

Sat Aug 18, 2007 9:24 am

ginnielizz wrote:

I'm posting my official recipe on the DIY threads, but I'm going to come back and update if/when I get around to ordering some deo crystals and adding them into the mix. Thanks again for your suggestions! I need to remember that with some products, if I can't find the perfect thing out there, I can always just have a go at making my own. Smile

Can you post your homemade Aromacreme/- Butter recipe here as well?

Thanx! Very Happy

free skin care · Sat Aug 18, 2007 9:31 am

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?tid=25176 - just keep in mind that all of my measurements are total guesstimates, because I almost never measure anything. Laughing

Thu Aug 23, 2007 5:18 am

Thanx for posting your recipe.

I've seen several other homemade - Butter recipes posted on another forum by women who were either sensitive to the baking soda ingredient or to the essential oils used in the scented - Butter deodorant. One women swore by the below recipe:
1 T Shea butter
1 T Coconut Oil
1 T Baking Soda
1 T Corn Starch.
A big squirt of aloe to help thicken it up a bit.Lavender EO for fragrance.

She said it smells like coconut oil and looks like frosting and loves it! It lasts all day and thru the night with just one application. I may end up trying this recipe if I can't find another deodorant that compares to the - Butter.

free skin care · Thu Aug 23, 2007 7:44 am

Cool, thanks for posting the alternate recipe! I wonder if the aloe makes it separate - I'll have to give it a try. Even though I'm pretty sure the baking soda was what was giving me a rash, the ratios are such that it doesn't bother me with the new stuff. Sounds like this new recipe is similarly low on baking soda, so that's nice. Yay for taking our - into our own hands, hahaha.

free skin care · Thu Aug 23, 2007 9:19 am

I have been told that if you eliminate waste properly deodorant may not be necessary all the time. This would include drinking lots of water, eating a diet with lots of fruits and veggies, cutting back on carbs.Taking probiotics daily is a great help for this and many other things.

For those that can't do the above here is an all natural approach:

Additionally herbal remedies are very effective in eliminating unpleasant and embarrassing body odors, herbs in addition to adding to the maintenance of hygiene and proper nutrition to the body because of their composition aid immensely in helping eliminate the body odor sources. Easy and effective herbs to use are oils and herbal essences such as essential oils of lavender and thyme, which have a potent ability in killing bacteria and have pleasant smells besides their bactericidal actions. The easiest way to go about it is to add about five drops of each to bath water or a shower gel that you normally use. By mixing just five drops of lavender oil in two cups of distilled water, your entire body can be cleansed and freshened, by placing the mixture in a glass bottle and dabbing it with a soft cloth or cotton swab to affected body areas, relief from odors can last for hours on end and you will also be able to perspire easily.

free skin care · Thu Aug 23, 2007 7:20 pm

Thanks a lot, Winnie. Looks like this is a more long-term and healthier approach to the problem. I will try this essential oil method tonight.

free skin care · Thu Aug 23, 2007 8:04 pm

Thanks, Winnie! I'm so terrible about adjusting my diet like I know I should - both for my skin/hair and my general health and weight! Alas. I know what I should do, but I rarely do it. I'm hoping my new job will help - I'll be walking to and from work, which means I'll also be able to walk more on my lunch breaks to run errands and such.

But the lavender thing is a great idea - that's what I used as one of my EOs in my deodorant, but next time I think I'm going to double the lavender and skip the Sweet Orange. I really don't know what effects Sweet Orange has except that it smells nice, but I like the idea of including only specifically antibacterial oils, and lavender smells good to boot!

free skin care · Fri Aug 24, 2007 6:23 am

I love wellas line especially "desert rose"
Also Dr. Hauchka makes deodorant that my sister
swears by. I never tried it, but it smells divine. Very Happy

free skin care · Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:58 pm

I simply rub some baking soda under moist clean arm pits - works great to prevent odor.

I hear vigin coconut oil also is supposed to prevent odor, as well as zinc oxide. Their is a NOW brand deo on zinc oxide base.
I Havent tried either of those.

free skin care · Fri Aug 24, 2007 2:34 pm

I'm loving kiss my face in summer. I noticed that it took about a week of using every day to get all the yucky stuff out of your pits...after that you will not get the smell you are talking about.

Automatic Message

If this is your first visit to the EDS Forums please take the time to register. Registration is required for you to post on the forums. Registration will also give you the ability to track messages of interest, send private messages to other users, participate in Gift Certificates draws and enjoy automatic discounts for shopping at our online store. Registration is free and takes just a few seconds to complete.

Click Here to join our community.

If you are already a registered member on the forums, please login to gain full access to the site.