If there’s one thing I’m self-conscious about, it’s the way I smell. I’m constantly applying deodorant, whether I need to or not. But instead of teaching us about body odor and sweat glands, my high school health teacher made us watch the ’70s birthing video (you know the one.)
It didn’t work, and I’m fairly sure some of my classmates conceived baby number one on prom night. I digress. Here are some facts and figures about those pesky pits of yours.
This DIY deodorant spray with rose and lavender will make you smell like a flower, even when you are sweating it out in the garden! Made with gentle, all-natural ingredients that work hard and protect your health.
I could tell you all about this natural deodorant spray made with plant-based ingredients and how good it is for your skin.
I could go on and on about how it is packed with the skin-soothing benefits of aloe, witch hazel, lavender, and rose.
I could rave about it containing no harmful chemicals that can cause disease and impair your body’s natural functions. Or I could tell you that that it smells just like a floral garden in the summer.
But you don’t care about that, right?!
You just want to know if this DIY deodorant actually works! Well, let’s get into it.
Rose and lavender are my scents of choice, but you could easily adjust them for other strong, pleasant scents.
The Not-So-Pleasant Truth Behind Commercial Deodorant
The odour from your underarms is actually due to a collection of bacteria. As we sweat, we create a perfect little hangout spot for bacteria, and as they feast on the moisture, the waste creates a smell.
Yuck!
But when we use commercial deodorants and antiperspirants, they actually stop both the bad AND the good bacteria. When we kill the good bacteria that protect us from the growth of other bad bacteria, we can actually make the odour problem worse.
Deodorant can also mess with our skin’s pH, causing dryness and itchiness as the skin barrier gets messed with.
A natural deodorant won’t plug sweat glans. Remember, this is a deodorant and not an antiperspirant. If you’re making the switch to natural deodorant for the first time, you may notice that you will sweat more. This is because most commercial deodorants are also antiperspirants.
It may take a few weeks for your body to adjust to the new product as the good bacteria settle in once again.
This natural deodorant is made entirely of ingredients you can pronounce, and perhaps most importantly, it doesn’t contain any aluminum. It’s meant to work alongside your body’s natural functions, not against it.
Spray deodorants are easier to make than DIY deodorant sticks.
Formulating Natural Deodorant Spray Recipes
I started formulating homemade deodorant after sharing a room with my friend Crystal (the creative genius and my mom-spiration from Hello Creative Family), who used a DIY deodorant spray she had customized at an essential oils workshop.
The combination of fragrances she used smelled like a bakery: clove, cinnamon, and vanilla. YUM. I tried it out, and boy-oh-boy, did it ever work! But, using hot oils like clove and cinnamon caused my sensitive skin to have a reaction. It was nothing terrible, but I wondered if I could make a homemade deodorant that worked just as well and was calming for the skin at the same time.
I made a few different variations of simple spray bases and tested some combinations of essential oils until I found one that was soothing, nice-smelling, and did the job. Rose and lavender for the win! It’s pretty and floral, and more than anything else, it works.
Witch hazel and aloe vera are the base of this recipe, which are both AMAZING for your skin.
Testing My DIY Deodorant
I’ve tested it for years on myself, my family, and anyone else who will agree to it. After testing it in all four seasons in Vancouver, it went well. When I needed to turn up the volume a bit, I took it to southern Mexico and had some surprising results.
It worked just as well as it had at home, but I also ended up using it on my face and skin to soothe and cool down my freckly, over-sunned skin. And I learned that it works great on clothes, too. It not only prevents any odor from my underarms, but I was also able to use it on my clothes when they needed a bit of freshening up.
This spray is safe to use on clothes and all over your body.
Rose and Lavender DIY Deodorant Spray Deodorant Recipe
This recipe is not only good for your skin but also for the planet. I’m big on reducing the amount of packaging I use, and I love glass or stainless steel bottles that can be reused. Here are some pretty blue glass ones that I use.
Ingredients
Make It!
Measure all of the ingredients and add them to a fine mist spray bottle. Shake well to combine and spray on underarm area after showering or when your underarms need freshening up. Shake well before each use.
Store your deodorant away from sunlight and heat to prolong the shelf life.
FAQ About DIY Deodorants
What is the shelf life of homemade deodorant?
The shelf life of any DIY product will be the earliest expiry date on the ingredients you used to make the spray. For instance, if the aloe vera gel for this recipe expired in 12 months, but the witch hazel expired in 24 months, the overall expiry date for this deodorant would be 12 months. For more on beauty shelf life, check out this post.
Can I use fresh aloe vera for this recipe?
To increase the shelf-life of my homemade deodorant, I use a pre-packaged aloe vera gel. Make sure it’s pure aloe vera gel (not the fake green stuff!). You can use fresh aloe, but it will only last for about a week and you will need to store it in the fridge.
Glossier is officially expanding beyond its beauty offerings of skin-care, color cosmetics, body care and fragrance and entering a new, perhaps unexpected, category: deodorant.
The beauty brand, which is set to enter into its first major retail partnership with Sephora in the coming months, is introducing The Glossier Deodorant, a vegan, cruelty-free, non-comedogenic formula on Jan. 17. Described in a brand press release as a “smooth-glide, odor defense deodorant stick” made with “sensitive pits in mind,” the refillable solid is aluminum-, baking soda-, acid- and water-free. It instead relies on elderberry extract, coconut oil and, interestingly enough, potato starch (a natural moisture-absorbing ingredient).
With this launch, Glossier seems to be putting a new focus on minimizing packaging waste: The deodorant comes housed in a refillable and recyclable case made from “mono material,” which means, per the brand, it’s “made of only one type of material, allowing both pieces to be recycled after use, where materials are accepted.”
Photo: Courtesy of Glossier
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The deodorant will be available in three scents: Glossier You (the brand’s classic aroma), Orange Blossom Neroli (featured in the brand’s existing body-care products) and Sandstone, a new fragrance “inspired by Big Sur and wherever the sea and the mountains meet,” whatever that means.
For those who prefer to smell like pretty much nothing, the brand is offering an unscented version of the product as well.
Photo: Courtesy of Glossier
Glossier’s new deodorant will be available at Glossier.com and in select Glossier stores beginning on Jan. 17, and will retail for $22 for a full unit and $18 for a refill.
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