Easy All Natural Deodorant You Can Make At Home

This article featuring my tutorial for homemade deodorant with essential oils was originally sponsored. Some links in this post are affiliate links that earn me a commission if you purchase through them.

Summer arrived full bore this year, and it is hot and sticky in Chicago (and probably where you live, too). Going anywhere outside without deodorant is a big mistake, even if there isn’t any true “exercise” involved.

My tweens are to the point where they need deodorant on a daily basis, too, but I want to avoid traditional deodorants and their ingredients for a variety of reasons. I discovered coconut oil based deodorants years ago, and I started making my own as soon as the first batch I bought ran out.

Making my own deodorant? Really? Yep. It’s easy to do, and it requires just a few ingredients, most of which I have at home already.

Really? Yup, thanks to Little Miss’s dairy allergy, we use coconut oil in place of butter for most things. I started with a base recipe and tweaked it over the years to best meet my needs, and I love what I make now.

This homemade deodorant smells great thanks to the essential oils, and it truly works. My daughter has the stench of a full grown man without deodorant.

I can’t have her walk within several feet of me when she forgets to wear deodorant. With this homemade deodorant, she applies it in the morning and doesn’t stink even after running around outside all day.

That, my friends, shows the power of an effective deodorant.

I love that the only thing I have to buy to make this is new essential oils (and who doesn’t love an excuse to buy more yummy smelling oils?) I have essential oils that I prefer to use, but choose your favorite.

My two favorites for homemade deodorant are peppermint and lemon. Depending on personal preference, you may prefer lavender, cinnamon, bergamot, or lemongrass.

If you don’t regularly use essential oils, these are great to use in other DIY projects, too. I use them in my peppermint sugar scrub, a whipped body butter, and homemade bubble bath for just three quick examples.

All of them are easy to make, and they make great gifts. I suggest my favorite scents for each of them, but you know what your nose likes, so use the essential oils you have on hand rather than buying everything.

While today I’m sharing my tutorial for a DIY deodorant, you can use these oils in so many other ways, too, beyond the few DIY uses I mentioned.

Add a few drops to your shower to give yourself a spa-like experience. Sprinkle a few drops in baking soda and deodorize your garbage can. Even add a few drops to a spray bottle with distilled water and vinegar for a surface cleaner for your kitchen and bathroom.

What do you need to make homemade deodorant?

Homemade deodorant requires just five ingredients.

Baking soda helps neutralize pH and absorbs body odor. The cornstarch absorbs perspiration, so you don’t feel wet and sticky.

If you have a corn sensitivity, you can use arrowroot powder instead. I use cornstarch as it’s cheaper, but both work effectively.

The cocoa butter ensures smooth skin for us, and the essential oils make it smell great. Mister Man prefers a peppermint smell, while Little Miss prefers a lemon scent. She likes thinking she smells like her favorite dessert (lemon squares).

Coconut oil makes it easy to apply, as it softens with your body heat even in winter when my house is cold and the homemade deodorant much more firm. In the summer, it softens as my house temperature rises and can even be a little liquidy if the upstairs gets into the high 70s, but that doesn’t affect its effectiveness!

How to make homemade deodorant

Use a heavy saucepan, and add a few inches of water. Turn the heat to medium to bring the water to steaming but not boiling.

Add a glass jar carefully. Scoop the cocoa butter and coconut oil into the jar, and turn off the heat.

Let the mixture sit for ten or so minutes to melt. If you choose, you can stir it to speed the process.

Once completely melted, use potholders or another tool to carefully remove the jar from the pan and set on a heatproof surface.

Stir in the cornstarch then the baking soda. I use a fork, which allows me to easily see and find any lumps and distribute them.

Even if your jar looks a little full, if you add and stir carefully, you can get your powders in. It’s amazing to watch the air in them disappear as you stir and they are absorbed into the liquid.

Once your homemade deodorant is a uniform consistency, add the essential oils. I love the ones that have a drip top so I don’t have to find and use a dropper. This makes life easier!

Stir again to ensure they are distributed throughout. Let this come to room temperature and solidify, then cap the jar and use as needed.

I like knowing exactly what I have in my jars, especially since I create more than one scent and version of this homemade deodorant. To avoid any confusion, I use labels for the tops and sides of my jars.

I created a printable for both the lemon and the peppermint version of this DIY deodorant cream. Download the free printable of the labels in both black and white and in color.

I designed it to have white space around the top circle label to fit both wide and narrow mouth jars. Don’t cut it exactly on the outer circle.

How to use homemade deodorant

Each morning after you shower, rub your fingers over the top of your homemade deodorant to scrape up an amount the size of a pea. Rub that under one arm, and repeat on the other side.

Depending on your personal needs, you may need or want to use a little more, but start there. I switch hands so I only dip into the deodorant once, then wash my hands quickly after applying to remove any residue.

I don’t have any stains on my clothing from this, and Mister Man has fewer yellow stains on his white shirts, as well. It’s a win/win all around!

If you’re nervous about this, apply before you get dressed. Just give it a few minutes to absorb while you do other morning tasks.

One note: If you have razor burn or other irritated skin or open cuts under your arms, wait until they heal before using the homemade deodorant, as the essential oils could further irritate this.

What scent do you love for a homemade deodorant?

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