The first time I made my own deodorant was about 8 years ago when I participated in a workshop and realized how easy it was to make your own DIY deodorant antiperspirant, toothpaste, shampoo, and other things. Deodorant and toothpaste were the easiest and quickest recipes. Making shampoo took a little longer, but it was also pretty straightforward.
Yesterday I bought some cornstarch to make deodorant, since I had been thinking about doing this for quite a while, but kept forgetting to buy the ingredients. And so I thought, why not share this on my blog?
As someone who is not only following a vegan diet but also a vegan lifestyle, I try to avoid animal cruelty in all products; not just food, but also in make up, shampoo, soap, detergents (you can make that yourself too, by the way 😉 ), clothes, shoes, and all the other stuff people buy. No, I do not walk around in a hemp sack (Thank you for the image, Hollywood!), I’m still fully clothed 😉
==> What’s the Difference Between a Vegan & a Vegetarian? Click Here to Read More <==
So, without further ado, let’s look at the recipe. There’s no need to read a 1000 or 2000 word blog while scrolling down and wondering where the heck that recipe is. It’s right here. Below the recipe, I will share some of the reasons for making your own deodorant, but if you’ve come just for the recipe, here it is 🙂
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 baking soda
- if you want cruelty free baking soda, then Arm & Hammer is not a good choice, because they are marked by Peta as NOT cruelty free, which means that they either test on animals, pay for animal testing, or sell in china (where animal testing is still a requirement …) Peta has a very comprehensive and up-to-date list of cruelty free companies.
- Coconut oil (the quantity that you need to make a paste)
- Optional: essential oil to add scent
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Instructions
- Mix the cornstarch with the baking soda in a glass jar (or any other container)
- Add coconut oil, just enough to form a paste
- (Optional) Add 3 drops of essential oil (or oils – it is ok to combine 2 esential oils, in order to obtain a specific scent)
- Mix well
Storage time is long, so you can use this for a few weeks.
Why is it a Good Idea to Make Your Own Deodorant?
There are several reasons. It can be for the animals, because of skin rashes, etc.
Health
Despite the ingredients such as paraben and aluminum, there is no confirmed theory between deodorant and breast cancer. This fear has been around for a long time, but studies have not found any link between mentioned ingredients and breast cancer in their reports. (sources: Penn Medicine and Cancer Research UK)
Although people are advised not to use spray deodorants before a breast screening, the reason for that is not a possible risk of cancer, but because deodorants can affect screening results.
Deodorant may irritate skin, especially if alcohol is an ingredient. Before I was vegan I always bought alcohol free deodorant, because any spray deodorant or any roll on containing alcohol would cause horrible rashes. It got so bad that I had to stop using deodorant for a while. I changed it for creams and coconut oil until it got better.
When I became vegan, my requirements for deodorant were now not only alcohol free, but also cruelty-free, i.e. not tested on animals. That last one was nearly impossible about ten years ago when I decided to be vegan; nearly all of them came from companies that tested on animals.
That’s why I attended the previously mentioned workshop where I learned to make my own toothpaste, shampoo, and deodorant.
Why is it cruel for animals?
Have you ever seen the photos of those animals in research labs? As an animal rescuer (for 20 years) and vegan, I have been exposed to an unusually high amount of animal cruelty that still haunts me today, even though it happened years ago …
However, I have not seen animals in a laboratory, nor have I seen the videos, because I can’t bear to look at any more cruelty or hear any more screams. I’ve heard my fair share …
I have only seen some pictures, and the few things that stood out and made me cry were the following:
- The pleading eyes of the monkey who had a wide open hole in his head, done without anaesthesia
- The pain and fear in their eyes
- Their helplessness as they lie on the table, waiting for their torturers to begin.
- The callousness with which their caretakers dispose of them like trash when they have outlived their usefulness in the lab.
Animals that are used for lab tests are:
- Dogs
- Cats
- Rabbits (they say that a rabbit’s scream pierces your ears)
- Monkeys
- Rats
- Mice
- Birds
- Guinea pigs
- Hamsters
- Farm animals (sheep and pigs as well)
The most used animals in research are guinea pigs, followed by rabbits and hamsters. The use of dogs in labs has also increased.
So, when I go shopping for cosmetics, detergents, or anything else, I don’t look at “makes your hair soft as an angel’s” “your dishes will shine like stars” or anything like that, I only look for one thing: not tested on animals.
Before I come across as someone who is wagging her finger at you (I’m not), animal testing is one of the main reasons for many people to avoid certain products. Animal testing is incredibly cruel …
“The standard carcinogen tests that use rodents are an obsolescent relic of the ignorance of past decades.”
– Philip Abelson, Editor of Science. Science (1990), Sep 21, p 1357.
“There isn’t a single genetically manipulated mouse that has been used yet to produce a drug that cures a disease.”
– Kathleen Murray, director of transgenic services at Charles River Laboratories; The Scientist 16 [3]; 22, Feb. 4, 2002
Even scientists have pointed out that animal testing is obsolete and not a fail proof way to guarantee the safety of a product or cure. (Source: caare.usa)
Moreover, there are now plenty of animal testing alternatives that give much better and more effective results. Cell cultures can be grown in a lab. Scientists have even succeeded in growing 3D versions of human organs. Human tissues (healthy or diseased) which are donated by human volunteers are also a good option. (Source: alternative methods to animal testing slideshow, by Ankig Sharma)
Then, there are computer models and human-medical breakthroughs.
In 2009, The European Union prohibited the sale of animal tested cosmetics anywhere in the world. Paul McCartney – long time vegetarian and animal rights activist – was a major contributor to this campaign.
In Conclusion
Besides skin health and animal cruelty, another reason I would like to add is that making your own deodorant at home is also fun. It can be a family group activity, especially now that we’re still mostly tied up at home. This recipe is also antiperspirant, and with such a small number of ingredients it is very inexpensive.
If you have any comments or questions, please let me know in the comments below.
We knew about the testing on animals that is cruel and should not be done, you have come up with a great idea of DIY deodorant antiperspirant. We have been wondering how to make shampoo and toothpaste. How do they get the whitening in the toothpaste exciting topics and great to know what’s in there, and what’s not?
Also how it is tested?
We would like to see topics, on how to make toothpaste and does it taste like crest whitening, or is it less effective?
Cheers,
Mathew&Deloris
Hi Matthew and Deloris,
If you like to know more, I will soon write a post about making your own toothpaste (including teeth whitening) and shampoo 🙂
Thank you for your comment!
Interesting article! I am very slowly trying to get rid of toxic things in my house and so this looks like something that would be fun to try. It doesn’t look to hard and I know whats in it. Thanks for the informative reading!
HI Krista,
It’s such an easy recipe amd you can add any scent that you like, using the essential oil(s) of your preference.
Thanks for your comment!
Thanks for the recipe Christine. I truly like the DIY deodorant antiperspirant idea. I’ll try it tomorrow. This will save me money for sure Haha, and I love the fact that it doesn’t take a lot of time. 5 minutes only sounds great.
By the way, I was asking in a previous article the difference between vegetarian and vegan. So, I’m glad you suggested it in this article. I’m going to have a look at it as well.
Hi Warly,
Yes, I rememember that question and I provided the link to the article in my reply. I am glad you stopped by today and saw the link in this article 🙂
Thank you for your comment!
Hey Christine, marvelous! Another recipe with baking soda and coconut oil. Thanks.
I started making those things myself just recently, so I consider myself a newbie. At the moment it is cold over here and the coconut oil is not liquid like in summer, but solid. I suppose I should heat it up a little bit? Au bain marie?
Also I am wondering how you apply the deodorant? That’s what I still have to get used to with my homemade toothpaste – how to apply it. I have it in a little glass jar and stick my toothbrush in it, but it was easier when it was oily. 🙂
I agree with you that the animal testing is horrible. But I don’t quite understand why using the leather after an animal has had a great life is also banned? Vegan shoes are made of artificial materials, like plastic and polyester etc. I reduce my plastic waste and plastic use as much as I can. What is your opinion about it?
Hi Hannie,
As a vegan, your carbon footprint is already greatly reduced. When you check the charts you will see that vegans have the lowest carbon footprint, lower than vegetarians, and certainly much lower than people who eat meat. A vegan could take 2 or 3 showers per day every single day and still have a lower carbon footprint than an omnivore.
Using leather “after the animal has had a great life”… I’m not sure about the great life if it still has to face a horrible death. Many organically raised animals still end up in slaughterhouses, after gruelling day long trips with no food or water, and cramped together in their own feces before they arrive at a place that reeeks of death and where they know that they will be killed, and often watch their companions being slaughtered before it’s their own turn … I have witnessed this for real, and it marked me for life …
The only fur or leather that for me has been acceptable was the one of a friend of mine who found a dead wildcat on the highway. Although I would never do what she did, she cut its skin off and made a bag out of it, then she buried the remains of the body. I do not think that I would be able to rip its skin off, even if the animal is dead, but at least that animal was free when it was alive and didn’t spend hours or days in fear before it died. However, this is exceptional, …
The “happy cows” or “happy chickens” is a myth to lure consumers into believing that they are eating cruelty free meat, but cruelty free meat is an oxymoron, because you have to end a life to obtain your meal, and it is never ended without pain or fear.
Regarding the deodorant, I just dip my finger into the mix and apply it 🙂 You can also put the mixture into a recycled roll on, but the trick is to keep the coconut oil a little fluid, so that it will continue rolling on the roll on. For that, you would have to leave it in the sun for a minute or two before using it.
When you make the deodorant and the coconut oil is hard, heating it in a bain marie is indeed a good idea, or just placing the jar in direct sunlight for a few minutes.