under arm Deodorant alternative

People who eat a lot of curry, tend to smell like curry and not like regular sweat. They gain all of the benefits of those healthy spices on the inside.  It has the added benefit of being a whole body deodorizer.

I remember a time when I had zero smell under my arms, that's when I was a fruitarian.
Then I would immediately notice smell whenever I had onions. Now I eat less clean food, still healthy stuff, but yes, I do smell again a bit... That's one part I miss with leaving behind the fruit eating...

One more simple solution as a deodorant - mix pure zinc oxide powder with coconut oil or any other oil or even lotion, and use that. It stays pretty well on, so it can be put on once every few days. It is also great to put between toes on hot days to prevent sweat causing blisters there.

I'm intending to write a post on this topic eventually, but as a teaser... Beware of the food you are eating. I recently visited the capitol and ate industrialized food. For the week I was there, I stunk like crazy! Took about 36 hours after leaving the city for my smell and taste to return to that of a natural primate.

I haven't looked through the several pages of this thread completely so pardon me if this has been mentioned before. I just want to tell everyone about what I have been using exclusively for about 15 years now with absolutely NO ill-effects and NO smell. But first let me give you the background...

Some years back an amateur chemist by the name of Paul Krebaum was tasked with the job of creating a product that would remove cat urine smell from carpets, bedding, etc. If any of you have cats (tom cats especially!) you know how hard that odor is to remove from anything -- no matter what you use. Mr. Krebaum came up with a product that worked so well on cat urine odor that he tried it on other things as well -- like skunk odor. Worked like a charm! Absolutely, positively removes ALL the smell from a skunk in one treatment. No joke! (I know because I have used it many times on my 9 dogs -- who take turns getting sprayed every spring and summer. It seems to be some sort of contest with them to see who gets to go first every year. ) Only problem was that the product was unstable, had almost zero shelf life and could not be packaged after mixing. (It tends to blow up the bottles it's put in.)

Despite its non-existent shelf-life, Mr. Krebaum thought the product was too good at what it did not to tell people about it, so he put up a website with the recipe. Here it is http://home.earthlink.net/~skunkremedy/home/sk00001.htm The ingredients are simple, cheap and probably in your house right now -- hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, water and a drop of dishwashing liquid. His recipe is for a large amount to clean up a skunked dog, but it works just as well on other odors when used in far smaller proportions. If you make this, read the whole page where he discusses why you should never attempt to store this (especially in glass bottles) or you may be very sorry.

As for underarm deodorant... what I do is put a teaspoon or so of baking soda on a paper towel, pour a spoonful of peroxide on it to wet it, and simply rub that under my arms. The dishwashing liquid and water are not necessary for this application since it is such a small amount (the soap merely aids in keeping the baking soda in suspension when making a large amount and the water allows it to go further when washing a big dog). The really interesting thing about it is that it completely neutralizes odor on me for 2 or 3 days without having to reapply. Even after bathing I seldom have to use it more than 3 times a week. And I am not one of those people who doesn't have an odor problem -- before I started using this I couldn't find a deodorant that would work for more than a couple of hours, let alone days!

Just so you know if you want to use this for other things. It is NOT a cleaner but an odor eliminator. I have seen a few blogs out there where people seem to think this is some sort of magic cleaning solution. It is not. The peroxide and baking soda combine to cause a chemical reaction that basically eliminates odor by changing its chemical composition -- as explained better by Mr. Krebaum http://home.earthlink.net/~skunkremedy/home/sk00003.htm It does not clean, but it deodorizes like nobody's business!

Anyway, don't take my word for it. Go out to the kitchen and grab the baking soda and get the peroxide from your bathroom cabinet and give it a try. You will never find a cheaper alternative or a better one -- I guarantee it!

Deb Stephens wrote:


Anyway, don't take my word for it. Go out to the kitchen and grab the baking soda and get the peroxide from your bathroom cabinet and give it a try. You will never find a cheaper alternative or a better one -- I guarantee it!

I would try it very carefully as baking soda gives burns to many people's skin. I would never use baking soda anywhere on my body, just for cleaning. Your recipe is basically a recipe I have to for stain removal, and it works very well, the only downer is, that it has to be mixed fresh each time, so I rarely use it.

Joy Oasis wrote:
I would try it very carefully as baking soda gives burns to many people's skin. I would never use baking soda anywhere on my body, just for cleaning. Your recipe is basically a recipe I have to for stain removal, and it works very well, the only downer is, that it has to be mixed fresh each time, so I rarely use it.

Baking soda by itself and left on might burn a bit on the skin of sensitive people (I know it wrecks havoc on my gums when brushing with it so I avoid using it in my homemade toothpastes). However, I did not suggest using straight baking soda but making a slurry or paste of it with peroxide. It goes on kinda wet and when it dries out a bit, you can just brush off the excess. You wouldn't just put a big dollop under your arms and leave it there! The idea is that the combination acts as an instant deodorizer and you can rinse it off after it kills the odor -- exactly as you would if you used the solution to de-skunk your dog. That is why I stressed that you don't even have to use it daily and can shower between without reapplication. I think you may have missed the point a bit.

As for cleaning stains with it... yes, that does work as well because peroxide is an oxygen bleach and baking soda is an abrasive. (You can also use vinegar and baking soda as an environmentally-friendly cleaner.) It isn't the same thing as this recipe however, because in the case of a cleaner, you only need to sprinkle the baking soda on the surface and pour a bit of the peroxide or vinegar over it and scrub. No mixing necessary, so as long as you have the products handy, it shouldn't be any more trouble to use that than to reach for any other cleaner. I keep mine under the sink where it is handy for scrubbing the porcelain.

Magnesium oil. You can buy it in a spray bottle or buy magnesium chloride flakes and boil up with pure water. It has no fragrance, is good for you, and you absolutely don't smell.

Devon Olsen wrote:is there a certain product that natural grocers may carry that would be similar to some of the solutions you guys have found?
just looking for an alternative that can still be bought/picked up at a local store...

Yes, milk of magnesia, used for constipation. I would leave it open for a day or so to let some moisture to evaporate to make it thicker. Then just put it on. Works great. And maybe you get some extra magnesium this way too. I used it before, but now I couldn't find pure milk of magnesia, just with bleach, so I started using zinc oxide powder in the coconut oil.

I see a lot of people commenting that odor is caused by diet. I personally do not think that is true, but who knows. I eat a very very clean diet and my pits still stink.

The only natural one I found was Schmidts deodorant in the jars. I bought 3 jars when I was in Portland in April and recently ran out. It does have baking soda in it, but I haven't had any problems. I made deodorant for myself last year and I had bad rashes from that recipe. The Schmidts doesn't give me any issues.

So after reading through most of these posts I'll just add that after researching fermentation and why it works it seemed that a simple ph change in underarm environment would change the bacteria that grow there.  I have begun using straight apple cider vinegar with great results. might try kombucha vinegar soon...

When human is sick, the sweat will also smell like sick=bad.

As poisons make sick, we all have been sick since we have born: since we expose to poisons every day in every way: by breathing, by eating and by drinking.

It is sad, that when people semll bad, they just add more chemicals in their body with deodorant: making the smell and sickness worse.

Result of this is for example men having breast cancer. And for women, deodorants play a big role also in breast cancer: also bra, which does not allow blood circulation is bad.

I think smell has to do something with hormones, because children's sweat doesn't stink until they come to sexual maturity (and it doesn't really matter if they eat junky foods), and then it tends to stink more until their hormones calibrate themselves. However I noticed, that my sweat doesn't stink, if I eat lots of greens/herbs in juices and powders. Turmeric however makes my sweat stink like turmeric, which is not that bad, kind of earthy.

My career field required that I could not use deodorants. So I have not used any since I was 18, I will soon be reaching 58.

I am not sure that focusing on deodorants is wise.

My husband and I use the white milk of magnesia with a few drops of lemongrass and sage essential oil mixed in.  We make it in small batches as you don't need much.  It works better than any other deodorant I have ever used. We were just talking about our deodorant yesterday, how much money we wasted in our youth by buying regular deodorants and all the plastic packaging we could have prevented if we had only known about using milk of magnesia earlier in our lives. I have not done any research on if it blocks pours so if anyone has more information on that I would love to know.

My French friends have taught me to simply use lavender essential oil. It is antibacterial and smells fine although the scent is not overpowering.  It works great because it is anti-bacterial. Haven't used commercial deodorant since I began this months ago.... AND I get to o next week to see the blossoming lavender fields of Provence - a bucket list opportunity for me!  Blessings,  Brooke

When I was living in the tropics 3 years ago a friend told me her solution - smear on a little bit of liquid soap. I  have used only this since, just a little castile soap (moistened bar soap works too) rubbed in my armpit carries me though the day except if I have been doing heavy labor. In which case I just reapply when I take a break. I tried alcohol and crystal sticks but neither worked as well as this for me.

My deodorant of several years now, is coconut oil, melted then loaded with sodium bicarb and a load of drops of ylang ylang oil. I let it cool and stir regularly in it's storage jar whilst it's setting, to keep the bicarb powder in suspension. This stuff works better than any I've ever bought. If I go wild camping for a while where it's hard to scrub up, my sweat doesn't become noticeable for a good three days when this deodorant is applied. Just a small lump melted and spread between the palms then smeared on my pits, and the job's a good-un.

I also use the coconut oil/bicarb mix for toothpaste, but mix cinnamon, lemon and thyme oils in it. My dentist says I've the most plaque-free teeth of all his patients.

You might try one of those crystal deodorant sticks. They cost a few bucks and last literally forever -- just a mineral crystal you rub under your arms after you shower, that kills odor-causing bacteria.

Magnesium chloride brine (magnesium oil). It's available as a roll on or spray or you can mix crystals with water to make your own. I started using it 4 years ago and never went back, and got positive feedback that I was essentially odor-free. Overapplication can cause some short-term irritation, but you adjust or scale back, and your golden. It requires very little and it lasts a long time. One ingredient, no fuss.

Rubbing an alcohol dampened rag under my arms works great for me if I start to develop an odor. I've used regular rubbing alcohol but try to stick with food grade stuff now.
Trying not to put stuff on my skin that I wouldn't put in my mouth since the skin is so great at absorbing chemicals.

Obviously wouldn't work great if you have cracks or a rash due to the fact that it burns on non intact skin but if you could take some time and let the skin heal it works great. Don't even need to use it every day for odor control.

Also, changing my diet to avoid processed foods cut down on my odors by at least 90%.

Everyone's chemistry and sensitivity differs.  I stopped using deodorant almost thirty years ago and I've hardly noticed a difference in my life.  Aside from working out/running/hard labor causing a sweat, where the obvious solution is to take a shower, there are only a handful of times a year where my armpits stink. Those times are high anxiety, fight-or-flight type situations where smell is the last thing on my mind.  Or stressful meetings that lead down that same road.  Both situations would overwhelm deodorant anyway.

In those situations, I've found some relief using stainless steel.  It comes in a smooth bar like soap.  I tuck it in and let it absorb.  Then rinse it off and repeat.  You can tell it is taking effect by the scent of the bar.  It doesn't completely eliminate odor but it makes a dent.

I have not used conventional deodorant in 17 years.

Over the years, I've tried every natural deodorant under the sun, including pit paste, Tom's, coconut oil, Desert Essence, you name it, I've tried it. ALL NATURAL STICK DEODORANTS GIVE ME A HORRIBLE RASH! If they have baking soda, the rash develops even faster and BURNS LIKE THE DICKENS! (Side note, what on earth are "dickens"??)

The only thing that works consistently for me (and has never given me a rash) is the crystal deodorant stone (any brand) applied to freshly washed pits (hair or not, doesn't matter...I have pit hair in the winter and bare pits in the summer). Make sure to rinse the deodorant stone before each application AND after each application. If you try to put the stone on not-freshly-washed pits, it will not work and you will stink.

Sometimes, not every day, after applying the deodorant stone, I apply one drop of patchouli essential oil to each armpit using freshly washed hands. I just happen to love the smell, but I do think it helps keep bacteria at bay.

P.S. This method only works for me for ONE DAY. I can go about half the next day without washing and applying the stone again, but by the end of that day, I stink. YMMV. I've been pregnant and/or breastfeeding on and off for the past eight years, so hormones play a big part in the stink factor. My ex-husband could easily go two, sometimes three days without washing his pits and re-applying, especially in the winter.

I tried the natural ones in the stores but they were extremely expensive and still had stuff that was bad in them. I was also contributing to the plastic problem.

I devised my own: I get extra virgin coconut oil, heat it lightly, and add large amounts of baking soda and corn starch.   Then I mix them thoroughly and let them cool.  I usually have to add just a bit of olive oil, so it will have the right softness to apply.  Sometimes I realize afterwards that I need to add more of one or the other to get the mix right, but it's cheap, natural and it works really well.

John S
PDX OR

Melissa Marks wrote: (Side note, what on earth are "dickens"??)

It’s a euphemism for ‘devil’, similar to saying “hurts like hell!”

Lemon juice

For years I have been using coconut oil mixed with baking soda and cornstarch.You can add essential oil if you prefer but this combination is unstoppable!

Julie Reed wrote:

Melissa Marks wrote: (Side note, what on earth are "dickens"??)

It’s a euphemism for ‘devil’, similar to saying “hurts like hell!”

Ha! Thanks!

Milk of Magnesia. I buy the dollar store kind which has no preservatives or flavors. It's cheap and goes on easy.

Galen Young wrote:My career field required that I could not use deodorants. So I have not used any since I was 18, I will soon be reaching 58.

I am not sure that focusing on deodorants is wise.

To Galen Young: out of curiosity, what career is there that precludes the use of deodorants?

Last year I bought a tube of homemade natural deodorant from a couple selling at a local farmer's market.  They call it "Dooley's Deodorant" by Vine Street Soaps (vinestsoaps@gmail.com).  If I recall, it was $7 or $8 for a 2oz tube.

I must say, it works better than did most conventional deodorants I used in my youth!  Keeps me from smelling all day long, even if I'm sweating a lot.  The texture is that of a soft, gritty paste.  Although they packaged it in a roll-on tube, it kind of falls apart and makes a mess if applied that way.  I just take a small dab on my fingertip - I really don't use very much - and rub it into my pits after a shower.  It immediately melts away into nothing.  No scent, no rash, no stinging, no sticky feeling.  And no odor.

The recipe as printed on the label is very basic, and similar to many DIY formulations that have been posted here:

- coconut oil
- sodium bicarbonate (i.e. baking soda)
- arrowroot powder
- shea butter
- beeswax
- tea tree EO.

When I run out, I will have to experiment with the proportions and recreate it for myself.  There is no reason we all cannot make safe and effective body products like this in our own kitchens.  Although having a scentless option like this is nice, I think I might add just a touch of scent with some additional EOs for my own blend.

But it will be another year or more at the earliest before I run out, as I only use a little at at time.  Not to mention that most days I don't use it.  I also have a spritzer bottle filled with ACV and a little lavender EO, which I'll occasionally use instead.

But more often, I use nothing.  To protect your health, the best kind of deodorant to use is none at all.  Especially during the colder months, I almost never wear any.  During the summer I wear it more often, but usually only when I'm out and about with people (not a daily occurrence, since I work from home).  If I'm home alone, why use an unnecessary product, even a natural one?  If I actually do stink so bad that I can smell myself, then time to take a shower!  If I'm working out in the garden, better to just do as nature intended and sweat, then wash up when I'm done, even if only a quick wash of my pits in the sink.

For this reason, I don't worry at all about a reaction from the baking soda.  Baking soda works primarily by changing the pH of your skin environment, which can cause some people irritation over time.  If I used it daily, it might become an issue (though likely not, as I've never been particularly sensitive to that sort of thing).

I should also mention that I eat fairly well, and for that reason probably stink less in the first place.  Also, I keep the hair in my armpits trimmed.  That really helps with the odor!  And I've been pooless for several years now.  99% of the time a shower for me is just hot water; no shampoo, no soap.  I've found that it's true what they say: neither is really necessary.  My ex-GF had no complaints!

I just decided I don't care what I smell like so I stopped wearing any.  And yep, I'm a white collar worker.

BTW, I noticed several of the older posts in this thread advise rubbing essential oils into one pits.  Just in case anyone reading these does not know, you should always dilute an EO in a carrier oil before applying to your skin.  Straight EOs are extremely strong and can be irritating.  I've heard of EO of oregano being used straight to burn off moles.

I'm sure some plants produce more potent EOs than others, and no doubt different brands or preparations will produce more concentrated EOs than others.  I couldn't begin to advise which plants might be "safe" and which not, nor do I suspect that the average consumer could guess which brands might provide the stronger concentrations.  Thus, I would recommend universal caution.

An experienced naturopath or herbal practitioner reading this might be thinking "well duh, everyone knows to dilute essential oils."  If so, then I offer myself up as an example of the potential trouble we unschooled Homer Simpson types can get ourselves into ; )

I had an infection around two of my toenails several years ago.  The doctor couldn't confirm if it was fungal or bacterial.  She prescribed topical antibiotics that didn't completely do the trick - the symptoms lessened but then returned.  I followed up with (undiluted!) tea tree EO, applied twice a day for a week or so, which succeeded in killing the infection.

But then just as the visible symptoms were clearing up, they seemingly resurged, within a few days becoming even worse than had been before.  I developed cracked and oozing skin between the toes, spreading further than had originally been.  It took quite a few more days before I realized that this second "resurgence" was unrelated to the original infection.  In fact, I was now experiencing a violent reaction to the tea tree oil, which cleared up as soon as I stopped using it.  The worst part is that I've been warned that I might have residual sensitivity to tea tree oil on that skin for life.

I'm sure there might be some therapeutic scenarios that involve use of undiluted EOs.  I've since been advised by knowledgeable practitioners in the field of herbal medicine that straight EOs should be viewed as pharmaceuticals: very useful, but only to be used sparingly under expert direction.

Having tried all sorts of natural deodorants, the only thing that has ever worked for me is a simple lemon slice.  Anything else either hurt my skin or didn’t cut the odor.  The lemon slices work as well as commercial deodorant.

I mix equal parts Zechstein magnesium flakes with warm filtered water until dissolved..
I pour it into a spray bottle and every morning I spray it on my upper body, behind my neck and rub on the back of my arms and rub on my lower back. I like to rub it in over my organs and spinal cord for my neck.
I've read that it soaks into each organ and and is healing.  I get a deodorant effect and extra magnesium, as well.
They have commercial spray magnesium you can buy but this is so inexpensive, easy to make and uses much less resources rather than throwing away bottle after purchased bottle.
Since doing this I have no more odor.

Some interesting studies that were done regarding magnesium absorption through the skin- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579607/

i plan to research some things mentioned in this thread.  i have been making my own pit paste for several years.  i think it is important to mix essential oils in a carrier oil before mixing into dry ingredients.  they can burn your skin full strength.

i use bentonite clay in my "pit mask".
coconut oil
use vitamin e as a carrier oil to mix with essential oils & tea tree
corn starch or arrowroot powder
baking soda

i try to make it creamy.. but usually its more like paste.

i use body powder as well.  check out vera, wish i knew her    i make this as well and it is very easy !!  drop essential oils on cotton ball or fabric and place in jar of arrowroot or corn starch.

https://www.beautylish.com/a/vxizj/diy-perfumed-body-powder

i dont usually smell bad, unless i sweat and cool down.. and sweat some more.  and its more odor on clothes.  however, i like smelling good, and do not want to offend (or be offended for that matter).  i use the above.  bathe and wash my clothes regularly.  AND... so happy i live in usa where this is the generally accepted practice !!