Welcome back Steemit family for another blog. Today I wanted to share with you a DIY project that I am very excited about because I have been wanting to make this for quite some time, but wanted to first use up all of the product I had purchased. Let me tell you, I used every last bit of it too. When it comes to deodorant products in a twist up tube you will be surprised at how much product is still left down at the bottom. I have been very guilty of throwing them away once it has spun all the way to the top, not realizing the depth of that bottom portion, wasting multiple days use of the product and money!
As a consumer, it heavily weighs on my conscience when using any type of disposable products. The last thing I want to do is mindlessly add to the waste in this world. I understand that I am not perfect and will never be, but what I can do is control the products I consume to make healthier more sustainable versions of the things I use on a regular basis. Plastic is also something we avoid using in our house so we opt for glass containers instead as plastic can be toxic and bad for the environment.
So why deodorant? Well to start off deodorant isn't inherently dangerous to your health, it is antiperspirant that is the culprit and is doing you harm each and every time you innocently place it on your under arms. I get it, sweating in certain situations can be a bit embarrassing and no one likes funky pits but sweating is a natural body function. So don't be embarrassed, after all you are only human, and there is no sense of causing yourself harm at your own financial expense right?
Under your armpits, lymph nodes are hard at work getting rid of the toxins in your body which you release when you sweat. Antiperspirants are loaded with Aluminum compounds that plug the sweat ducts and temporarily stop the flow of sweat. These compounds can be absorbed into the skin and mimic estrogen, promoting breast cancer. So next time your favorite brand of deodorant wants to make you think they are looking out for your skins best interest and that they love all women, you better think again. Aluminum is just one of the many harmful ingredients in mainstream deodorant/antiperspirant brands out on the market including Parabens, Silica, Triclosan (Classified by the FDA as a pesticide which kills both good and bad bacteria, and is known to irritate skin), Talc a carcinogen, and Propylene glycol just to name a few.
Let me explain it to you on how I like to interpret the human body. The human body is like a sponge, and in this example lets just say it's an all propose sponge. We use it for everything so you know that sucker is full of bacteria, but wait just a second. It's not only bad bacteria the body is made of, it also consists of good bacteria working hard to keep you healthy and alive. So back to our sponge theory. If you are using your all purpose sponge for everything and not cleaning it or wringing it out of fluids filled with unpleasant toxic bacteria, then you end up with a soggy stinky sponge that can no longer serve it's ideal purpose. So we must allow our bodies to sweat in order to cleanse it's self, and we must do activities that promote lymphatic health such as cardiovascular exercise and yoga. Yoga is wonderful because believe it or not anyone can do it, just about any move can be modified but what you want to accomplish is a deep twist to help wring the body out like a sponge. Rebounding is also phenomenal for the body and lymphatic support.
I'd like to share with you my experience when I first started using natural alternative deodorants. After understanding that I would no longer be using a product that would prevent me from sweating, I had to accept that it was for my own good and that there would probably be some slightly embarrassing moments under stress and activity. The first product I chose to purchase had good reviews and pleasant scents that I enjoyed so I was really looking forward to this option. However this particular brands formula had a high amount of baking soda in it causing painful rashes.
Now baking soda isn't bad however this formulation was not good for me so I wouldn't really want to recommend it. Often times baking soda is blamed for the rash giving it a bad reputation, and in many cases it can be the cause because of its alkaline pH if used at too high of a concentration. Too much baking soda can also be quite abrasive to the skin, a good formula will not lead to baking soda rash or irritation. Sweat is acidic and neutralizes the alkalinity of the baking soda, making it a helpful ingredient in your deodorant. You are welcome for the mini chemistry lesson.
If you are at all interested at this point to start making the switch to a natural deodorant, then I hope this will inspire you to make your very own right away, believe me if I can do it I know you can too. But if you are a bit intimidated, no harm. You can always see what is on the market and try a few products out that you may very well like, and find more convenient if you don't want to take the time or if you may not have all of the ingredients.
This is not an exact science or recipe I should say, you can make this in large or small quantities if you like. You can make them in different scents and you may even choose to use a different type of container. After searching on the interwebs and Pintrest for a general understanding of the formula and the many ingredients that can be used, I chose my ingredients based upon my skin type and I know that I will be using these ingredients for many other DIY beauty products such as lip balms and hand creams, and body butters.
In my formula I used slightly more than equal parts of dry ingredients to oils/butters. If you have a double boiler great! If not don't worry neither do I, but I didn't let that stop me. In fact I was able to re-purpose an old wax warmer I own to make the perfect size batch for mine and my husbands needs. If you don't have a wax warmer you can simply take a small pot of water on the stove to a low simmer and place your ingredients in a larger glass bowl to rest on the pot, this will slowly melt the oils or butters with out burning them. I would not recommend using a microwave for this.
To my wax warmer I added:
- 1/4 cup Cocoa butter
- 1/4 cup white Shea butter
- 1 Tbsp yellow Beeswax (completely optional)
Once your butters and wax have completely melted go ahead and add in your essential oils, in my formula I used:
- About 30 drops of Tea Tree oil
- 10-15 drops Spearmint oil
- 10-15 drops Eucalyptus oil
- 8-10 drops of Lemongrass oil
- 5 drops of Peppermint oil
- 5 drops of Melaleuca oil
After you add the essential oils into your melted oil/butter add in your dry ingredients and stirs as you go I added:
- Around 1/3 cup of Arrowroot powder
- 1/4 cup natural baking soda
Once my butters melted I mixed all of the ingredients in a large glass measuring bowl with a pouring edge to could easily transfer the finished product into the glass container seen in the picture and filled two travel size tins. I gave one to my husband @rakkasan84 and the other will go in my bag in case I may find myself in a stressful situation at work and may need to freshen up.
I put mine in the refrigerator to help speed up the cooling process. Once the product has cooled you are left with a velvety fresh smelling paste for your under arms. We put our pits to the challenge today and they are still holding strong!
So, I know this blog was long but I really hope you can take something positive from this and apply it to your life. Your health is worth it and wallet will thank you too, because all of the ingredients are inexpensive and most people already have them around the house. Are you ready to make the switch? Have you already? Please let me know in the comments below. If you liked this blog please be sure to give it an up vote. If you have ever known any one in your life effected by cancer or know someone who could benefit from this information, please be sure to resteem this blog. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, please hit the follow button to stay up to date on current content. As always, take care!