Left: Sheetal Rawal, scientist (human genetics) & founder of Apsara Skin Care
By: Marty S.
Home remedies by: Sheetal Rawal
When you make it your mission to exercise regularly, you quickly learn that deodorant is your best friend, and not having it on hand can make you and everyone around you uncomfortable. We all remember what middle school gym class was like. Because of the combination of sweat and puberty hormones, if you didn’t have deodorant and there was no one willing to share their own (which is unsanitary), you smelled foul all day and there was nothing you could do about it.
The truth is that unless you’re one of the luckiest people in the world, your sweat is gonna stink so deodorant is a necessity. There is a myriad of deodorants and antiperspirants on the market, but a lot of them contain aluminum and parabens, which are harmful to your health. And while there may be deodorants that are all-natural, some of them aren’t as effective as the synthetic ones, requiring multiple uses throughout the day.
Therefore, I’ve decided to share my remedies for homemade natural deodorants that keep you fresh and eliminate your body odor instead simply masking it. Also, they smell good and make you smell good. Isn’t that what really matters?
1. Coconut Oil to Neutralize Odor-Causing Bacteria
Contrary to what you may think, sweat is odorless. However, your sweat stinks because of bacteria. When bacteria interact with the sweat glands in your body, they grow, and more
bacteria strengthens those foul odors. Conversely, when there are fewer bacteria on your skin, there will be less of a stench even if you sweat. Normally, a foul odor is nature’s way of telling you that your body is unclean, but if you don’t have time to take a shower, coconut oil is a great homemade natural deodorant. It contains lauric acid, a fatty acid and antibacterial compound that eliminates bacteria it comes into contact with. It is a great deodorant to apply before you start the day to ensure that your pits smell pleasant for the whole day. You can use coconut oil as a homemade natural deodorant even after you shave your armpits. It will keep your underarms soft, smooth, and bump-free.
Ingredients
1 tbsp. of coconut oil
3 drops of tea tree oil
Instructions
Mix ingredients together.
Apply and massage into armpits until they are dry.
Information
For this and any other oil-based remedy, your armpits need to be dry so that your clothes are not stained.
2. Baking Soda to Dry Sweat Armpits Quickly
However, even though coconut oil is a good deodorant to use before you start your day, it is a bit unwieldy when you forget to use it, especially once you’re already sweating and you’re standing in the hot sun. Coconut oil is thick and it is a liquid, so your sweaty armpits will be seen regardless. Therefore, baking soda does a fine job in situations like these. Baking soda is a drying agent. Since bacteria need moisture - i.e. sweat - in order to grow, baking soda will absorb that moisture and help neutralize the bacteria in your underarms. Baking soda is not naturally aromatic so if you want your armpits to smell much nicer, add in an essential oil or two. Also, keep in mind that using baking soda often may dry out your armpits too much.
Ingredients
¼ tsp. of baking soda
2 tbsp. of rosewater
Instructions
Mix ingredients together and apply.
3. Arrowroot Powder for Cleaner, Fresher Armpits
If your skin is particularly sensitive to baking soda and you experience skin irritations, arrowroot powder is a great alternative. Arrowroot is derived from a starch, and it is gluten-free and vegan-friendly. Like baking soda, arrowroot powder absorbs the moisture from your underarms and nullifies stenches emanating from them.
Ingredients
2 tbsp. of arrowroot powder
½ tsp. of baking soda
½ tsp. of sandalwood powder
Instructions
Mix ingredients together and apply.
4. Tomato Juice for Less Sweat and Less Odor
Even though the jury is still out on whether tomato juice actually does neutralize a skunk’s stench, it helps deal with odors that are far less extreme. In addition to being acidic and an
antiseptic, tomato juice is an astringent. It contracts the skin, causing the pores to tighten. When your pores become smaller, less sweat is likely to form on your skin, which further reduces your stench. Because of this, tomato juice has antiperspirant properties.
Ingredients
1 tbsp. of tomato juice
2 tbsp. of witch hazel
Instructions
Mix ingredients together and apply.
5. Sage for a Garden-Scented Deodorant
Sage is naturally fragrant because it is an herb, and it has antibacterial and antiperspirant properties. When it is used topically, sage eliminates odor-causing bacteria, and it is believed to reduce the activity of your sweat glands, so less sweat is produced as a result. Once your friends and family start noticing how much nicer you will smell because of sage, they might start looking to you for advice.
Ingredients
1 tsp. of sage powder
3 tbsp. of cornstarch
Instructions
Mix ingredients together and apply.
Looking for another remedy for a homemade natural deodorant? Watch this video! Enjoy and please subscribe to my YouTube channel.
6. Witch Hazel for a Deodorant with No Mess
If you are looking for a homemade natural deodorant that is not messy and is easy to clean up, witch hazel is the answer for you. Witch hazel is a clear liquid that you can wash off with water. It has antibacterial properties, and it is an astringent, meaning it removes excess oil and moisture from your skin so that bacteria are even less likely to develop.
Usage Tip
Dab onto armpits as needed.
7. Apple Cider Vinegar to Quench Bad Odors
The thought of rubbing apple cider vinegar (ACV) on your armpits might be off-putting to you - for some, the smell alone may be worse than our natural body odor - but using ACV as a deodorant should not be dismissed completely. First off, that vinegar smell does fade
away pretty quickly, and even if that brief amount of time is still too much for you, you can always mix ACV with a couple of essential oils to mask its signature scent. Second, ACV is a potent antiseptic because of its acidic nature. ACV makes the environment of your underarms acidic; since bacteria cannot handle that pH level, they perish. One thing to consider when using ACV is that it can dry out your underarms if it is used frequently.
Ingredients
1 tsp. of apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp. of witch hazel
Instructions
Mix ingredients together and apply.
8. Lemon Juice for a Fruit-Fresh Aroma
If you still think ACV might not be what you’re looking for in a deodorant, lemon juice may be a solution for you instead. Like ACV, lemon juice is an acidic compound (that may dry out your armpits if overused); it is rich in citric acid, which eliminates the bacteria in your armpits. It neutralizes the possible malodors in your pits and replaces them with the scent of lemons; who doesn’t love the aroma of lemons?
Ingredients
10 drops of lemon juice
½ tsp. of baking soda
3 tbsp. of rosewater
Instructions
Mix ingredients together and apply
