Sponsored post: This post is brought to you by Eden Botanicals and Wilderness Family Naturals. They sent me Sandalwood essential oil and coconut oil respectively, and have pledged to gift one of each to a lucky reader.
For the longest time I've been wanting to try my hand at making my own deodorant, and when I finally reached the last bit of my store-bought kind, I decided I would bite the bullet and make my own.
I started researching on Pinterest what people generally put in their recipes and they all basically contained the same thing - coconut oil, baking soda and arrowroot or corn starch. I added in a sandalwood essential oil because I love earthy, rich scents, as you may remember from my trip to Dubai where I first smelled oud.
I teamed up with Wilderness Family Naturals (for coconut oil) and Eden Botanicals (for essential oil) to turn this into a giveaway so you could make your own!
The coconut oil is organic and raw, and it's a big ol' jar, at 32fl oz. Obviously the recipe doesn't call for 32 fl oz of coconut oil, so the possibilities for using this jar are endless. We use coconut oil in everything from cooking (it's extremely stable on high heat), to smoothies, to other DIY beauty recipes.
Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood essential oil from Eden Botanicals - click to enlarge
Sandalwood sampler - click to enlarge
Eden Botanicals kindly sent me a sandalwood sampler and a bottle of Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood essential oil so I could decide which one to use. Sandalwood is a very rich, earthy smell, so if you are planning on using essential oil in your deodorant, make sure you use a scent you really love. Luckily, you can do this through Eden Botanicals because they're going to give away a sampler of whichever five scents you like. These are tiny samples - 6 drops each, in most cases, but it's a great way to try out those super expensive essential oils (some bottles cost more than $100!). You'll also receive a bag of pipettes to get the little droplets out. Eden Botanicals is sure to have whatever essential oil you'd like to try - that's their main focus and they're the best at what they do. The oils are super high quality.
Pin it! DIY all natural deodorant
Wearing: The girls are out essie polish
DIY Deodorant Recipe
Ingredients for DIY Deodorant
8T baking soda
6T coconut oil, melted
6 drops of essential oil
Directions for DIY Deodorant
Mix everything together and pour into a deodorant container. Refrigerate until solid (about 2 hours), and then take it out and use daily.
Review: So does it actually work?
Um, yes! I am actually really surprised. It goes on super soft (thanks to the coconut oil), yet keeps you dry (thanks to the arrowroot powder). Baking soda neutralizes odor, and the essential oil coupled with the coconut oil work really well together.
Full disclosure (and probably TMI): I don't sweat much unless I am doing serious sprints or something, and when I do sweat, it doesn't really smell much, so I can't say how this would work for someone who sweats a lot and has a really strong odor. If you're like me and just need light protection, then this will do the job.
The Giveaway
To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment (be sure to leave a comment below using Disqus - all entries will be verified) and let's talk essential oils. Do you use them? What's your favorite scent? What's your least favorite scent? How do you use essential oils? What scent would you pair with coconut oil in this recipe?
Sorry, US residents for this giveaway.
A winner will be chosen on Thursday, July 3, 2014. Good luck!