Armpit Powder, page 108
Armpits are a wonderful thing to care for—smelling great around other people is a good idea to maintain friendships and healthy work environments. The following recipes are wonderful natural blends that keep bacteria at a minimum and absorb sweat. However, they are not antiperspirant recipes; sweating is a really important thing to allow your body to do and antiperspirants are, in my opinion and many others’, just chemical cakes.
(Deodorant Powder Base)
If you like a gentle dusting of the armpits rather than rubbing in a solid, this is for you. This powder is also the base for the rest of the solid deodorant recipes. If you are sensitive to baking soda, simply omit it.
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon kaolin clay
Makes ¼ cup.
Mix all ingredients together well. Pour into your container of choice.
To use, pat a little powder onto armpits as needed. Rub in until fully incorporated with skin to avoid white spots on clothes.
ARMPIT PROMPT
Try adding a few essential oils or powdered frankincense and myrrh into your mix for aromatic enhancement and bacteria-slaying potential.
Armpit Spritz
If you like spray-on deodorant, this blend does the trick.
3 ounces aqua celestis (page 73)
4 drops lemongrass oil
Makes 3 ounces.
Pour all into bottle with a spritzer top and label.
To use, shake spritz and then spray onto armpits as needed.
Using the base mix in the previous recipe, this recipe incorporates plant butters and oils for a smooth, creamy deodorant application that goes on comfortably and can last all day.
½ ounce shea butter
½ ounce sal butter
½ ounce grapeseed oil
10 drops essential oil of choice
1 ounce deodorant base powder (see page 108)
Makes 2½ ounces.
Weigh out butters and grapeseed oil into heatproof mixing bowl, set over double boiler until melted, and remove from heat. Add essential oils to your melted mixture and blend.
Next, add your deodorant base powder and whisk in until no clumps remain. Scoop into jars, cap, and label.
To use, take a pea-sized amount of deodorant cream onto your finger tips and rub into each armpit until you can no longer see it.
DEODORANT FORMULATING PROMPT
Using the basic deodorant cream recipe, substitute an oil blend of your own, weighing a total of ½ ounce. Use different butters if you choose, as long as it equals 1 ounce total weight. Create an essential oil blend that not only smells good but slays bacteria.
This recipe is a spin-off of the Deodorant Cream recipe (page 109), but uses a variety of oils known for their bacteria-slaying benefits as well as a specifically formulated aromatic blend.
½ gram cranberry seed oil
½ gram meadowfoam seed oil
½ gram black currant oil
⅔ gram rosehip seed oil
1 gram jojoba oil
2 grams dragon’s blood oil extraction (see page 22)
10 grams grapeseed oil
25 grams shea butter
5 drops scent blend
5–10 drops essential oils of choice
1 ounce Armpit Powder (page 108)
Makes 1½ ounces.
Weigh out oil and butter into heatproof mixing bowl, set over double boiler until melted, and remove from heat. Add essential oils to your melted mixture and blend. Next, add your armpit powder and whisk in until no clumps remain. Scoop into jars, cap, and label.
To use, take a pea-sized amount of deodorant cream onto your fingertips and rub into each armpit until you can no longer see it.
My friend’s teenage daughter found herself needing to apply deodorant multiple times a day and was simply embarrassed. She wanted a deodorant that would work all day with one application.
I formulated this recipe and my friend’s daughter tested it; it worked all day long, including all throughout volleyball practice. One application in the morning was all she needed.