After my previous post on Lessons learned about natural deodorant, I was still struggling with minor irritation even after eliminating the essential oils and reducing the baking soda.
Wanting to solve my issue, I decided to perform another search, but decided to search for DIY antiperspirant instead of deodorant (I had traditionally used antiperspirants all my life).
I quickly found a posting of 3 antiperspirant recipes by Bri at Natural News, and boy am I glad I did. Glancing at the recipes, I decided that I liked the ingredient list of recipe #3, which I have copied below. The recipe is actually from a HeyFranHey video/blog, and I really enjoyed the information she shared on why she chose each ingredient, as well as which ingredients to adjust to personalize if for the protection you need. While Fran mentions 2 tablespoons of baking Soda in her video, Bri listed only 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) in her recipe, which is what I used.
| 4 Tablespoons | Cocoa Butter |
| 4 Tablespoons | Shea Butter |
| 1/2 Cup | Arrowroot Powder |
| 3 Teaspoons | Baking Soda |
| 10 Drops | Lavender Essential Oil (I use our homemade Thieves Oil blend) |
After using this recipe for over a week, I am well past my normal reaction period of 2-3 days... and happy to report that my irritation is a thing of the past! Thank You Fran for pointing out in your video that Baking Soda is a common irritant for folks with sensitive skin, and Bri for suggesting to use less than Fran's original recipe!