How to Make Your Own Natural Deodorant Spray!

Here are some recipes you can try out if you want to make your own natural deodorant. I tried to make them as generic as possible with suggestions on different ingredients you could mix, match or substitute in a particular category (i.e. powder base, liquid base, etc.). I’ve also used percentages for the liquid products so you can easily calculate how to make them in different sizes, though I recommend you start with small amounts (i.e. 2 oz of finished product) until you find the combination you like best then scale it up.

Natural Deodorant Spray
75% Liquid Base (Purified Water, Hydrosols, Aloe Vera Juice, Aqueous Infusions of Herbs or Teas)
20% Witch Hazel Extracts, Herbal Tinctures, Alcohol or Cider Vinegar (or a combination)
5% Essential Oils

Supplies: Glass bottle with sprayer top, glass measuring cup or graduated cylinder with minimum increments of 5ML, glass eye dropper, a funnel (stainless steel is preferred) and a stirring rod (preferably glass but a chopstick will work too)

Ingredients: Your liquid base can be made from Witch Hazel Extract, Apple Cider Vinegar, Hydrosol, Pure Grain Alcohol, Aloe Vera Juice, Sage, Chamomile, Green, White or Black Tea or any combination of these ingredients. Choose any combination of essential oils that please you but be sure to include at least one of the following to ensure efficacy: Tea Tree or Manuka, Cypress or Pine, Sage, Lemongrass or Petitgrain. One of these should be the primary EO and then you can add others that complement the one you choose like Lavender, Lemon, Rosemary, Grapefruit, Lime, Geranium, etc.

Directions: Measure and pour ingredients into measuring cup (use dropper for measuring essential oils and remember that 20 drops is approximately equal to 1 ML). Stir gently using a stirring rod, pour into bottle and screw on spray top. Activate sprayer. Gently shake the bottle before each use. Spritz 2-3 times under each arm.

Adjustments: To adjust quantities start with a 2 oz batch (60ML). Using the percentages provided above that would come out to 45 ML of Liquid Base(i.e. 75% of 60 ML), 12 ML of Other Liquid Ingredients, and 3 ML of Essential Oil (or combination of oils). If you prefer less scent then lower the amount of essential oils from 5% to 2 or 3% and increase the liquid base accordingly, but keep in mind, the essential oils play an important part in eliminating bacteria so staying in the 4-6% range will yield the best results. When you find the combination you like best then you can double or quadruple the amounts o get a 4 oz or 8 oz batch, and so on.

Do not use more than 6% of essential oils and always do a patch test to rule out any possible allergies before using an ingredient.

If you’re not sure where to find the appropriate ingredients or supplies I highly recommend Mountain Rose Herbs. 

Experiment and have fun with the process. If you try this recipe and it works for you please let me know and share what you did so others can learn from you. Or if you have one of your own that you really like, please share it with us here. Thanks!