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Hi.

I'm Nadine. Thanks for stopping by. The floors are creaky, the kids are loud, but the door's always open and the coffee's always on.

Make yourself at home.

Smells Like Teen Spirit Homemade Deodorant

I vividly remember begging my mom to let me wear deodorant. Specifically Teen Spirit. She was supervising our lunch hour at school. I was probably 9 or 10 at the time. And all the cool kids were doing it.

When she eventually caved, I was hooked — and I’ve worn deodorant every single day since.

(Somewhat related: I’ve washed my face twice a day since I was 11. Every. Single. Day. This habit does not break for camping, mono or childbirth. Clearly I don’t have commitment issues.)

Anywho.

When Matthew and I were beginning to talk more seriously about starting our family — a weird phrase considering getting married is a pretty great “start” if you ask me — I did some quick research regarding the foods and products I should and shouldn’t be consuming/using when pregnant.

And while I was pretty laid-back when it came to adopting any real pregnancy rules — other than a few obvious ones: no whisky, no cocaine, no cat litter — I did return an unopened bottle of moisturizer that contained retinoids.

And I started thinking about my armpits. And parabens. And synthetic fragrances.

So when I was assigned a “DIY deodorant” article last spring, the timing couldn’t have been better. Most surprising was that I actually used the homemade variety. All of it.

I’m now on my third batch.

Sure, it takes a little getting used to smearing cream under your arms, but change is good, right?

(And, yes, dear skeptics, it works.)

I use ThankYourBody.com’s recipe for Homemade Deodorant for Sensitive Skin. (I add lavender and tea tree oils.)

You'll need:

  • 1/3 cup coconut oil
  • 2 Tbsp baking soda
  • 1/3 cup arrowroot powder — or arrowroot flour, it’s the same thing
  • 5 drops lavender oil
  • 5 drops tea tree oil

Find the super-simple directions here. (Seriously. It’s S.I.M.P.L.E. I made this while a baby rolled around on the floor — yep, she’s rolling! — for about five minutes.)

Do you make your own deodorant? How does your recipe differ from mine?

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