That's Impossible!!! A Toxin Free Deodorant that Actually Works!

My husband is a good sport.  I have made difficult situations, like remodeling after a flood, more challenging because I checked all materials for toxins and pressed for healthier options.  This slowed down the process considerably and he loves to cross items off his "to do" list quickly.  He has been, in his own words, a "late adopter" of many of my green ideas. He is now, however, my biggest supporter in our journey to make our house healthy and safe for our family.  But sometimes he still thinks I am a bit crazy...

The following example of one of my weird ideas is shared with his full permission:)

A long time ago a friend told me about the dangers of regular deodorant/antiperspirant.  I shrugged it off and thought it might be true but I wasn't willing to stink.  I felt this way for many years.

As we started to clean up our home for the kids, I became careful about what soaps and shampoos we used for them.  I started thinking about the deodorant thing and thought I'd better figure this out now so we'd be ready when the kids needed deodorant.  I probably bought ten different health food store "natural" deodorants.  I would go on iherb and read all the reviews, pick the most popular ones, and try them out myself.  Nothing worked!!!  The Crystal worked for a while and then stopped.  I gave up and went back to my trusty "Secret". 

My husband is the most consistent exerciser I have ever known.  He goes to the gym numerous times, every week, as long as I've known him.  He runs in the morning before work.  He also regularly goes on very challenging mountain bike rides lasting hours, with friends, for "fun".  He has always showered twice a day because he stinks after workouts.  He sweats A LOT which is great for detoxifying.  But he needed to buy those REALLY toxic, clinical deodorants to keep from stinking--and even those didn't work so well.  His exercise shirts were hard to launder so they'd smell fresh.  I tried adding vinegar and baking soda to the load.  I'd rewash his shirts a few times.  I was bummed because I couldn't get the sweat smell out of his shirts--ever.

So back to my deodorant quest...I found a make your own recipe that people said worked well.  It was coconut oil based so it was liquid most of the year (coconut oil melts as the weather gets warm) but I would apply it to my underarm with my finger and I was surprised to find it WORKED!  My husband delighted in trying to catch me "stinking" but the new deodorant always worked.  He wouldn't try it, however, because he didn't think it would work for him and all the hard core exercising he does.

One day we were on vacation and he realized he had forgotten his deodorant.  He was going to have to use my homemade deodorant and we were at a theme park all day in the heat.  He was worried!  I was excited!!!  I was hoping it would work and we could throw out the toxic, expensive deodorant he was using that wasn't even working well. 

You can probably guess it worked amazingly well for him!!  No odor after a two hour bike ride in the summer!!  No more stains on his white undershirts.  No more odors on any shirts.  No smell at all--ever!  This deodorant is so amazing that he wants us to sell it:)  Because it really doesn't make sense that there are all these companies making deodorant that doesn't work well, is full of chemicals, and costs lots of money.  And this one works perfectly and is super cheap and easy to make!

Since his conversion, I now am using an even better recipe that works just as well but has some beeswax in it so it stays solid in all temperatures.  I just mix it, cook it, and pour it in an old deodorant bottle---I have tons of them from my days of trying out all the natural ones.

This recipe is adapted from Keeper of the Home and found here.  I omitted the Castor oil in her recipe because I like the texture better without.  I don't use lavender or tea tree oil in mine because of this study showing a link between both and the growth of breasts in boys.  Further study showed the two essential oils mimic the actions of estrogen in the body.  I think it is best to leave them out if there may be a problem with the oils, especially when they are placed so close to the breast tissue.

Here is the recipe with a picture of the ingredients:

I added the following to a saucepan, stirred to combine, and "cooked" over low heat:

5 Tablespoons of coconut oil, 1/4 cup of arrowroot powder, 1/4 cup of aluminum free baking soda, 2 heaping Tablespoons of beeswax pellets--(shown below), and 16 drops of an essential oil to scent (if desired)  Check this list for essential oils to avoid due to their ability to exaggerate hormonal issues.

Heat until the beeswax pellets melt, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.  Pour into two empty, clean deodorant containers like the one pictured below.  I twisted it so the base was all the way at the bottom and ready to receive the liquid deodorant.  This starts to harden right away so you have to work quickly.

Cools completely within a few hours and is ready to use.  Makes 2 containers of deodorant.

Some additional tips...

1.  At the beginning, I needed to wipe this off at night with water so my body could take a break from the abrasiveness of the baking soda in the recipe.  I just put coconut oil on the area over night to soothe.

2.  Some people have a week or so "adjustment period" when starting this.  This is supposed to be your body adjusting to being without the chemicals in the deodorant you used before.  My husband and I did not and were "stink free" right away.

3. You don't need to use much at all.  I place the container to my underarm, twisted up to reveal just a bit of the deodorant, and let it soften a second from my body temperature.  Then I lightly cover the area, without tugging or rubbing as baking soda is abrasive.


Let me know if you try this and how it works for you!!  I hope it ends up being a great improvement over your present situation:)
Moneysaver:  I purchased the arrowroot powder inexpensively on Amazon, the beeswax and baking soda from iherb, and the coconut oil from Trader Joe's.  There is a bit of an investment upfront if you don't have the items already, but the deodorant ends up costing just a few cents to make each time.  If you live near me, I'll happily make you some if you give me an empty container.  Then you can try it first, without purchasing the ingredients.

Green Cleaning For the Home...More Effective Than Chemicals!

I remember clearly an interaction I had with a lady, in line at the grocery store, even though it happened over six years ago.  I can still see the entire scene in my mind--it was that upsetting to me at the time.

It was late for me to be out shopping, maybe 7:30 in the evening, and Tim was watching the kids.  I was absolutely exhausted and overwhelmed, as I usually was at this stage in our lives, but we needed baby food so I went out.  I decided to buy in bulk because I wanted to avoid another night time shopping trip, and this particular store gave a 10% discount when you bought a whole flat of something.  I had a ton of organic baby jars on the counter, all single ingredient versions due to my daughter's extensive allergies.  The lady behind me started studying my purchases.  Then she couldn't help herself:..

"You know you can make your own baby food at home?"  she asked. 

I told her I did know that with a smile.

"It is super easy and so much healthier!" she continued. 

Now I gave her a nod and tried not to start crying in front of her.  I paid for my food and cried my way to the car.  Then I cried the whole way home. 

My kids, and their intense, unique needs due to illness, meant that I could not make one more thing from scratch.  Regardless of how easy it was or how healthy it was.  At this point, I had a twice monthly cleaning service and my mom helped me by making some of the more time intensive items we needed like wild duck, bone broth, and buffalo casserole.  I purchased my green cleaning supplies online and bought baby food in jars.  We used Seventh Generation disposable diapers and wipes.  I, myself, was eating far too much fast food as I drove the kids from doctor appt. to doctor appt. while devoting my energy toward my children's diets instead.  We were doing what we could do, based on what we knew, what we could afford, and what we had the time and energy to accomplish. 

But I still let myself feel guilty when I had interactions like the one above.  I wish I would have let it roll off my back.  Jarred, organic baby food was fine!  We were in a very intensive, exhausting season and we didn't have the ability to do everything "right".  So we just did the best we could at the time.

I write all that to say if you don't want to make your cleaners from scratch that is fine!  I am just offering what we have found to work at our house, is safe for the littles in the house, and saves us money.  There are, however, plenty of of non toxic, green cleaners that you can purchase easily at Walmart or Target.  Making your own cleaners might not make sense for you right now.

But if you want to...

Here is what we use:

Windows

My husband is very excited about this window cleaner recipe we found online.  I'm sorry I can't remember where it is from.  The key to the recipe is the corn starch which I've read it used by professional window washers.  You do have to rub it in a bit but the result is better than Windex!

You start with warm water, vinegar, corn starch, rubbing alcohol, and a spray bottle.  I use my old cleaner bottles, well washed, instead of buying new spray bottles.

Add one Tablespoon of corn starch to two cups of very warm water.  (I doubled the recipe in the pictures so that is why the measurements are different).

Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved.  This is the most important step!

Add 1/4 cup of vinegar.

Add 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol.  I may try cheap vodka next time instead.

Stir and pour into a spray bottle.


All Purpose Cleaner 

I use this on counter tops, sinks, and any surfaces I need to clean.  This recipe was given to me by my friend, Melissa.  It was originally called a floor cleaner (the recipe was on a bottle she bought from Crate and Barrel) but we have both had success using it all over the house!

The ingredients to gather are dishwashing liquid, borax, and vinegar.

Add 1/2 tsp. of borax to two cups of very warm water.  Stir it until it is completely dissolved.  This is the most important step.

Add a splash of vinegar.

Add 1/2 tsp. of dishwashing liquid and stir.

Pour into a spray bottle.  So easy a child could make it:)

Floors

We have no carpet in our house.  Just a few wool area rugs and a few areas with Flor carpet tiles.  The rest of our house is tile or hardwood.  When people call the house and speak with me they often ask if I am in the bathroom or comment on how loud the kids are due to the echoing from lack of carpet.  I guess this should be embarrassing?  Anyway, our favorite method to clean our floors is to use the Shark Steam Mop.

First Tim vacuums the floors and then he uses the steam mop.  My lovely husband does our floors every week and it takes a couple of hours.  He is a BLESSING!!!  With only water, the floors feel soft and clean and are sanitized as well!  We love this mop!  We purchased it at Costco.

Toilets

This is very easy!  Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of vinegar into the toilet bowl.  Let it soak as long as you can and then scrub.  My friend, Melissa, has added fresh lemon juice to treat stubborn stains with success too.

I spray the rest of the toilet with the All Purpose Cleaner above and wipe down with a rag.  For a smelly bathroom (boy bathroom) I spray vinegar on the toilet's surface and the floor below to take care of any urine smell.  For a really bad toilet, I'd use a paste of baking soda and lemon juice along the caulking (the meeting place of the toilet base and the flooring).  This area seems to absorb smells and this will neutralize the smells.  I found this idea here.

Scrubbing Paste

The stain cleaner/ scrubbing paste my husband made here is great!  It needs to be made on the spot, however, as there is power in the reaction between the baking soda and vinegar.  When we've used it later, after it was stored, it is not as effective.

Another scrubbing paste I keep under the sink, is the following:

Add 1/2 cup of liquid laundry soap to a mixing bowl (I use whatever "green" soap is available at Costco.

Add 1/2 cups of baking soda (I used 1 1/2 cups) and mix until you get a frosting consistency as shown above.

Add 10 drops of Tea Tree Oil.  This serves as a natural disinfectant.  Mix again!

Pour into sealable tub and use when needed.  I found this recipe here at Keeper of the Home.  She has wonderful, natural living posts about food, gardening, and health care.


Disinfecting

Virginia Polytech. Institute found in their study that spraying from a  bottle of vinegar (white or apple cider) followed by spraying from a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, or E.coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food and surfaces.  This made it more effective than bleach!
Remember to keep the peroxide in the dark bottle to protect the peroxide--just add a nozzle to the top.


Wow, that was a long post!!  I am going to start experimenting with a stain fighter for clothes and will post about that if it is as effective as the Zout I continue to use.  I haven't found anything more effective than Zout yet and will continue to look until I do.  That is what is next for me regarding cleaners.

Next up for the blog is my husband's absolute favorite green thing I've made to date.  He keeps wanting me to sell it but I am going to give you the recipe and directions here...soon!


Moneysaver:  Use old spray bottles from store bought cleaners (well washed) to fill with your homemade ones.  I buy vinegar, baking soda, rubbing alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide at Costco. 

How to be Safer in the Sun

Have you seen all the reports that are coming out now about how people who use sunscreen maybe more likely to get skin cancer than those who don't?  And how you are 50% more likely to survive breast cancer if your Vitamin D levels are "normal" than if they are low--and 1/4 of Americans are low?  Have you read about the toxins in our sunscreen that we liberally apply to our largest organ?  Crazy, huh?  What is a fair skinned and fair haired mommy living in Southern California to do?

What I do is very against the norm, but what else is new?  Here is what we do over here:

1.  Take 4-10 mg. of Astaxanthin daily.  This is an incredible antioxidant and anti-inflammatory (known for helping to prevent Alzheimer's Disease, cancer, and blindness) that also works as a natural sunscreen when taken regularly for about 6 weeks.

2.  Use hats, rash guards, and umbrellas during peak sun exposure.  The kids usually swim in the afternoon but sometimes we are outside the entire day at the beach, pool or lake.  Those days I use sunscreen all over me, wear a hat, and sit under an umbrella.  I am also the weird one in the wide brim sun hat at Disneyland.  I am now on wrinkle alert as I have just entered my 40's.

The kids wear rash guards, hats (if they will keep them on), and sunscreen on their faces.  Their arms are covered by the rash guards and all my son might need is a little sunscreen on the tops of his feet--his swim trunks are long!  I put sunscreen on my daughter's upper legs and tops of her feet too.

3.  Use safer sunscreen.  The Badger sunscreen I use for the kids is rated a 1 (best safety rating) by the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Database rating the sunscreens on the market today.  It would be very educational to see how what you are currently using is rated.  The MyChelle sunscreen I use on my face is not rated by Skin Deep but I am comfortable with the ingredients and I use it very rarely.

4.  Expose skin to the sun in small doses to boost Vitamin D levels.  Studies show that regular exposure to the sun (and resulting higher Vit. D. levels) can reduce blood pressure, decrease your risk of cancer and diabetes, and lower your chances of a heart attack.  I expose my skin 5-10 minutes a day, a few days a week, to get the sun exposure I need to keep my Vitamin D levels where they need to be.  My doctor checks them every year and always asks me what I do because they are right where she wants them--a rarity she says.  I take Vitamin D3 November to May (5,000 IUs a night) and stop taking it when I am getting regular sun exposure again due to sunny skies returning.  This plan works for me, in Southern California, but may need to be adjusted based on your location.


That's all I have!  I hope you are enjoying your summer!  It is such a wonderful, magical time for kids.

Moneysaver:
I buy my sunscreen from iherb or Amazon, depending on who is running the best deal.  I also get all my supplements, toiletries, and some groceries from iherb and they are so much less expensive than anywhere else I've found.  I get an automatic 5% off my order (I am a VIP member b/c I've spent so much money with them) and free shipping (with a $20 order, 1-2 day shipping with a $40 order).  If you use my coupon code, MER003, you get $5 off your first order and I earn a few pennies too:)