Adventures in Homemade Antiperspirant

If you are one of my friends, it will not surprise you to hear that I made my own antiperspirant the other day. :)

I know...it's another crazy idea I got off of the internet! But, in my quest to discontinue more and more commercial products with toxic ingredients, this was one I just needed to try. I had switched to using the Tom's of Maine brand which does not contain aluminum (some studies suggest it is linked with cancer, you'll have to decide for yourself), but it's expensive and you know I prefer to save money where I can! And now that I have more and more essential oils in my collection, I plan on making it a habit to try more homemade products. Besides, the recipe was easy enough and we were iced in - I decided to be productive on my day home from school.

I got the recipe off of a Young Living essential oils FB page:

1/4 cup each cornstarch and baking soda

6 tbs. coconut oil

10 drops each Purification and Thieves oils

I mixed the powdered ingredients together in a glass bowl, then basically "cut" the coconut oil in like you would cut shortening into a pie dough. Once it was all well mixed, I added in the oils a few drops at a time to get them all distributed. The result was a fairly stiff paste.

I had deliberately saved my empty Tom's container to reuse. I just dialed it all the way to the bottom and started stuffing balls of the mixture into the container. Now, mind you it was about 25 degrees outside when I was doing this so the coconut oil was staying solid okay. I'm not sure how it will go in the summer when we are at 100 and above!

In any case, this is what it looked like when I was done:

I went ahead and put it in the fridge for a little bit. I had more than fit in the container so the rest is in a glass container with a lid. 

The first time I used it I put it on with my shirt already on, and I noticed a tiny bit of oil on my shirt. So, since then I have been putting it on and waiting 5-10 minutes before putting on my shirt. I have had zero problems with the coconut oil being on my shirts.

But, how does it work? Fantastically!!! I was really doubtful this could work better than a commercial product, but so far I think it totally outperforms anything I have bought. Again, it's winter and we have pretty hot summers here. August will be a true test! But for now, it's what I'm going to stick with. It's been a whole week, and it's gotten warmer each day. Still no sweat or odor!

I just love being able to give up buying something and replacing it with something that is easy to make, and for which I already have the ingredients on-hand.

Disclaimer: I made this with Young Living oils which are the only oils I can say are all natural and safe to use. If you'd like to know more about Young Living Essential Oils, you can contact me at claburns@sbcglobal.net.

Sarah Claburn

Independent Distributor #1529805

Young Living Essential Oils

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! I pray that this week you will have time to stop and relax with your family, and really be able to enjoy and be thankful for your blessings. These last few months, as I watch a very dear friend go through the awfulness of cancer with her daughter, I am so very thankful for the simple gift of health.

It seems like I have been on a journey of health forever...but really I guess it started right before I got pregnant with my son. I had learned of a book called Protein Power and I dropped 10 pounds by ditching the carbs, and everyone joked I had lost weight just in time to gain it! But I had a great pregnancy because I stuck to what was working for me, I think I only gained 20-25 pounds with him. It was the same for my daughter. The most important lesson I have learned is to listen to my body, to weigh, sort of keep a mental food journal, and most importantly: pay attention to how I feel and how my clothes fit. I don't count calories or carbs. That's dieting - I eat healthy for me. And yes, that means I have evolved a little. I used to totally shun carbs, but after reading "The G Free Diet" I now allow myself foods like potatoes and gluten free pasta on occasion, and stick to a wheat/gluten free diet. In a perfect world I would only eat organic, non-GMO foods. But I don't have unlimited resources, so I do the best I can, and the food co-op Bountiful Baskets lets me get organic produce at a totally reasonable cost. We do our best to avoid artificial ingredients in processed foods like colors, flavors and preservatives, and when possible, I make our food from scratch, even spices mixes. That means no low-fat anything, no artificial sugars. Real. Food.

I have learned the value of supplementation and when possible, use vitamins. Which is why, when my sweet friend Leah sent me a FB message last Dec about these amazing oils she was using...I totally blew her off. I had just giving up selling Pampered Chef to concentrate more fully on my catering company, Nosh. I was signed up with a health company for my supplements and I had no more room for anything new. But everything is in God's time...and I was slowly "hearing" pieces about essential oils. And in September I was given the opportunity to go to an essential oils class and actually learn how they are used. That led to several weeks of research and study on the oils and who produces quality, pure oils that would be safe for my family. After a lot of thought and prayer, I went with Young Living. By this point Leah had been using them for a good year and had amazing stories to share. I was finally ready to listen! :) 

Which brings me to my last few posts. I am signed up, and have been using since October. I am not disappointed! I had only previously used oils for cleaning products...but oh what an amazing, broader purpose they have! For everything, yes, there is an oil. God gave us these amazing oils to use, and I am honored to be learning to use them. And the coolest part: I OWN FRANKINCENSE! Okay, it's silly, but as a Christian and growing up with the three gifts given to Jesus, it's just amazing to me that I use the same oil that was given to his family. :)

Well, it's late and I am probably droning on, so I'll stop for now. I hope you will continue to follow me on my journey of health. If you have any questions about the oils please let me know!

Sarah Claburn

Independent Distributor #1529805

Young Living Essential Oils