Make It Work: The Deodorant That Burns Your Pits

I hear time and time again how difficult deodorant is to switch over when transitioning to natural products, and I think it's very true.  First, you have to factor in that many of us come to natural products used to antiperspirants not deodorants and that no natural deodorant is going to stop you from sweating the way an antiperspirant does.  After this first hurdle, you come to the even larger problem of finding something that works without needing to be reapplied every thirty minutes AND doesn't irritate one's delicate arm pits.  

Baking soda is one of the best odor-absorbing ingredients out there, but because of how alkaline it is (a ph of 8.5, versus the 4.5-5 ph of the skin's natural acid mantle), it can cause skin reactions in a lot of people.  It really depends on the individual: some people can tolerate it fine, others not at all, and for others still - like me - it all comes down to how much is used in a given product.  

Schmidt's Deodorant is pretty popular around the blogosphere, so I was excited to get my hands on it over the summer.  It passed the smell test - all day odor protection - but it always managed to turn my armpits into an angry, red, bumpy battlefield.  Eventually I gave up and set it aside.  

You might know - if you've ever seen my empties posts - just how much I hate to waste products, so months later, I decided to try my hand at transforming this deodorant into something I could more comfortably use.  



Based off several different variations of homemade deodorant I've made, I combined:

7/8 of a jar of Schmidt's Lavender Sage Deodorant
An equal amount of Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
Sprinkle of Ora's Amazing Herbal Clay/Arrowroot-based Body Powder (arrowroot powder, cornstarch, or kaolin clay would work fine too)
5 drops Young Living Eucalyptus Radiata Essential Oil

I melted the Schmidt's and coconut oil together over a double boiler, then removed it from the heat and stirred in the last two ingredients.  After that, it's just a matter of pouring it into jars and waiting for it to cool.

The Results?

Today was my first day using it, but so far it's everything I was hoping for!  It hasn't burned or irritated my pits, and it still works well to keep any stink at bay.  As an added bonus, it's also a perfect creamy, buttery consistency now, where the Schmidt's was always very solid and required a lot more effort to work into the skin.  

I'll keep you guys updated once I've used it for longer, but so far, I'm really happy with how it turned out.

P.S. Check out my favorite, super simple DIY Deodorant recipe here.


19 comments

  1. Ooo what a fantastic idea! I wish i had tried that before giving my jar and mini jars away lol

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    1. Thanks! I gave away a couple mini jars before I thought of doing this too!

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  2. Genius!! Schmidt's is the only deo that has worked to keep me mostly dry and stink-free, but it makes my pits sooo angry. Going to give this a try.. have a couple of jars I haven't touched in a while (just started using Meow Meow Tweet Tweet baking soda free and fingers crossed)

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    1. Thanks! Let me know how it works out for you. I really want to try the Meow Meow Tweet one too, that'll be next I think :)

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  3. What a fantastic idea, I never switched fully to natural deo, I use a natural one when I am not working and regular on work days that way I use less regular but still don't get too sweaty, will try this though! :) Xx

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    1. It's funny how often deodorant is the last holdout of mainstream products! Let me know how it goes for you if you end up trying it :)

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  4. Like you I found the Schmidt's very effective, but it irritated my skin. This is such a great idea x

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    1. Thanks Karen! I'm really happy with how this turned out :) I never realized how many other people were sensitive to Schmidt's!

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  5. I have had the worst time with deo, too. I tried making mine with less baking soda and I got smelly too quickly. I'm now using Bubble and Bee Pit Putty and can make it a majority of the Fay but I don't think it's going to work in the summer.

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    1. I've yet to find anything that works as well as homemade. For me, as long as I buffer the baking soda with enough arrowroot or clay I'm able to have odor protection without the irritation.

      I've heard Bubble and Bee will swap your deodorant until you find one that you're completely happy with, so maybe that's worth a try?

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  6. I love the idea of altering products to work for you! I have had my fair share of hyped up beauty products that haven't worked for me personally, and this is a great way to keep me from wasting them.

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    1. Thanks! I hate looking at those kinds of disappointing products all the time, so I always try to rework them into something more usable. I'm really pleased this turned out so well :)

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    1. Thanks Jana! I'm really happy with how it turned out :)

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  8. Clever idea, my Schmidt is gathering dust, it didn't work out well for me either.

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    1. Thanks! I remember reading your review...too bad it didn't end up working for you :(

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  9. Such a great idea! I'm using one at the minute that BURNED my pits so bad it looked like I had actually been burnt by fire. Then I stopped using it for a while and returned and it wasn't as bad but the last few days it's flared up again :( such good thinking to mix things up into it!

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    1. Thanks Amber! It's crazy how badly some deodorants can tear up your skin. Let me know if you try something similar :)

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  10. Do you have any updates on this? I have chemical burns from the bergmamot and lime schmidt stick deo. Have you tried their senstive versions

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