Posted by Les Mauvaises Herbes
Are you one of those people who, after a few weeks or months of use, can no longer stand their natural baking soda-based deodorant? Does it give you an insanely bad rash? You aren't alone, even though most people won't experience any issues, even after years of use. Is it the fault of the overly basic pH? Or the friction of the baking soda particles against the skin (since baking soda is insoluble in oil)? Possibly a bit of both. Have you tried replacing the baking soda with clay and zinc oxide, but the result isn't as effective for you? Have you also tried our liquid deodorant recipe where the baking soda is dissolved (to eliminate the risk of friction), but it still doesn't work? We aren't going to let you down! After several months of trying all sorts of recipes without baking soda, I was won over by two alternatives that I’m sharing with you here.
A slice of life
Baking soda deodorants are by far the most effective and widely used in the world of natural cosmetics and DIY. When I discovered them, my life changed. Remember when I told you that before, I had to change deodorants regularly because my body always ended up getting used to every natural product I bought and it would stop working after 2–3 weeks? It was hell. 
That deodorant dance ended the day I tried our homemade recipe! No more odor, no getting used to it. It worked like a charm for over a year. Until the day my skin started to freak out: unbearable itching, redness, pimples, and welts... Since I refused to go back to my old rotation of products, I went on the hunt for homemade alternatives that could give me as much satisfaction as my sweet, homemade baking soda deodorant.
IMPORTANT
The first thing to do if your skin has a reaction to your deodorant containing baking soda is to stop using it immediately. Continuing use will only make things worse and, honestly, nobody likes having their armpits on fire. It is best to apply nothing at all for a few days, until your skin calms down. We really want to get back to normal skin before trying other homemade recipes.
Why baking soda?
The reason why baking soda is so effective against odors is twofold.
- First, baking soda itself is a powerful anti-odor agent. It’s not for nothing that we put it on our carpets, in our shoes, and in our kitties’ litter boxes.
- Second, its alkalinity makes the environment (our armpits) inhospitable to the bacteria that cause sweat odor.
The second point is very important, because it implies that changing the pH of our armpits (either by making it more basic or more acidic) will keep away the bacteria that cause bad odor. Interesting!
Solutions without baking soda
1. Milk of magnesia
Milk of Magnesia Deodorant
Here's a recipe for a milk of magnesia deodorant, without baking soda, and frankly astonishing in its effectiveness! Like baking soda, milk of magnesia is alkaline. However, even though it's composed of insoluble molecules (hence its milky appearance), it's not abrasive and is suitable for sensitive underarms.
Préparation
3 min
Conservation
6 mois
Rendement
50 ml
2. …Lemon juice
A second alternative that pleasantly surprised me is lemon juice! Honestly, it works just as well as any effective deodorant! I apply it in the morning, I do hot yoga in the evening without reapplying it, and you know what? I DO NOT STINK. Not even a little bit... You have to see it to believe it!
The acidity of the lemon juice also changes the pH of the skin and prevents the proliferation of bacteria that cause odors. However, since lemons are quite expensive (not to mention that they are photosensitizing!), I avoid using it in the long term. I use it more as a backup when I’ve run out of deodorant and when I feel my regular deodorant becoming less effective over time. After a little "lemon juice cure" for a few days, I go back to my deodorant and it works like a charm. It’s like it did a little reset! Warning: as lemon juice can cause pigment spots in the sun, avoid using lemon juice in the summer if you are exposing your skin to the sun.
Ingredient
- slice of lemon
- …that’s it!
Instructions
- Cut a thin slice of lemon.
- Squeeze the flesh to release some juice.
- Rub the lemon slice under your armpits.
- Let it dry before getting dressed.
Warning: do not use on freshly shaved armpits. OUCH. And there you go! I hope my two alternatives will help you make peace with your out-of-control armpits and chase away the bad odors, haha!
