oh, HAI GUYS!

So, uh, I suppose I owe you an entry (or a few), eh? Given the amount of months I’ve let slip in between entries, there should be a fair amount of tid bits to share. But the ever wonderful Miss Helen requested an entry with the recipe for deodorant and so that is what is happening first. 🙂

It is almost ridiculously simple. Behold, the ingredients:

The quantities:

6-8 Tablespoons coconut oil (solid)
1/3 cup arrowroot starch/flour (you can also use corn starch)
1/4 cup baking soda
essential oils (12+ drops)

I just put it all in a bowl and mash it up with a fork until it’s well blended. (Helen, I sent you 1-and-a-half batches’ worth – I was trying for 2, but the container wouldn’t accommodate my plan.)

The essential oils are optional. If you have sensitive skin, it may be a good idea to skip them, or at least reduce the amount used considerably. Personally, I usually imprecisely shake in some of each of the bottles pictured, mix and then sniff to find out if I need to add anymore. I opted for the lavender and tea tree blend because tea tree is generally recommended for these sorts of things given its antibacterial properties and I had read that lavender is supposed to have some antiperspirant properties. I’m not sure if the lavender lives up to these claims, but I like the scent, so it all works out. I added the lemon just because I like it. If I wind up heavier on the lemon, the deodorant smells kind of like lemon cookies. Something that is great for awkward conversation starters! You can tell someone you make your own deodorant and then follow with, "You want to smell my armpits? They smell like delicious cookies!"

Helen had a fabulous suggestion, whipping the mixture so it will be less likely to go liquidy if it’s too warm or get rock hard if it’s too cold. If you’re having issues with melting/liquidy deodorant (coconut oil melts somewhere around 76 degrees fahrenheit/24 celsius), I recently saw where someone suggested adding beeswax or shea butter to the mixture. You’d have to melt the coconut oil with the beeswax or shea butter and let them cool for awhile (usually until they’re on the verge of getting solid again) before whipping (that is likely when you’d want to add the remaining ingredients, I’m thinking). It should help keep things more solid and stable.

There was also a request for other homemade beauty solutions. I’ve not really been making anything new lately. My skin care regimen is to cleanse with castile soap, use either witch hazel or a homemade version of Tend Skin for toner (if you’re making the Tend Skin, just put all of the aspirin in the witch hazel – it will dissolve A LOT faster) if I need it, and then moisturize with either argan oil, castor oil with some lavender & tea tree essential oil mixed in, or a combination of the castor oil mixture and argan oil, all depending on how my skin is behaving. I also use the castor oil with the lavender & tea tree essential oil for a spot treatment if there are just a couple of blemishes. The Tend Skin toner is good for ingrown hairs, so it is used for that if I’m having such issues.

Nothing else is really coming to mind as far as homemade beauty products. I admit, I’m pretty well stocked on a lot of the conventional items, so I’m using those.

I suppose this brings us to the conclusion for today. I’m hoping to get back into the swing of more regular entries again. With that in mind, are there any requests? Or shall we just take this crazy ride together and see where we wind up?

I love you guys! I hope you’re having days filled with awesome! 🙂