I got this recipe from a friend. I've been using it for about a week with great results. It works better for me than the store bought herbal deodorants I had been using. It's really inexpensive and doesn't have aluminum in it.

1/2 cup rubbing alcohol 10 drops tea tree oil 10 drops essential oil of your choice for fragrance(sage, eucalytus,, rosemary, etc. are good for controlling the bacteria which cause odor) I used lavender because I like it and it was what I had handy at the time. Next time I think I'll try rosemary. I also added double the amount of oil it called for as I thought it smelled too much like alcohol.

Funnel into a spray bottle and use as desired. I shake it first before I spray and have only had the need to use it once a day. I like it!!! I thought you might like it too!

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2002

Answers

I have a 'store bought' deoderant made by Weleda. It is essentially as you stated above, alcohol and essential oils. It's citrus scented, so I think it has some lemon juice in it as well. I'll probably make my own concoction when this one runs out.

A combination of EO's that I like is 5 drops lavender, 5 drops rosemary, and 2 drops bergamot. It's supposed to be uplifting, smells great, so why not use as a deoderant. You could adjust the number of drops to fit your recipe.

When you say you doubled the oil, did you mean just the lavender, or did you double the tea tree as well? Lavender is pretty mild and gentle to skin. I wouldn't exceed their amounts with other oils until I had at least tested it at the amount called for in the recipe.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2002

My buddy Raejean discovered the hard way that she's allergic to tea tree oil, so I'd suggest testing any EO before using it on your skin.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2002

You're probably right about testing things out first.

In answer to Joy's question, I doubled both essential oils. I had no ill effects and really like the results. But as in all things, go with what works best for you.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2002

Your forumula sounds nice Denise. I may give it a try when my current container of deodorant runs out. I'll probably use rosemary because lavender makes me too sleepy. I never used to pay too much attention to that safety testing stuff until Raejean told me her horror story. She had just gotten a new tattoo and the tattoo shop gave her a jar of "Tattoo Lube" cream to keep it moisturized while it healed. She had an allergic reaction to the tea tree oil in it, which kept the tattoo from healing properly. She has had tattoos before and knew that this was more than just a normal reaction. It got all infected. As soon as she switched to a cream without tea tree oil the inflammation cleared up but the damage was already done and she ended up having to get the tattoo reworked to make it look like what it was supposed to.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2002

I know that lavender is relaxing but never thought about it making someone sleepy. And you know what? I have been sort of sleepy lately.

I made another batch with rosemary. I'll let you know if it makes a difference.

-- Anonymous, June 11, 2002

Thanks for the recipe, Denise! I ususally buy the Kiss My Face products which work fine, but I much prefer to make my own stuff. I'm just now trying to find a volumizing shampoo recipe that I can make at home. That organic stuff we buy has gone up to over $20 a 16-0z bottle!

That's interesting about the tea tree oil, Sherri! I know one can be allergic to most anything, but it seems so strange that it would cause an infection, since tea tree oil contains all that good stuff (anti-bacterial,anti-fungus,anti all kindsa nasties) to _prevent_ infection. Weird, huh?

I do think, like Sherri said, it would be wise to keep the tea tree oil at the smaller amount, and only increase it it it isnt killing the bacteria that causes odor. It's very powerful stuff. Anyway, if you were increasing EO because of aroma, I wouldnt suggest adding more tea tree oil, cuz it dont smell so pretty!

-- Anonymous, June 11, 2002

Yes, lavender has a sedative effect, as well as a balancing one. One of the reasons I've mixed both rosemary and lavender many times. One wakes you up and the other helps you sleep, so together they balance each other out. And the bergamot adds a little something extra to make it smell even better. You can also get lavandin, which doesn't have the sedative effect.

I have a little ceramic defuser hung from the mirror in my van. I put rosemary in that when I'm making a trip to help with "road doze". Gotta get one of those for the car too. Oh, and rosemary should be avoided by anyone with epilepsy, as it can trigger a seizure.

-- Anonymous, June 11, 2002