Easy 3 Ingredient Homemade Natural Deodorant Recipe — Sustainably Lazy (2025)

If you’ve become aware of the potentially harmful ingredients in mainstream products, you may be looking to switch to a natural deodorant.

Years ago, when I first switched to natural deodorants there were only a couple options, but now there are hundreds.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by choice, or cringing at the price of some of the plastic-free deodorants, making your own is a cost-effective solution.

Did I mention, it’s super simple too?

Transitioning to natural deodorant

If it’s your first time using a natural deodorant (you will have been using an aluminium-based antiperspirant up until now) you may find it takes your body a couple of weeks to adjust.

People call this the “detox” period, although it doesn’t happen to everyone.

Read next - the ultimate guide to transitioning to natural deodorant

What’s the difference between deodorant and antiperspirant?

An antiperspirant plugs your sweat ducts with aluminium to prevent your body from sweating.

A deodorant uses natural mineral ingredients to stop body odour and/or bacteria.

There is no strong evidence that aluminium causes cancer, but because antiperspirants are full of controversial ingredients like parabens and petrochemicals, people prefer to play it safe.

How long does the transition last?

My partner and I never experienced a transition period or “detox” when we switched to natural deodorant, but I’ve heard about it happening to people online.

Usually, the transition starts in the second week and lasts for a couple of weeks. It may feel like your deodorant is no longer working, but it’s more likely that your body is removing the aluminium from your pores and rebalancing the sweat it produces.

It’s worth remembering that sweat is a natural bodily function that regulates your core temperature.

Regardless, nobody wants to feel sweaty and smelly. If you find you’re starting to smell bad after a few hours, wash your armpits with soap and water and reapply the deodorant. After a couple of weeks, you should be able to go for at least 6-8 hours without smelling.

Three ingredient natural deodorant recipe

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Ingredients

Three ingredients are all you need to make this natural deodorant. You will probably have them in your cupboard already.

• 2x tablespoons of coconut oil

• 2x tablespoons of cornflour

• 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda

• A tin (or any small container you already have)

• Optional: a couple of drops of essential oils - I use this deodorant fragrance free or with a couple of drops of healing frankincense oil. Teatree is also good choice because it is naturally antibacterial.

Method

Here is the method for making your DIY natural deodorant.

1. Unless it is already liquid, put coconut oil in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it (alternatively, you can do this on the hob)

2. Stir in the other ingredients until the mixture is smooth

3. Transfer to metal tin, glass, or plastic tub.

4. Apply a tiny amount to your armpits and let it dry before putting on clothes to reduce chance of staining.

Notes

During the summer coconut oil tends to be liquid and in the winter it turns solid.

During hot weather, you can keep it in the fridge to stop it going too runny. If it gets hard in the winter, you can warm it up by rubbing it between clean finger tips.

This product contains no preservatives because it doesn’t contain any water. It is important to apply it with clean fingers to prevent bacteria forming in it. If you’d like to include a preservative add a teaspoon of pure vitamin e oil.

I’d love to hear if you try this recipe out. Let me know your experience in the comments below or tag me on social media using @sustainablylazy.