One of my favorite things since I went vegan (aside from delicious food, my favorite lip balm, and the feeling of aligning more closely with my ideals), has been my deodorant.

Odd thing to say, but there it is.

If you check labels on conventional deodorants, they’re full of questionable things. Experts are quick to assure us that aluminum doesn’t cause cancer, that there is no risk with parabens, and that propylene glycol is safe. So there’s really no hard evidence from the scientific community (aside from the problems with perfumes), but I disagree. Where there is smoke, there is likely fire.

And if you’re going vegan, you’re going to want to avoid ingredients like non-vegetable glycerine and gelatin. When my friend first went vegan, she tried a whole shelf of products to find one which worked for her.

When I went vegan, I didn’t have that kind of time. Ever since I was a teenager, my body odor had been…problematic. I had to switch between deodorants every eight months as my body adjusted to them. I had to throw away tops which had collected BO to the point where it would not wash out.  I had rejoiced when the whole “clinical strength” thing hit the stores. There was NO WAY I could test out vegan deodorant and merely hope to find something which worked.

So I held on to my precious clinical strength, non-vegan deodorant while I whipped up a batch of my own.

And I never went back.

Partly it’s because being vegan radically altered my body odor for the positive. But partly…was because my new deodorant WORKED.

My favorite  deodorant recipe:

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup coconut oila few drops of essential oil (lavender, ylang ylang, etc)

Melt the coconut oil and stir the cornstarch and baking soda into it. Once they’re combined (add another spoonful of coconut oil if needed), stir in the essential oil. It should be fairly loose, like a thick pancake dough, until the coconut oil solidifies.

To use, pinch a pea-sized amount (more or less depending on your needs) and apply with your fingers.

Some suggestions for sensitive skin include trading arrowroot powder for cornstarch, upping the starch-to-baking powder ratio, and substituting diatomaceous earth for baking soda. For some people, it may take a few weeks for your body to get used to the difference from your old chemical deodorant.

It may sound like a lot of work when you can just go to the store and buy it, but it takes less time to make than it does to run an errand. It’s also pretty damn cheap. Chances are you already have the primary ingredients in your kitchen (and if you don’t have coconut oil as a pantry staple, fix that right now!).

Any deodorant success stories? Favorite natural store brands?