Put about 2 table spoons of white clay in a small bowl, and mix in water a teaspoon at at time until you get a toothpaste consistency.
Before adding in the water you can add any number of optional ingredients.
One great idea is tooth and gum supporting spices or essential oils (a sprinkle or few drops of) clove, cinnamon, lemon, any mint, etc. Registered Ayurvedic Practitioner, Chara Caruthers, says to have an “astringent (for tightening the gums), pungent (for its cleansing qualities), and bitter (for its antiseptic qualities)” (and someday I’ll even know which spices correspond to which quality!). :)
I like to add in coconut oil and sometimes finely ground sea salt.
Many people like baking soda. I put it in my deodorant, so I don’t want it here, too.
Store it in a small glass jar, one jar per user. Dip your wooden toothbrush in and away you go!
Getting it all together: ingredients, options, kitchen tools & containers
2 Ingredients (Everything else is optional.):
Organic coconut oil (see other options below)
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, reportedly a naturally occurring product – other options below)
Oil Substitutions: Any oil you like such as almond, avacado, jojoba, etc. Because these oils won’t be solid at room temperature, to help keep your deodorant solid, consider adding organic, non-gmo corn starch (or agar agar?) and/or a creamy natural moisturizer such as shea butter.
Baking Soda Substitutions: Apple cider vinegar, diluted lemon juice
Optional Niceness: Essential oils (mint or tea tree, etc. for antibacterial properties and/or choose one you like for it’s wonderful aroma)
Kitchen Tools:
Small stainless steel, glass, ceramic pan for melting the coconut oil. DO NOT use aluminum or teflon as these will leach either the heavy metal aluminum or plastic (in the case of teflon) into your deodorant! Optionally, use a glass jar in side the pan and double boil it (put solid coconut in the glass jar, put water in the pan and then the jar in the water).
Spoon for scoping the oil out of the coconut oil jar and stirring the oil and other ingredients together
Stainless steel, glass or ceramic mixing bowl or you can use the glass jar that you use to heat the oil in.
Deodorant Containers:
Reuse an old deodorant container! Yay! (May need some DIY love, ex. cut an oval of thin paperboard from a chocolate bar wrapper to keep the deodorant mixture from pouring out of the bottom of the container.) Make sure that the mixture is cool before putting into the plastic container so that it doesn’t heat the plastic and leach plastic into your deodorant!
Other mould ideas: Stainless steel, glass or ceramic muffin tins, ramekins, small glasses, cups or jars. Again, I suggest stainless steel, glass or ceramic and NOT plastics or aluminum (plastic and aluminum will leach into your deodorant).
Mould liner ideas (to get the hardened deodorant out of the mould): Muffin paper, baking paper or other paper than will not disintegrate when liquid is added (DO NOT use aluminum foil or plastics! The aluminum and/or plastics will leach into your deodorant, especially when heated. Nasty. I’m sure you’ve got the idea by now.)
Nice looking container to keep finished (solid) product in: Ramequins, nice saucers or cups
Optional: small natural fiber cloth to wrap around solid deodorant while applying (in warm weather, keeps deodorant from melting onto your hands)
DIY Deodorant Part 2: Method
Next you’re going to mix equal amounts of the two main ingredients together and/or mix in any optional ingredients you prefer. Then you’ll pour the mixture into your mould(s) and put it somewhere to cool.
Note, for the substitutions, if using the optional oils, use less oil and consider adding a thickener such as organic, non-gmo corn starch and/or an organic creamy natural moisturizer. This will help the deodorant stay solid at room temperature. If using apple cider vinegar or lemon juice you can reduce the amount of these liquids relative to the coconut oil. I haven’t used any of these substitutions, so play around with them and see what works best for you.
Method:
Gently heat the coconut oil in a pan, or in a mason jar in water in a pan, until it melts. Or put it in the sun, or on your radiator, etc.
Use a spoon to mix the liquid oil with the baking powder. Stir in any additional ingredients like a few drops of essential oil, etc.
Pour the mixture into your chosen mould and put it somewhere to cool down and firm up (fridge, snow, etc).
Once it’s solid, it’s ready to use.
Mine lasted in my bathroom drawer for 6 months. If you’re concerned that the coconut oil might melt, you can also break your deodorant into pieces, put one in your bathroom and store the rest in the fridge until you’re ready to use them.
