Why We Perspire

• Perspiring is one of our body's main ways of eliminating toxins, so it does serve an important function. The smell from perspiration comes from bacteria on our skin, from pheromones, and sometimes from the food we eat. Although sweating serves an important purpose, there are some things we can do to reduce or eliminate underarm perspiration.
  
  

Easy Homemade Antiperspirants

• A very simple homemade antiperspirant can be made with baking soda. Just sprinkle a little on a cotton pad, wet the pad and dab it under your arms. Baking soda absorbs odors and wetness. By combining half cornstarch and half baking soda, you have an even better blend. Dabbing rubbing alcohol on after showering (but not directly after shaving) also eliminates odors and is an easy homemade deodorant.
  
  

Essential Oils

• Adding essential oils to any homemade antiperspirant not only makes the recipe more effective, but also personalizes your scent. Some essential oils work better than others at deodorizing, and some are irritating to the skin, so should not be used at all. All essential oils need to be diluted. Never use them neat on your skin.
  
  Some essential oils to try for their deodorant properties include: lavender, tea tree oil, frankincense, orange oils (including bergamot, neroli and mandarin), rose geranium or sandalwood. These oils all have properties which will help to eliminate odors, kill germs, and are not usually irritating to the skin, if well diluted. Use about two drops per 50 milliliters.
  
  An oil to try with antiperspirant properties is sage oil. It is included in many natural antiperspirants, and, according to Dr. Linda White, compounds in sage will dry up perspiration while eliminating odors. Sage should be used with caution if you are pregnant or nursing.
  
  

Homemade Antiperspirant Recipes

• By mixing a few more ingredients, you can make a solid deodorant and antiperspirant stick which resembles the store-bought variety. Solid oils and waxes which work in these recipes include beeswax, cocoa butter, shea butter and coconut oil. Cocoa butter and coconut oil are readily available at health food stores. Bees wax may be found at crafts shops. Shea butter may be bought on-line through natural beauty supply companies.
  
  Recipe #1:
  
  ¼ cup shea butteer
  2 tablespoons cocoa butter
  2 tablespoons coconut oil
  ¼ corn starch
  2 tablespoons baking soda
  
  Melt shea oil, cocoa butter and coconut oil. Stir in corn starch and baking soda. Add essential oils. Pour into mold and let set in cool, dry area.
  
  Recipe #2:
  
  1 ½ to 2 tablespoons bees wax
  1 tablespoon shea butter
  1 tablespoon cocoa butter
  2-5 drops sage essential oil
  
  Melt solid ingredients. Add sage oil. Pour into mold to set.