Wonder if Cory’s allergic to cocoa butter, which has a much higher melting point… might could melt some of that in a double boiler, add the baking soda to that? Would still be gummy in hot weather, probably would need to be packed (in its dispenser) in a plastic bag, just in case the cargo compartment of the plane gets hot when Cory’s book tour makes a stop in Guam. But maybe Cory never checks his bags.
I’m still looking for a recipe that will make the product solid at room temperature but spread easily so I don’t have to keep it in the refrigerator. I started making my own last year and I have no complaints. Coconut oil as the carrier. Baking soda as the deodorant. Corn starch as an antiperspirant. Don’t bother with fragrances. I found the baking soda neutralizes all of them. The proportions of all can be adjusted based on which quality you favor; deodorant, absorption, liquidity. I apply a very small amount and it will last several days if I don’t wash it off. If you are not already sensitive against any of these then the combination should cause no issues.
As a dermatologist who deals with bromhidrosis (foul smelling sweat) and hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), I believe the two topics are being conflated here. Deodorants, by definition, mask bad smells and thus contain fragrances. Sometimes, just a masking fragrance is used to make the product not smell bad, so some “fragrance-free” products still contain fragrances. I am not sure how a deodorant can be “fragrance-free”. Many people are allergic to fragrances (hence the popularity of “fragrance-free” products), but as there are numerous types of fragrances, someone can be allergic to many different types of fragrances but not respond to others.
Antiperspirants, on the other hand, stop/suppress sweating, which usually (but not always) also reduces the production of odor (not always, as sweating is due to eccrine glads; odor is due to apocrine glands). The most popular, aluminum chloride, often can be irritating to the skin.
It is important to determine the cause of the “rash” in the individual patient to determine what products to avoid and what to recommend. Obviously, one size does not fit all. No one product works for everyone and everyone does not tolerate the same products.
It’s not marketed as a deodorant, but I just splash on some Bay Rum. You can get it fancy in all sorts of attractive bottles but good ol’ Clubman will do the trick and leave you smelling like you just came from the barber shop.
Jason Unscented Deodorant Stick. Aluminum, paraben, phthalate and (most importantly for me) propylene glycol-free. Usually $6 or $7. The only one that works for me and isn’t ridiculously expensive. The downside is that it usually lasts only about half a day before I need to reapply.
I suppose this is OT, but considering how many options are out there to deal with the first problem, as witnessed on this thread…is there ANYTHING that can be done to deal with the latter one?
The dreaded aluminum chloride discussed above is one of (what I suspect) is at least a few compounds that enter the cells around a sweat gland cause them to swell the gland shut.
I am a woman with sensitive underarms. I don’t shave, but I do wax a few times a year, reluctantly. I use Suave unscented if I am going to be around people, but that’s not often. It irritates if I use it for more than one day running, but the first day is OK.
At home, I have a spray bottle of witch hazel with some essential oils (tea tree, lavender, grapefruit, cedar, lemongrass, usually) and that is good enough.
I have used the coconut/baking soda recipe, but it irritates my skin more than any of the commercial ones.
All that said, I don’t typically talk about my armpits because it has typically ended up in a discussion of shaving and body hair. I like my body hair, but people can get so weird and judgy about another humans’ follicles.
I used to love Arm & Hammer’s Powder-Fresh scent, but haven’t been able to find it lately. For some reason, it was in one of those small little tubes, instead of the big, wide ones for my big, wide, smelly pits that smell so much better powder-fresh scented.
Allow me to add myself to the binders full of women with sensitive armpits. I can’t shave or wear antiperspirant, and I have to be careful about what kind of soap I use in that area as well. I have to rotate between Arm & Hammer Clear, Liquid Crystal, and homemade blends of oils & starches (baking soda causes a very gross problem) because if I stay with one too long, I start to react to it as well. Most “natural” brands contain ingredients that I am allergic to, Tom’s of Maine is by far the worst for me.
I forgot about neem oil. Then I don’t have to find out what wearable food pairings go with powdered rocks and drink silicate water. Wow is that book missing cover art.
Thanks for the responses showing that at least some women also have the same sensitivity. First I’ve heard of it, and I know WAY TOO MUCH about all my friends’ physical issues!
I just typed up almost this same thing. I’ve been doing this for years and it works great.
The baking soda ratio can take a little trial and error. Too much of it can irritate the skin. 1/4c coconut oil, 2T soda, 2T starch is what I’ve been doing lately.
