Essential Oils for Deodorant

Why use essential oils for deodorant? Although many people try to stop their underarm sweating with antiperspirants, blocking the sweat glands with an antiperspirant interferes with the natural elimination of toxins from the body. Plus, most commercial antiperspirants and deodorants contain aluminum compounds, which some sources believe are potentially toxic.

The most important action of a deodorant is to kill bacteria; it's the bacteria that causes the unwanted odor. I have actually used straight grapefruit essential oil as deodorant and found that it worked as long as I didn't become too sweaty. Although I haven't tried the the following blend from Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art, it looks promising:

15 drops sandalwood essential oil
5 drops cypress essential oil
5 drops sage essential oil
5 drops coriander or lavender essential oil
2 ounces aloe vera juice or witch hazel
1 tablespoon alcohol

Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake well before each application. Note: Spot test the formula first to make sure your skin is not sensitive to any of the ingredients.

Here's some more information on using essential oils for deodorant. If you want to purchase deodorants that contain therapeutic-grade essential oils, take a look at the ones from Young Living.