Mama, have your kids read the book Everyone Poops? Perhaps there should be an adult counterpart titled Everyone Sweats.
Sweating is a natural process for your body to regulate temperature. When dogs overheat, they pant; when humans overheat, they sweat.
What’s sweat?
Sweat is a bodily fluid produced from your sweat glands when your body temperature rises above 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
To get technical, when your internal body temperature rises, the hypothalamus (a part of your brain) triggers a sweat response from your endocrine glands. Those glands are located on the face, armpits, palms, and feet, which are the most common places for people to sweat.
The glands on your palms, feet, forehead and armpits secrete a simple fluid of water and salt, which thankfully don’t smell. However, there are glands on your armpits and groin that produce an odorless milky fluid when your body is under stress; these may begin to smell when mixed with bacteria.
If you notice that you sweat in one particular area, you may have excessive sweat glands there. Other factors that impact sweat are:
- Genetics
- Age (teens tend to sweat more during puberty…hello B.O.!)
- Body mass (more fat equals more insulation, which means your body is warmer and needs to sweat to cool down)
- Alcohol and caffeine intake (these dilate your blood vessels and stimulate your nervous system)
- The environment (naturally, warmer temperatures cause your entire body to sweat)
- Emotional stress
- Medications
Why deodorant?
Deodorants block body odor by breaking down bacteria, while antiperspirants conceal smells by plugging sweat ducts. Clogging up those openings is actually harmful to the body because your body sweats as a means to regulate temperature; block those pathways and your body will stay too warm.
Truthfully, you do not need to wear a deodorant. But as a Mama, you’re probably active and moving around all day long. That’s amazing to stay in shape and interact with your children! The more you move around, the warmer your body becomes. And what happens when your body heats up? You sweat.
Sweat isn’t the issue, but the unattractive sweat odors aren’t so pleasant. Which is why deodorant is wonderful.
Purchasing a deodorant is simple and fast. But making your own homemade deodorant doesn’t have to be a lengthy chore. In fact, you can create a DIY all-natural homemade deodorant spray in only 2 minutes!
The ingredients
This homemade deodorant spray contains 5 ingredients (which you can personalize)! First up is the witch hazel. This serves as both an emulsifier (an agent to mix with the essential oils, since water and oil don’t blend) and it fights against unwanted bacteria. Bonus: it also reduces inflammation, which is helpful for a Mama who gets the occasional razor burn on her underarms!
Next is the apple cider vinegar. This amazing ingredient is antibacterial, antiviral, and antimicrobial, making it perfect to ward off bacteria that makes you stinky! You may be wondering if your pits will smell like vinegar? Nope. Once this dries, the vinegar smell disappears. And so will all of the other undesirable smells!
The last component of this DIY all-natural deodorant spray is the essential oils. Lemon rejuvenates your skin, fights bacteria, and clean toxins out of your skin. Lavender is soothing to the skin. And tea tree oil is naturally antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal, plus it’s a great antiseptic and wards off bacteria.
Have you noticed a trend? These ingredients are all superpowers against bacteria! And sweating isn’t what makes you smelly, it’s the bacteria that causes odors.
DIY All-Natural Deodorant Spray Recipe
5 ingredients combine to fight off unwanted underarm odors.
4 oz spray bottle Get it here
2 oz witch hazel Get it here
2 oz apple cider vinegar Get it here
25 drops of lemon essential oil Get it here
10 drops of lavender essential oil Get it here
7 drops of tea tree essential oil Get it here
To make:
- Fill the spray bottle with 2 oz of witch hazel. (You can eyeball half of the bottle instead of measuring.)
- Add the lemon, lavender, and tea tree essential oil to the bottle. Swirl to combine with the witch hazel.
- Add in the apple cider vinegar. Shake well to combine all ingredients.
To use:
- Gently swirl to make sure ingredients have not separated.
- Spray 1-3 squirts on your underarms. Allow to dry before putting on clothing (less than one minute).
- You do not need to store this in the fridge; a bathroom cupboard or drawer is perfect. Shelf life is longer than one year.
Modifications and special notes:
- If you need additional strength against odors, replace the witch hazel with 100 proof or higher vodka.
- This deodorant spray is effective at fighting odors, not preventing sweat. You will still sweat when wearing this deodorant. However, your sweat should not smell.
- You will not smell like apple cider vinegar. Once the vinegar dries, you will not smell any vinegar.
- For most people, a few spritzes in the morning will last all day. If needed, you can apply again midday.
- Create this deodorant spray in a small spray bottle, either plastic or glass. Try the Dollar Store!
- You can substitute other essential oils. I recommend keeping the tea tree oil since it’s a potent bacteria fighter, but these will also work. For lemon: wild orange, grapefruit, lime, lemongrass. For lavender: geranium, rosemary, bergamot. For tea tree: cedarwood, eucalyptus, or sandalwood.
- Using essential oils is not recommended for women who are pregnant. Consult your doctor for more information.
Looking for more DIY recipes? Try our face toner, face wash or hand soap.
