How to Make Deodorant from Coconut Oil, Coconut Milk Powder, & Baking Soda

Coconut oil, used extensively in the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia, is one of the best moisturizers for your skin. It is anti-bacterial. Mandarin oil is tangerine oil. It has been grown in Sicily and Tunisia as well as in China, and has a delicate citrus scent. It's an essential oil with properties to help relieve stress and digestive problem. Mandarin oil frequently is used to increase circulation to the skin, reduce fluid retention, and to help prevent stretch marks.

When added to coconut oil, coconut milk powder, and baking soda, a dropper full of Mandarin oil makes the finishing touch for a natural deodorant for the external use. It quickly becomes transparent on the skin. Or make your own shampoo by mixing a few drops of Mandarin oil with a few drops of olive oil added and a tablespoon of glycerin added to your favorite gentle shampoo base.

You can combine melted coconut oil, coconut milk powder, baking powder, and Mandarin oil to make your own natural deodorant. According to the Esoteric Oils site, Mandarin oil is extracted from Citrus reticulata (also known as Citrus nobilis, madurensis, unshiu, deliciosa) of the Rutaceae family and is also known as European mandarin, tangerine, naartjie and true mandarin. Here's how to make your own natural deodorant mixing coconut oil, powdered coconut milk, and baking soda with Mandarin oil.

Ingredients:
1 cup of baking soda
1 cup of coconut oil
1 cup of coconut milk powder
1 dropper full of Mandarin oil (tangerine oil).

Mix the baking soda with the coconut milk powder in a glass bowl. Slowly melt the coconut oil in a saucepan over a low flame. Coconut oil is solid when it is in a jar kept at room temperature or refrigerated. You can buy coconut oil in most supermarkets. Powdered coconut milk is found in most Asian grocery stores. Or you can buy Mandarin oil online, for example at amazon.com from Aura Cacia and other online sellers. Buy powdered coconut milk online from King Arthur Flour or Full Spectrum Organics or from numerous other online sellers that sell organics.

Add the warm, but not very hot, melted coconut oil liquid to the baking soda and dry coconut milk powder mix. Squeeze a dropper full of Mandarin oil into the liquid. Stir gently until all ingredients are mixed. Pour into a jar and let cool. The coconut oil will harden at room temperature.

Store the deodorant in a tightly closed jar. It will last a week or until used up. Make this deodorant in small batches. You want to make a fresh jar of deodorant every week or two. It will dry transparent.

Mandarin oil has a wonderful essence of citrus. It adds a gentle, delicate fragrance without being overpowering. If you're allergic to scents, use a dropper full of citrus oil that is safely absorbed by your skin. Oils are sold in herbal shops and health food stores. Make sure the oil you use is the edible type used in foods, toothpaste, and mouthwashes and not the type used for burning in oil lamps or incense.

Don't heat the Mandarin oil as it has a flashpoint of 133 degrees F. Check out more facts and safety levels of Mandarin oil at the Sigma-Aldrich® site.

Natural Touch Aromatherapy's Sicilian Mandarin essential oil obtained by cold-expression from the outer peel of ripe fruits. Mandarin is often adulterated with less expensive Orange oil. An excellent mandarin essential oil, amber-orange in colour with a deep, sweet, citrus-mandarin scent. To read more about Mandarin oil, see the Natural Touch Aromatherapy site.

See my book, How to Make Basic Natural Cleaning Products from Foods. ISBN: 9780595523665. Published 2008.