By Jennifer Updated: . First published: . This post may contain affiliate links. 17 Comments
I’ve written about stinky armpits before. No one wants armpit odor. At least no one I have met.
Since writing that post, I’ve been on a mission to learn as much as I can about armpits. Stop laughing. It’s true. I’ve become quite interested in those little detox havens. Spurred forward by my own detox journey, I wanted to learn how I could best support these important detox pathways while not wafting an eyebrow raising odor in the general direction of anyone near me. Armpit odor is a no-thank you but detox is a yes-please!
Guess what I learned about how to get rid of armpit odor? Your pits just need some probiotic deodorant.
Probiotics do wonders to balance the bacteria in your gut. So why wouldn’t they do the same for your skin? Well, they do. And they do it well.
Our skin contains millions of beneficial bacteria, also known as micro flora. Micro flora play an essential role in preventing undesirable bacteria from developing. It’s this bacteria that causes armpit odor.
If you were to use the chemical deodorants that are on the market, you actually would set up a vicious cycle in your pits. The chemicals kill the good bacteria. The bad bacteria flourishes. The bad bacteria stinks. You use more chemicals. The good gals loose and the bad guys win. See the problem?
You could switch to a natural brand or make your own deodorant but if you are not keeping the proper balance of bacteria in your pits, you might find that you still have a little funky stuff happening in there.
Not all probiotics work in armpits!
This is important stuff folks. In order to get the maximum benefit from your pit probiotics, you need to choose a brand that is shelf stable! If you select a product that is delicate, it won’t hold up and thus will prove to be worthless. Make sure that your probiotics has a mix of lactobacillus and bifidobacteria at a minimum. Here are a few of the brands I use:
Also, while it might sound all “one with nature and stuff”, steer clear of those soil based probiotics that are black in color. If you choose to use them, expect your pits to look like the inside of a baby’s diaper after a hard night with a batch of rancid prune puree.
Some people have had success with using their favorite natural or homemade deodorant and rubbing a little probiotic powder on after. I’m glad this works for them but it never worked for me. In my experience, the probiotics needs to be mixed into the deodorant. Applying them after doesn’t give them direct and immediate access to the skin as there is a barrier in the way.
I also find that sometimes you just need a little armpit scrub to get the stinkies out! Good thing my armpit scrub recipe is a winner!
If you are looking for a pretty fabulous deodorant recipe, this is the one I have been making, using, and adoring.
Yield: 1/2 cup
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Active Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 38 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Cost: $5.00
No one likes armpit odor! Learn why probiotics are the funk busting powerhouse you have overlooked and grab my amazing probiotic deodorant recipe.
Materials
- 1 Tablespoon cocoa butter
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 Tablespoon shea butter
- 1 Tablespoon beeswax
- 2.5 Tablespoons arrowroot powder
- 1 Tablespoon baking soda (or if sensitive to baking soda, substitute more arrowroot powder or corn starch)
- 1/4 teaspoon vitamin E oil
- 15 drops essential oil of your choice (optional)
- 2 probiotic capsules (be sure to check out the brands I linked to above)
Instructions
- Add the cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut oil, and beeswax to a glass measuring cup.
- Place the measuring cup in a medium sized saucepan and fill the saucepan with water until it reaches the halfway mark on the measuring cup. Be careful not to get water in the measuring cup with the ingredients.
- Over low heat, melt the butters, oil, and beeswax.
- Remove from heat and add the arrowroot powder, baking soda, and vitamin E oil, stirring until it is cool enough to touch.
- Once it is cool, you can add the essential oils if you are using any and the probiotics. Make sure you open the capsules and pour in the contents.
- Store the finished product in an airtight, glass container away from light.
Notes
- If you feel like you need more probiotic power in this recipe, you can add up to 6 capsules.
- If you would like a smoother consistency to this deodorant, replace the beeswax with more coconut oil. This recipe creates a “salve” like consistency.
What essential oils do I use and love? Several brands actually.
1. My hands down favorite brand is Rocky Mountain Oils (also known as Native American Nutritionals). These are seriously the BEST brand I have ever used. They are strong. And I mean strong. I have seen some amazing things happen when using this brand.
2. GEO carries a great line of essentials oils and I have always had success with their oils. They are adding new blends frequently and are definitely worth a look!
3. I am really enjoying Plant Therapy essential oils as well. They are easy on the budget as well as being a high quality oil.
