Making your own deodorant not only allows you to skip out on the harmful chemicals, it also gives you the ability to create any scent you desire!

I've been making my own homemade deodorants for a number of years now ranging from probiotic deodorant creams, Himalayan salt sprays, thieves scented creams, and many others but I always come back to my holy grail, tried and true recipe that I'm going to share with you today.

Black Spruce and Lavender Deodorant Spray

This is a wonderful spray deodorant that you can make in any size and in any scent you like. It's my current concoction for winter and it smells WONDERFUL. My husband is a huge fan as well. What can I say, we're both woodsy outdoorsy types who love resinous and coniferous aromas so naturally we both love this deodorant.

If you're not a fan of black spruce or lavender, you certainly don't need to use the same essential oils! You can use almost any essential oil except those considered phototoxic like oils found in the citrus family. No one wants burned underarms that turn brown amiright? Of course, for this to happen you would need to expose your underarms to direct sunlight but I like to err on the side of caution just in case. So yeah, avoid those citrus EOs!

To make a 4oz size of this recipe at a 10% dilution, you will need:

• A 4oz spritzer bottle
• 120 drops black spruce essential oil (you can sub balsam fir, pine, etc. You can even try my geranium and tangerine version)
• 120 lavender essential oil
• 3oz vodka or other clear drinking alcohol (do NOT use rubbing alcohol. You can sub witch hazel)
• 1oz pure water (not from the tap)
• A small funnel

Loving Preparation - Black Spruce and Lavender Deodorant Spray

• Begin by carefully adding the essential oils. A small funnel makes this much easier.
• Next, carefully pour in 3oz of vodka.
• Now add pure water until you reach the shoulder of the bottle. Be sure to leave a small amount of air at the top to help make mixing easier when you shake the spray before use.

To use:

Shake well and spritz on a few sprays of deodorant under each arm. The number of sprays you need will be different for each person. I generally need 3-4 sprays for full day odor control.
Allow the deodorant to dry a bit before dressing. Reapply if needed. I only need to do this on especially hot days when I've been sweating.

You can customize this deodorant by playing with the water and vodka ratios until you find a strength that you like. I need "clinical strength" so I tend to need a bit more vodka in my recipe for it to be effective all day long.

You can also lower the dilution to suit your needs though you may need a higher vodka ration if you do this to keep odor causing germs at bay. I'm not certain subbing witch hazel would be enough to keep you fresh without a higher dilution of essential oils. If you try it out, let me know how it works out for you in the comments below!

A 4oz size of this deodorant lasts me a few months with daily use. Feel free to make whatever size you like, I've even made a travel size version that uses salt! The small roll-on size is perfect for throwing in your purse or gym bag while on the go.

What have been your favorite homemade deodorant recipes?