Recipes - organic deodorants
http://www.squidoo.com/homemade-deodorant-recipes

George: Nice link. Thanks. I'll try a small batch, not the .83 cups that recipe gives, but the same ratio using 4 tsp solid coconut oil, 3 tsp baking soda and 3 tsp arrowroot powder.

More so, I love the idea of repurposing an old chapstick tube (CLEARLY MARKED!). That's plenty for a 7-day trip, or my more common business trips, so why bring extra? Cannisters for diabetic blood-sugar test strips have tightly-fitting hinged lids and are 2-3x the volume of a chapstick but smaller than the nearly extinct 35mm film canister.

I'm not overly afraid of "chemicals" (all health-food-store products are - guess what - mixtures of chemicals), so I may just repackage some unscented Mitchum stick deodorant into a chapstick tube.

So y'all are the 'freshies' I pass on the trail.

...Deodorant on the trail- ha, that's a good one!


Now.... how to repackage hair gel...

What brand deodorant is everyone using? Mine will not melt in the microwave. I packed it in a CS tube but it just breaks apart.

I did it with Tom's of Maine deodorant and it worked well.

As an alternative to recycling chapstick dispensers, all these work as well. (As I'm one of those who prefer using deodorant, and washing where I can)

Band-Aid Friction Block Stick .34 oz. (Already mentioned in Tyler's post)

Neutrogena Wet Skin Kids Stick 0.47 oz. There is also a Baby Version as well - same size

Bodyglide Anti-chafe Balm Pocket Size .21oz - somewhat awkward to use as a deodorant dispenser, but still works.


For me, the Band-Aid Friction Block size dispenser lasts a week (with one application per day)

No need to melt a commercial product, as the deodorants I use (which are not antiperspirants) easily "extrude" into the empty container.

Edited by tr-browsing on 10/10/2012 12:49:12 MDT.

Wow! what a coincidince! I had been thinking about this for a while and thought I might as well try it. Although I used original scent old spice the concept is still the same.I think I did mine about two to three weeks ago and it works really well for when you dont need a full stick, like I leave in in my gym locker. To solve the problem of maybe putting it on my lips, since I store it next to my chapstick, I sanded off the labels and boldly labeled it "DEODERANT". Anyway, happy trails.

Not wishing to offend anyone, but I find the whole idea of taking a deodorant walking to be strange and rather pointless.

Since the normal method of action for a deodorant is to block your sweat glands, either this is a bad idea or it simply won't work (like when climbing a hill).

Cheers

Roger,

I kinda agree, but I imagine it would still be useful when resupplying in trail towns, or travelling home afterwards with non-hikers.

Roger, for a smart guy, you seem to have mixed up the functions of deodorants and antiperspirants. Killing bacteria whose byproducts smell bad is one effect and is different that stopping sweating which cools the body.

Hi David

> mixed up the functions of deodorants and antiperspirants.
Point.
I get confused by the marketing claims for all this stuff. The ads I've seen don't make a great distinction - not that I have paid them much attention anyhow.

My experience has been that once I cool down and dry off, whatever smell there is drops significantly. Great fuss about nothing.

Cheers

> My experience has been that once I cool down and dry off, whatever smell there is drops significantly.

Different people have different bacterial flora on their bodies, determined by a whole range of factors, and exacerbated by the type of clothing they wear. It may be that your body has a 'benign' flora, that means you don't smell too bad. Others may not be so lucky, and they may honk.

Or they may wear Helly Hansen LIFA base layers...

I don't wear deodorant or antiperspirant, and I'm lucky that I don't stink too badly, unless I'm doing something where I'll be very anxious or scared. I usually carry a small atomiser of alcohol-based eau de cologne of some mild fragance, and give a squirt in morning and after I've had a quick wash.

Y'all just need to learn to embrace the funk!!
BigRed77

RE: Ron's "Y'all just need to learn to embrace the funk!!"

LOL

Actually, I for one, have gone that route and after smelling up my clothes, my quilt (which is a pain to wash), and my sleeping pad (=amazingly) ... not to mention the aromatic inconvenience of sharing a shelter - I've made the personal decision to minimize "the funk" when & where it can be pragmatic. This thread is mostly focused on one of the logistical aspects of that (i.e. lightweight deodorant ... the other is the quick on-the-go "wash up" ... but that's a topic for another post)

Think of as a HYOH thing ;-)

Edited by tr-browsing on 10/12/2012 12:44:41 MDT.

I take a splash of hand sanitizer and throw it on my armpits. It works well.