Make your own natural, homemade roll on deodorant that is easy to use and glides on smoothly to the skin. This recipe is free from the toxic ingredients found in many conventional deodorants, such as aluminium and synthetic fragrances, but still offers effective odour protection. I kept the dilution of essential oils to 2% to avoid skin irritation.

Confession time. I can get super sweaty! Particularly on hot, summer days or after working out. But natural deodorant (and clean eating) have made a world of difference.

When it came to finding the best deodorant for my body that was natural and actually worked, it proved to be a real challenge. I went through a lot of trial and error when making my own natural deodorants at home, but found a great deodorant paste that worked wonders in covering up underarm odour for the majority of the day (even with my excessive sweating).

I’ve been making natural homemade deodorant for a couple of years now, and I really love how easy and simple it is. This roll on deodorant recipe is just as good, but has a beautiful wildflower scent to it (along with a few other updates!).

For those of you who are just switching to a natural deodorant, an armpit detox can help to speed up the transition process and allow a natural deodorant to work a little better on the skin.

If you’re not a DIYer, this store-bought natural deodorant paste works wonders for protecting against odour, and is one that I have been using for a number of years with great results.

Roll On Deodorant Stick

I’ve found natural deodorant can work really well, once you find the right recipe. The recipe I share below uses magnesium to help protect against underarm odour and restore mineral balance. The deodorant is fairly quick to dry on the skin thanks to the arrowroot powder and baking soda.

Magnesium hydroxide (milk of magnesia), is the form of magnesium used in this recipe. However, it is a more poorly absorbed form of magnesium, and some, but not all, brands of liquid magnesium hydroxide contain bleach (sodium hypochlorite) which is used as a preservative. Not ideal for putting on the skin.

Magnesium oil on its own can make a good deodorant, but it can feel a little sticky on the skin and sting a little if you’re not used to it. Plus, it may not be strong enough for some when it comes to odour protection.

This recipe may not be ideal for everyone. As I mentioned at the top of this post, there is a lot of trial and error when it comes to finding a natural deodorant that works for you. Everyone’s body is different, and will respond differently to different formulas.

The good news is that if you try the magnesium oil version and it doesn’t work for you, that’s okay! You can cross that off the list and move forward from there. And if the milk of magnesia version doesn’t work, same thing applies. That’s the beauty of DIY-ing, it’s a lot of experimenting and seeing what works for you and your body.

Milk of Magnesia

Magnesium oil is considered to be one of the best types of magnesium for topical use and is more easily absorbed by the body.

This oil can be used as a deodorant along with some essential oils and a little bit of glycerin. I share how to substitute this oil into this roll on deodorant recipe below.

Magnesium hydroxide (milk of magnesia) will be the form of magnesium used in this roll on deodorant recipe below. However, there are very few brands that contain a clean form of this liquid where only magnesium hydroxide and purified water are used. Most of the milk of magnesia liquid formulas available have been reformulated to include bleach.

Since I didn’t really want to put bleach on my skin, I went with plan B. This recipe uses magnesium hydroxide powder mixed with distilled water to make a homemade version of the milk of magnesia liquids available at the store. Please note that it will separate in the bottle, but there’s an easy fix for this. Just shake the liquid before each use.

Roll On Deodorant Odour Protection

Since this isn’t an antiperspirant it doesn’t offer protection against sweat like aluminium deodorants do. However, sweating is a natural process the body uses to cool itself down and excrete toxins. Blocking this process can cause an array of health issues late down the track.

What’s more, spraying aluminium, synthetic fragrances, and other toxins right near the lymph nodes and breast tissue is not so good. If you’ve been using a conventional deodorant or antiperspirant for a while, then it may help to do an armpit detox first to assist the body in detoxing from these chemicals.

Naturally Scented With Essential Oils

You’ve probably heard me say this before, but I’m not a fan of fake fragrances. Over 3,100 chemicals are used to create synthetic fragrances and, at this time, it is not required that they be listed on a product label.

This is where essential oils come in handy. These natural plant oils smell amazing and provide many health and aromatherapy benefits.

Some essential oils can be used safely in larger amounts while others are more potent and require a lighter hand. Some may cause photosensitivity when used above a certain percentage. So it is important to read up about the recommended percentages that are safe to use for each oil, but generally, a 0.5-2% is considered to be a safe amount.

I’ve selected my favourite combination of essential oils below in the recipe, but feel free to switch up the oils to suit your preference.

Finding Roll On Deodorant Containers

Many stores online sell empty roll on bottles for homemade deodorants. The only problem is many of these are made from plastic, which has the potential to leach toxic chemicals into the product inside when stored for long periods of time. You can occasionally find glass roll on bottles, but they can be a little small for daily deodorant use.

Another option is upcycling a used deodorant container to dispense your homemade roll on deodorant.

Before we get started in learning how to make this homemade natural roll on deodorant, if you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my email newsletter at the bottom of the page to keep up to date on the latest recipes, DIYs, gardening and health tips I share!

Roll on Deodorant Recipe with Magnesium

If you are using a pre-made milk of magnesia, replace the magnesium hydroxide powder and distilled water with 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of the liquid. Look for a milk of magnesia solution without additives such as bleach.

If using a magnesium oil, replace the magnesium hydroxide powder and distilled water with 4 tablespoons of magnesium oil, and add in 1/2 teaspoon of glycerin to the recipe.

This recipe yields about 2 ounces (60 mL), or enough to fill two roll on deodorant bottles, and has a 2% dilution of essential oils.

Ingredients:

• 8 teaspoons distilled water
• 3/4 teaspoon magnesium hydroxide powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda (omit if you have sensitive skin)
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
• 2 tablespoons witch hazel (alcohol free)
• 10 drops lavender essential oil
• 8 drops jasmine essential oil
• 4 drops patchouli essential oil
• 3 drops myrrh essential oil
• 30 mL roll on deodorant containers

To Make:

1. To make this natural roll on deodorant recipe, start by heating the distilled water in a small saucepan until it’s very hot. 
2. Add the hot distilled water and magnesium hydroxide powder to a large bowl and whisk together well to combine. 
3. Next, add in the baking soda, arrowroot powder and witch hazel to the bowl and continue whisking until well incorporated. The mixture should look smooth.
4. Add in the essential oils and whisk again to combine the ingredients.
5. Pour the mixture into the roll on deodorant bottles, and cap the lid on tightly.
6. Shake the deodorant mixture well before each use.
7. To use this natural roll on deodorant, apply this solution to clean, dry armpits. 
8. Please note that less is more with this deodorant. Apply a thin layer of the solution onto the skin and rub it in if necessary.
9. Wait a few minutes before putting a shirt on, as the deodorant may leave stains.

This blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. The use of information on this blog or materials linked from this blog is at the user’s own risk. The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard, or delay in obtaining, medical advice for any medical condition they may have, and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.

Have you made your own natural deodorant before? How was it? Share in the comments below.

Lots of love,

Vanessa