Like fresh flowers in your pits: how to make your own deodorant at home

Some say that you should only put things on your skin that you'd be willing to eat, this is one of those recipes where it's likely you already have all the ingredients in your kitchen.

Surprisingly yes! I'm a healthy sceptic, so was slightly dubious.

After a day of bike riding, digging in the garden or bush walking I can get some pretty impressive body odour going on! But this stuff works - even on those highly active days.

I have also found that is recipe doesn't leave marks on darker clothes like some deodorants can.

Simply place the corn starch (or arrowroot) and bi-carb in a bowl and mix together thoroughly.

Add the coconut and lavender oil and mix really well, until it's all creamed together.

Pour or scoop it into a clean glass jar where it'll last up to six months.

More lifestyle:

About a pea size scoop for each pit should do the trick, but everyone is different so experiment and find what works best for you.

As we live in cool temperate Tasmania, the mixture sets fairly firmly. So I use a teaspoon to scoop it out into my hand, once on your fingers your body heat will melt it into an easy-to-apply cream.

For people who live in a warm climate the consistency will always be a nice and creamy so no spoon's required - your fingers are perfect for the job.

If you are new to natural deodorant you might find that your pits need a little time to detox from the antiperspirant chemicals you might have been using before hand.

It's important to know natural deodorants don't stop you from sweating like antiperspirant deodorants attempt to do. Sweat is good, it's the bacteria under our arms that can make us smell.

Depending on your body chemistry, it can sometimes take a few weeks for the bacteria in your armpits to even out during your deodorant transition.

Don't be put off, let your body do its detox and soon enough you'll feel like you've got two little bunches of fresh flowers sparkling out of your armpits.