I hoard beauty and body products like my life depends on it, but sometimes it’s nice to make your own. When I came across this recipe for homemade deodorant, I immediately scoured my house for the ingredients and got to mixing.

The heady promise that I could make my OWN unique fragrance reeled me right in—who wants to smell like Spring Rain and Fresh Flowers all their life when they can create their own intoxicating scent? I wondered, though: Would DIY deodorant actually work?

Realtalk: I’ve been known to sweat rivers, and I wasn’t too keen on airing out my B.O. But, with some scent-based modifications, the lovely deodorant I concocted stanched my skepticism AND my armpit-related effusions! If you’d like to make your own, step into your laboratory (or kitchen) and get cooking!

What you’ll need:

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• ½ cup room-temperature coconut oil.
• ¼ cup baking soda.
• ¼ cup cornstarch.
• An all-natural essential oil (or two!) for fragrance. This can be anything you want—I used this lemon eucalyptus oil from Aura Cacia.
• Two medium-size mixing bowls.
• A spoon.
• An empty jar.
• Optional: 2 tablespoons of a second moisturizer. (I used shea butter.)
How to do it:

Step One:

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Mix the baking soda and cornstarch together in one of your bowls. This is the miraculous powder that will help curb your sweat!
Step Two:

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Pour the powder mixture and coconut oil into the other bowl.
Step Three (Optional):

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If you decide to add another moisturizer, throw that in the bowl too. I like adding shea butter to give my pits the extra hydration they need after I shave, but it’s totally not necessary! The formula will be fine without it.
Step Four:

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Add as many drops of your essential oil(s) as you want. (I put in about 20 drops.) If you want an exact measurement, try starting with ¼ of a teaspoon, then add more if you want more fragrance.
Step Five:

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Mix the delicious-smelling batter with a spoon, making sure it’s nice and smooth. Note: If you included shea butter in your recipe, you’ll have to put a little extra muscle in to get out the lumps.
Step Six:

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Spoon the concoction into a glass jar or any other clean, empty container with a top. Your packaging doesn’t have to be super fancy—I found this nifty jar in the dollar section of Target!
Step Seven:

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Stick your new deodorant in the fridge overnight to harden.
Step Eight (Optional):

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If you want to add some pizazz (pit-zazz?), decorate your jar with Sharpie art or glitter.

Ta-da! You’ve got yourself some customized homemade deo! Keep it somewhere cool so it doesn’t melt, apply a thin layer to your underarms with your fingers as needed, and walk around with your armpits held high, knowing you’re the most magical-smelling Rook in the game! ♦