An Exchange About Baking Soda Deodorant

I receive many communications from readers about baking soda deodorant. Unfortunately, not all of them are friendly. The following was posted to Why your DIY baking soda deodorant is causing a skin reaction,

I thought this particular exchange would be interesting to share for 2 reasons.
1. the person who wrote this comment kept a civil tone
2. this person not only makes, but sells a deodorant that risks the health of anyone who uses it

ANONYMOUS WROTE: 

I'm sorry to hear about all the unfortunate ones who had mishaps with deodorants and/or baking soda.

From my soap making business, I've have had nothing but amazing positive feedback from everyone except one person who has used my deodorant, which is made from only 4 ingredients: 50% organic cold-pressed virgin coconut oil, 25%arrowroot powder, 25 % regular A&H baking soda and essential oil.

Turns out the one person who had the reaction was rubbing it in too vigorously and the grain was irritating her skin. She took a months break and tried it again and it was fine.

It's too bad you're giving deodorant with baking soda such a bad name because it (in the words of my customers) has been a miracle deodorant for them! Probably the people who had bad reactions were not doing enough research and mixing it with less effective ingredients.. And, quite possibly, rubbing it in too vigorously as well!

People certainly shouldn't be experimenting randomly with ingredients until they do a ton of research from different sources, research individual ingredients themselves and then use common sense.

Anonymous

MY REPLY:

Hi there Anon,

Thanks for your input. I have heard from many people who have had all kinds of reactions to baking soda deodorant bought from DIY'ers who sell their products online, some react almost immediately after use, some don't react until after months of use.

I am quite certain you mean well, but unfortunately, every DIY'er I have come across selling baking soda deodorant is doing far more damage than they realize.

There are several things that concern me with what you write.

1. You write that your deodorant has 25% baking soda in it. This at least 24% too much. According to your listed ingredients, there are no pH adjusting ingredients in your recipe. If your deodorant recipe is as you write, then you are selling a product that risks causing all kinds of skin reactions and problems, and is probably doing just that.

2. You write that I am giving baking soda deodorant a bad name. I cannot agree with you. I am merely reacting to the thousands of communications I have received from people who have had skin reactions from using baking soda deodorant – some after making their own, and some from using a baking soda deodorant bought online from a DIY'er.

3. You write people shouldn't experiment randomly with ingredients until they do a ton of research. I absolutely agree with that. If you had done the research, you would not be making (and selling!) your product with such a dangerously high amount of baking soda in it and without any pH regulating ingredients. My guess is you are not getting any complaints because people are looking elsewhere for answers after they have gotten a reaction to it.

4. You have chosen to remain anonymous. This indicates to me that you are not willing to stand by what you write.

Please have another look at your recipe and consider taking it off market until it is safe for use. If you were a registered cosmetics company, it would most certainly not be approved for sale.


Visit the Deodorant FAQ