Baking soda as deodorant.....which brand?

It's not UNsafe, that I know of...

Baking Soda must be wrong, at least Transdermal!

Instead use Sage,
make a extract and use it in the same way like a Deo,
also drink Sage Tee, this reduce the Sweating a lot
but only when you are not suffering from excessive Sweating!

Have been using it now for about three years...I brush my teeth with it, wash all of my body, and wash my hair in it...dont worry about the cost..once you get rid of shampoo, conditioner,toothpaste and deodorant , you will be better off financially.

Arm and hammer is a good brand

How does the shampoo and body part work? Do you mix with anything or just slap it on and attempt lather?

Please do elaborate! But, I have noticed when I put the baking soda on my palms, and slap and pat it onto my underarms, and then I go to wash off my hands....my hands are very soft! Just from the remnants of baking soda dust!

I have considered using it as a soap as well....perhaps using a washcloth and baking soda?

Baking soda is supposed to be excellent for washing ceramic and floors and dishes, so why not body? Ever read the back label of body washes? Lots of chemicals, parfums, artificial colors and dyes (why!? I ask myself!)

So, baking soda could not HURT compared to them!

The gals in my house all use bicarb soda under their armpits- and say that is stops smells, stops dampness, and it is cheap and easy to use.

They just get a cotton wall ball or two, dab them into some water very quickly, then dab into the bicarb soda, then onto the armpit.

I used Arm and Hammer brand for under arms. Right now I'm trying coconut oil with tea tree oil.

I also put coconut oil on my hair when wet, just a small amount, let it melt in your hands than spread through hair. I also use it on my face and like it very much.

Doesn't even have to be that complicated. Just rub a quarter teaspoon or so dry powder inti each pit and you are good to go.

[link to beautyandbedlam.com]

Well. I'm not sure that you want to use up your baking soda for deodorizing. Tell me about your reasoning.

Traditionally, to cope with body odor, you need to alter the pH, not cover up the odor or attempt to remove the odor. Does that make sense? Your sweat doesn't smell. Bacteria grows in certain places for two reasons:
1) dark and moist areas
2) the pH levels allow bacteria to thrive

Not all bacteria thrive and smell bad. The ones under your arms do.

Some glands release scents. The sex organs have tons of those plus the rectum of course. There's in addition anerobic gut bacteria coming out that produces a foul odor.

For underarms, 1)pine needles soaked in water creats tannic acid. So does 2)sumac berries. Both are plentiful. Both will be important sources of Vitamin C, so it's a two in one product, right? Drink some, put some under the arms.

3)Acorns when washed to leak away the tannic acid, then you can store that too for this purpose, but dilute it a lot.

That's all free versus baking soda.

For that matter, the most plentiful substance is wood ashes, but a tiny bit in water will produce a basic solution of lye, then you use that and immediate rinse it off. You could do that if all else fails. Free.

Some plants have a cleansing property. Taking the 4)roots of bracken ferns, you can make a very mild soap. That's helpful, especially for the womenfolk, and if you brew it, they can delicately wash themselves as well as underwear. This is arguably the best method.

This method was used a lot of times in history, England during war-time for this purpose.
[link to botanical.com]

Because bracken ferns produce fiddleheads, a treat wild edible, you need to know that one, and it grows in most woodlands. It needs shade, so not found in meadows except for the transition place to forests.

All four things can be found in my sig. I included details on how to find and harvest them.

When prepping, you need supplies, and baking soda is essential. If you mix a tad of tartaric acid with it, then you have baking powder to make beaten biscuits. People get tired of yeast bread all the time. It's cold sometimes and difficult to let it rise.
[link to chemistry.about.com]
You need a little cream of tartar, and then you can use that for other things like wine making. You mix it up as you need it for baking powder. It goes bad upon oxidation, so you use a vacuum seal to prevent that. See my sig.

But, you can make ash cakes or bannock or hard tack using baking soda or wood ashes too.

That baking soda can neutralize the stomach acid, and if severely sick, and by yourself, you might need to.

All of these things talked about in my sig. There's a method to the madness of passing on old ancestral skills. There's seldom randomness in my posts there.

I was sort of saving this but coriander seed has high antibacterial activity and is ground up with a mortar and pestle and used to treat body odor among more useful things.
[link to en.wikipedia.org]

Last Edited by Don'tBeAfraid on 01/17/2013 12:40 AM

Do you use it in your hair as a leave-in conditioner? Or in lieu of a styling product?

Also, how do you apply it to your face? Mix it with some hot water, let it melt, and just apply liquid to your face?

Or, do you apply it directly to your face as the solidified oil? Almost as a salve?


Thanks for your input! Tell me more, I am interested in what you have to say!

Interesting thread!

More uses for Baking Soda from [link to lifehackery.com]

Baking soda is a chemical compound that appears as a fine powder. It releases bubbles of carbon dioxide when it interacts with an acid and a liquid. It’s most commonly used in baking, where it acts as a leavening agent. The following are 75 other uses for baking soda aside from making muffins soft and fluffy.

Health Uses

1. Use it as an antacid.

2. Use it as underarm deodorant by applying it with a powder puff.


3. Mix half a teaspoon with peroxide paste and use it as toothpaste.

4. Use it as a face and body scrub.

5. Add a cup to bathwater to soften your skin.

6. Relieve skin itch from insect bites and pain from sunburn.

7. Remove strong odors from your hands by rubbing them with baking soda and water.

8. Put two tablespoons in your baby’s bathwater to help relieve diaper rash.

9. Apply it on rashes, insect bites, and poison ivy irritations.

10. Take a baking soda bath to relieve skin irritations.

11. Heartburn? Take a teaspoon of baking soda mixed with one-half glass of water.

12. Freshen your mouth by gargling half a teaspoon of baking soda mixed water.

13. Relieve canker sore pain by using it as mouthwash.

14. Use it to relieve bee stings.

15. Use it to relieve wind burns.

16. Apply it on jellyfish sting to draw out the venom.

17. Unblock stuffy nose by adding a teaspoon of baking soda to your vaporizer.

In the Home

18. Keep cut flowers fresh longer by adding a teaspoon to the water in the vase.

19. Put out small fires on rugs, upholstery, clothing, and wood.

20. Put an open container of baking soda in the fridge to absorb the odors.

21. Sprinkle it on your ashtrays to reduce bad odor and prevent smoldering.

22. Sprinkle it on your slippers, boots, shoes, and socks to eliminate foul odor.

23. Turn baking soda into modeling clay by combining it with one and 1/4 cups of water and one cup of cornstarch.

24. After feeding your baby, wipe his shirt with a moist cloth sprinkled with baking soda to remove the odor.

25. Wipe your windshield with it to repel rain.

26. Improve the smell of dishrags by soaking them in baking soda and water.

27. Suck it in with your vacuum cleaner to remove the odor.

28. Freshen the air by mixing baking soda with your favorite perfumed bath salts [1]. Put the mixture in small sachet bags.

29. Restore stiff brushes by boiling them in a solution of 1/2 gallon of water, 1/4 cup of vinegar, and a cup of baking soda.

30. Put it under sinks and along basement windows to repel cockroaches and ants.

31. Scatter baking soda around flowerbeds to prevent rabbits from eating your veggies.

32. Sweeten your tomatoes by sprinkling baking soda on the soil around your tomato plants.

33. Sprinkle it onto your cat’s litter box to absorb the bad odor.

34. Sprinkle it on your pet’s comb or brush to deodorize their fur and skin.

In Cooking

35. Use it as a substitute for baking powder by mixing with it with cream of tartar or vinegar.

36. Wash fruits and vegetables with it.

37. When boiling a chicken, add a teaspoon of baking soda to the water. Feathers will come off easier, and the flesh will be clean and white.

38. Soak dried beans to a baking soda solution to make them more digestible.

39. Remove the distinctive taste of wild game by soaking it in a baking soda solution.

40. Make a sports drink by mixing it with boiled water, salt, and Kool-Aid.

41. Remove the fishy smell from your fillets by soaking the raw fish in a baking soda solution for an hour inside the fridge.

42. Make fluffier omelets by adding half a teaspoon of baking soda for every three eggs used.

43. Reduce the acid content of your tomato-based recipes by sprinkling them with a pinch of baking soda.

Cleaning Purposes

44. Add a cup to the toilet, leave it for an hour, and then flush. It will clean the toilet and absorb the odor.

45. Use it to scrub sinks, showers, plastic and porcelain tubs

46. Spray it on walls, mirrors, and counter-tops.

47. Add a spoonful to your dishwasher to make scrubbing dishes easier.

48. Remove grease from pots and pans.

49. Dry clean carpets and upholstered furniture by sprinkling baking soda over the fabric and gently brushing it. Leave it for an hour or overnight, then vacuum.

50. Boost your laundry detergent’s cleaning power by sprinkling a handful on dirty clothes.

51. Combine it with water to make a paste for polishing stainless steel and chrome.

52. Remove scratches and crayon marks from vinyl floors and walls.

53. Clean your shoes with it.

54. Clean garbage cans with it.

55. Use it to wash diapers.

56. Clean the fridge with it.

57. Soak brushes and combs in a baking soda solution.

58. Mix it with water to wash food and drink containers.

59. Put three tablespoons of baking soda to a quart of warm water, then use the mixture to wash marble-topped furniture.

60. Absorb it with a damp sponge, then clean Formica counter-tops with the sponge.

61. Use it to get rid of stale odors from cooling containers and thermos bottles.

62. Run your coffee maker with a baking soda solution, then rinse.

63. Combine with hot water to clean baby bottles.

64. Sprinkle it on barbecue grills, then rinse it off.

65. Scatter it on your greasy garage floor, scrub the floor, and rinse.

66. Remove burned-on food from a pan by soaking it in a baking soda solution for 10 minutes before washing.

67. Clean your ashtrays with a baking soda solution.

68. Keep your drains clean by putting four tablespoons of baking soda in them each week. Flush it down with hot water.

69. Clean your shower curtains by soaking them in baking soda and water.

70. Put it on a small brush to rub canvas handbags clean.

71. Use it to remove melted plastic bread wrapper from a toaster. Sprinkle baking soda on a damp rug, then use the rug to clean the toaster.

72. Use it to clean your retainers and dentures.

73. Make a thick paste of baking soda and water, and used it to scrub enameled cast iron and stainless steel.

74. Mix four tablespoons of baking soda with a quart of warm water, and use it to clean the inside part of an oven.

75. Use it to unclog gas stoves.

The most amazing thing about baking soda is that it’s very cheap. You can do all these things for a very small cost. Baking soda is truly a miracle product, whether it’s used for baking or not.

I use it more like a styling product. I tried it once in the shower as a leave in conditioner and it didn't work as well for me.

I use the 100% extra virgin coconut oil from Nature's Way. It is also edible. I use it plain for my lips, it melts right away. I put a couple drops of tea tree oil in the coconut oil and mix it up, I apply that to my face or or any after shave areas.

I got rashes from using it as deodorant. I didn't like it at all.

Stop eating meat and sugar and you will stop stinking. Promise.
Use Baking Soda as tooth paste too.

Remember, if things were bad, and there was a collapse, you don't want to rely upon things you can't replace. Therefore all of those things you have in supplies become precious. You use what you harvest first. Then and only then would use up a very valuable resource like baking soda.

See Witchhazels' comprehensive post on that. That's why you need to use it sparingly in a real situation, or have TONS of it as a supply.

Remember that making vinegar from something like locust bean pods or grapes or apples or potatoes then that is another weak acid (acetic acid) that you can use that's mild to the skin under the arms too. The vinegar dries, and then the pH stays too low for the bacteria to multiply.

Last Edited by Don'tBeAfraid on 01/17/2013 12:30 AM

If you could only store one healing oil for a disaster as a prepper, you'd store jojoba oil, and then the womenfolk would be very happy with you. It mimics the natural oils of the skin and hair, and as such is a perfect emollient. Don't know about raising jojoba. I think it's from the Southwest. It's the very best beauty oil, prevents cracked skin in Winter, and remember all of y'all will have chapped skin from working with wet hands and far more exposure to the elements, plus dealing with the lye in your homemade soaps.

If you could store two, you'd include coconut oil. That has healing properties, but of course while plentiful in some regions like Florida or California or Hawaii, that's about all for the USA. It closely mimics precursors of lipids in the brain, so probably helpful for dementia as well as helping hypothyroidism too. (Extremely common in adults 35+ especially women).
[link to www.cbn.com]

The most likely oil that could be grown would be from rapeseed, which we call canola. It produces the most oil per acre and easier to press.Rapeseed busts up clay soils, and would help tilling it. Then you could cook with it, lubricate, heal, oil lamps, waterproofing,etc.

All things in my sig for prepping.

Last Edited by Don'tBeAfraid on 01/17/2013 01:20 AM

Thanks for all the knowledge in this thread...so much you all. This is fascinating, as I knew some of it, but not all of it.

It says alot for people and community, who take time to truly share.:lkj:

I use 19% aluminum, maximum over the counter. There is no proof that aluminum causes cancer. There are worse things that cause cancer than an antiperspirant/deodorant.

Also horrible advise above to use baking soda as a toothpaste. You will ruin your enamel and have sensitive teeth.

Nobody gave any advice on this thread. If you note, I mentioned I use it once every ten days. Less than the once per week that you usually come across in disclaimers online where baking soda is recommended as a toothpaste....just for the same reason you gave.

Thank you for the reminder though, it is probably important to stress that for those who have never come across this information. Thanks!


I will also add: I used to use heavy-duty "gorilla" deodorant. Mitchum brand, which has the slogan, "So effective, you could even skip a day."

Using the baking soda, I find it works effectively as a deodorant and as an anti-perspirant! As long as I ensure to apply the baking soda under my arms after each shower and each morning before getting dressed, I have had absolutely no issues with odor or sweat!

I love this, because it will add up to about $20 saved per year, and it is also less chemicals I will be using.


Perhaps tomorrow I will try using just baking soda and coconut oil in the shower....we shall see! (oooh, also, I want to use sea salt as a scrub on my face before shaving....salt or sugar. I need to look up online the easiest preparation...or do you have a 'recipe' you would be so kind to share?)

[link to www.wikihow.com]

You can use salt, but since sugar is finer, sugar scrubs are frequently used to exfoliate. The sugar is also thought to be good on occasion. Sometimes including fruit acids.

Remember it makes a mess, so you couldn't apply it, then get in the shower, because you'll clog the drain. It's gunky. You rinse it off elsewhere and toss it outside.
[link to www.natural-living-for-women.com]

Whatever is milled finer is going to be like using a finer grit sandpaper, which is essentially what you're doing. You're removing the outmost layer of the five layers of the epidermis. That dried out layer is like armor.
Stratum corneum
[link to bestofbothworldsaz.com]

When you remove that upper layer called the Stratum corneum, it induces the epidermis to push up fresh layers in turn so it creates a youthful appearance. Note: those with eczema have an issue with losing this layer prematurely and constant shedding of it.

In a SHTF scenario, you must be very cautious doing exfoliation. You could cause a skin infection easily.

Last Edited by Don'tBeAfraid on 01/17/2013 03:09 AM

Get the Old Spice "deodorant" that does not contain aluminum.

Sorry i have been away from the computer.

All I do is scoop up a small hand full and let the shower water seep through my fingers , then I rub it on my skin and then I rinse it off. Same with the hair and when I brush my teeth I wet the toothbrush and stick it in the jar that I put my Bi Carb in.

Bi Carb wont lather...lathering is a modern need, you dont need to lather to be clean

Is that survival blog your's? It's loaded with info!!

Hmmm? It's a link to a GLP topic I started. I've written almost every one.

Last Edited by Don'tBeAfraid on 01/17/2013 02:15 AM

the one without additives, no aluminium and stuff.

maybe you want to try this link

[link to wholenewmom.com]


I am using baking powder for 2 years now as deodorant, works perfekt. just apply some after showering to your still wet arm pits.


btw, using it as tooth paste is ok,too. just don´t scrub to hard (but you shouldn´t do that anyway), goes best with some other natural (if you can´t find one in stores, look for it in Indian shops) or self made toothpaste and a "ultra sound tooth brush".
Talked about the "abrasive effect" of it with my dentist, he sees no negative effect on my tooth enamels.

Last Edited by Doomina on 01/17/2013 02:32 AM

phoe, try a water pik too. I think you'll find it really cuts down on the dental bills. People don't understand that the bacteria Strep mutans that is in tooth decay is actually a primary cause of heart disease. Using the jet of water is vastly superior to flossing and cheap, but don't swallow that water.
[link to www.sciencedaily.com]

Last Edited by Don'tBeAfraid on 01/17/2013 03:14 AM

great thread... i've been starting to lean towards getting off all the chemical crap that MSM says is good for you cause "everyone does it"

just started using baking soda and by reading this thread have learned many other uses for it.

also it is interesting that your body will not have bad odor if you don't eat meat and sugar... will be giving that a try as well!

thanks

-josh