DIY Cucumber Wasabi Deodorant

Hello Everyone!
In the future I will write a post on how to formulate deodorants, but for today I am simply writing the formula of the last roll-on deodorant I have made.
It is NOT an antiperspirant deodorant, because I didn’t want one: I wanted a formula for an everyday use deodorant: mild, simple, yet effective.

Cucumber Wasabi Deodorant 2

When we sweat, some enzymes and bacteria (usually Gram-positive) decompose our sweat and this is what causes bad odour. This is particularly true of areas, like armpits, where the pH of the skin is a little less acidic than usual.
There are different ways to counter this mechanism, and here are the two ingredients I have chosen for this formula:

  • Triethyl Citrate – this ingredient creates a deodorizing reaction cycle:
    – we apply it to our skin and we start to sweat
    – enzymes and bacteria start to decompose the sweat and the triethyl citrate
    – triethyl citrate gets hydrolized into ethanol and citric acid
    – while ethanol evaporates, citric acid stays on our skin, lowering the pH
    – by lowering the pH, the enzymes and bacteria stop working and this lowers the odour together with the decomposition of sweat
    – slowly our skin buffers this pH change and rises it once again, the bacteria start to decompose sweat again… and the cycle continues until no more triethyl citrate is on our skin to be effective.
  • Zinc Ricinoleate – this ingredient is the zinc salt of ricinoleic acid (which is found in castor oil). It is simply an odor-absorbing agent. The mechanism by which it works is not well understood, but if applied, it should lower the odour in 10 minutes time (obviously I don’t suggest you to use this deodorant on already smelly armpits 😉 always apply it on clean skin to make this deodorant work at its best).

[If you feel confused on where you are supposed to find these ingredients, HERE is a list of websites that sell cosmetic ingredients online]

Here is the FORMULA:

Phase A: 
Water to 100%
Xanthan gum 0.5%

Phase B: 
Triethyl Citrate 5% 
Zinc Ricinoleate 3% 
Vitamin E 0.2% 
Oil (I used sunflower oil) 2.8% 
Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate 3.5% (this is just my preferred choice for emulsifiers. You can substitute it with another one as long as it can be used in hot process)
Cetylstearic alcohol 0.75%

Phase C: 
Fragrance oil 2% – I have used Cucumber Wasabi from Sensory Perfection. LOVE IT! It needs this much because the zinc ricinoleate “eats it”. This kinda made me question if I haven’t used it up by adding the fragrance (since I haven’t found the way of action of this ingredient in any more detail than what I wrote) but I didn’t want a fragrance-less deodorant so that’s it! I have added it. You could take the fragrance oil out of the picture if you wish.
Phenonip 0.7%

HOW TO: 
1) Measure the Phase B and heat it up in a double boiler.
This is the first step because the zinc ricinoleate needs 80°C in order to melt properly. In the second picture you can see that it is still not melted properly. It will be melted properly only when the liquid will look completely homogeneous. After it looks homogeneous, leave the beaker in the double boiler still other 5 minutes, just to be sure!

2) Measure and heat up the Phase A. Just a simple note here: I add a small amount of water and the xanthan gum. Then I mix and add more water a little at a time to help the xanthan to not form lumps. If some lumps form anyway, don’t despair, they will mostly go with the mixing.
Cucumber Wasabi Deodorant 5
3) When both phases are at 80°C, pour the Phase B into the Phase A a little at a time and mix with an immersion mixer. When you are done it should look like this:
Cucumber Wasabi Deodorant 6As you can see from the picture (or maybe not) it is still very liquid.
It will thicken up a little while it cools down and in a couple of days time as well. Keep stirring until cool down. After complete cool down, give it a quick mix with the immersion mixer again.
However, since this formula is for a roll-on, it is supposed to be a pourable lotion and not a thick one.

Now a few notes after the use of this recipe for few weeks.
Since I haven’t added any antiperspirant ingredient, I cannot say this is the most effective deodorant in the world. However, even if this wouldn’t be my go-to for a very stressful day (for example a job interview), this deodorant still does its job! 🙂
It’s a mild, effective solution for everyday use 🙂

Hope you enjoyed this recipe!
Do leave me a line 😉

18 thoughts on “DIY Cucumber Wasabi Deodorant”

  1. I usually ad decalact to sour (ph 5) formulated deodorants. Making it more effective.
    Sour deo works best on days where my hormones a going havoc (around day 14 & 28)
    On other days a ph 8 dep with baking soda and zinc oxide and sage oil works better.

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  3. i made this deodorant and used it
    it is good at controlling odor
    i didnt stink for 48 hours despite the very hot dessert climate
    i understand this isnt a deodorant so my armpits were still very wet with the sweat
    i want to add something to this deodorant that would inhibit hair growth
    and something that would lighten the skin
    and also something that would make the armpit skin prettier as it is filled with deep lines sort of like chicken skin so i think maybe adding hyaluron to plump it up idk just a guess
    and what about formulating an anti perspirant cause it gets really embarrasing for girls to have the armpit area all wet on the shirt
    and also am trying to keep it all natural
    your suggestions will be very appreciated as i have already learnt soooo much from you

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    1. I don’t know of any ingredient that really inhibits hair growth.
      To lighten the skin I wouldn’t add the ingredients I know that work for it, anyway one would be 2% arbutin.
      This deodorant is already a good creamy treatment. More ingredients would mean just more chances for the formula to not work properly.
      HA calls for water so it would make your armpit even more wet in a sense.

      About a natural ingredient that works as an antiperspirant that would be potassium allum powder. You can start by adding a 5% 🙂
      Hope this helped!

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      1. Hi, would this be possible making a deodorant just with aloe juice, Xanthan gum, potassium allum, essential oils and preservative? I am learning a lot from this blog. thank you so much

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      2. I would avoid the aloe vera as it is difficult to preserve and it is actually bug food! 🙂
        Potassium allum is often used on its own. I prefere to avoid it and so I have never used it before: I don’t know if xanthan is enough to make a good gel with it, you would have to experiment but ideally it could work!

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  5. Hi, I was making deodorant with aloe vera gel, and I know i need preservatives added. I was wondering if i can combine liquid germall plus and optiphen plus to preserve my product? I’ve made a cream with 12% aloe vera (the rest ingredients are: beeswax, butter, oil, clay, arrowroot powder, magnesium oil, and other ingreditens (activated charcoal powder, eo, vit e until it 100%). I made two batches, one batch I added 0.5% liquid germall plus, and for another batch I added 1,5% optiphen plus, but both batches always ends up with white spots throughout the cream. (i noticed when I looked at it by turning flash lights on. But, it doesn’t change color, and it doesn’t has odor, and it doesn’t have mold even after 3 weeks. But, the white spot is there. Am i doing anything wrong?

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  6. i want to use inulin to straighten hair
    but as you mentioned
    there will be no volume
    so what should i add do
    to straighten hair and add volume to hair
    i have curly limp fine hair

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    1. You can add a bit of proteins or epsom salts. But I don’t know any ingredient that will do both things for you.
      I honestly don’t know if you can get both the things that you want at once. Maybe you can apply a product near to the roots to increase volume and another product towards the end of the hair to make them more straight… but I don’t even know if this would end up looking good.
      The thing is: either you want straight hair (but this will make thin hair a little heavier and therefore having volume at the roots will be more difficult), or you want increased volume and then you avoid a straightening product.

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  7. Is there anything that can be done to this formulation to create a solid stick? Thanks for all your great info.

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