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I have been trying to look around me to find ways to minimize non-organic wastage...and one of the everyday things is Deodorant.

I read somewhere that solid deodorants are way much greener than spray ones...hence I switched over to solid ones. I also made sure that the brands I use are made of organic constituents (Tom's of Maine.. available at Trader Joe's etc.)

If you might have noticed.. actual deodorant cake is only about 50% of plastic container. I feel its a great wastage.

Is there any alternative so that packaging waste from containers can be minimized?

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    Make your own deodorant ;) No kidding, there is a supposedly great recipe using coconut oil and baking soda as base and any essential oil for fragrance. Works better than most commercial deodorants, which is not hard to believe.
    – Earthliŋ
    Feb 2, 2013 at 8:32

2 Answers 2

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If you are able to, you could discontinue the use of deodorant. I haven't used any in years and don't miss it a bit. However, I know that isn't for everyone.

My boyfriend swears by using baking soda mixed with cornstarch (and I can vouch that it really works). This great article on My Plastic-Free Life looks at a bunch of home made deodorants. The alternatives boil down to:

  1. Baking soda with or without some tea tree oil
  2. Deodorant creams that come in metal or glass (which are reviewed on the link above)
  3. Homemade recipes, most of which are based on baking soda (compiled and reviewed in that link)
  4. Vinegar or alcohol based deodorants
  5. Deodorant bars and crystals (watching out for plastic packaging)
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    wow!!! this forum is so amazing! I feel so much better to have these questions answered...I dont think I know anyone around who'd imagine ....thanks a ton for your answer...Based on your link I will try to find out and update what Ive done....
    – Vikram
    Feb 2, 2013 at 17:56
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    @Vikram: Don't forget to mark an answer as accepted; it acts as an extra thank you. :-)
    – Martijn Pieters
    Feb 3, 2013 at 10:50
  • @Martijn done :)
    – Vikram
    Feb 4, 2013 at 16:28
  • Be careful with baking soda. It is alkaline and seems to (sometimes after a delay of months) cause serious skin reactions in many people. I use a 50-50 (by volume) mix of coconut oil and cornstarch (with some essential oils) which works for me. If you start to get sore from a baking soda deodorant, stop using it immediately!
    – aucuparia
    Sep 25, 2019 at 8:48
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I really like, and have fully switched to for 6 months now, thai salt rock crystals, you can find them on various online stores, or at health food stores.

Just remember to reapply if you go for a swim, because it rinses right off.

Other than that it lasts until the next day easily.

A rock can last a year easily. It can come in a basket or small plastic dish so it is very minimal trash.

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