Rise and shine smoothie | Home-made deodorant

Did you wake up on the funky side of the bed? Feeling a little blah or queasy? Not as voracious an appetite as usual? Maybe you need a dose of rise and shine smoothie to get you back on track. It worked for me. :)

Rise and shine smoothie

• 1 to 3 teaspoons fresh ginger root, washed, scraped, chopped (I used two teaspoons.)
• 1-1/2 heaping cups frozen mango pieces (mine were from Trader Joe's)
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional but good)
• almond milk (about 1-1/2 cups)
• water (about 1/2 cup)

1. Add the ginger root and mango to a VitaMix or other high-speed blender. 
2. Add enough almond milk to process, and thin to your preferred consistency with additional milk or water. (I used about 1-1/2 cups of milk and 1/2 cup of water, but your blender may want less or more. You may prefer your smoothie thicker or thinner.) Blend until creamy-smooth. 
3. You can add a few drops of liquid stevia or other sweetener of your choice if you prefer a sweeter smoothie, but I found it plenty sweet as is.

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Home-made deodorant

I was reading a blog post about DIY deodorant and thinking I'd like to make some. Who wouldn't, right? It only had four ingredients, and the most expensive one I already had. If you already have everything on hand, it would be very economical to make, but if you have to buy everything, not so much. But I wasn't making it to be economical, I was making it because I was looking for a more  'natural' deodorant with a minimum of ingredients. Honestly, it works better than the natural deodorant I was buying, and has better ingredients. It contains only coconut oil, corn starch (or arrowroot), essential oil, and baking soda.

One recipe makes enough for several months. The deodorant stays hard when the room temperature is cool, but softens a bit as it gets warmer. In hot weather you could keep it in the refrigerator. I now have mine in four 2-ounce amber glass jars, three of which are in the refrigerator. (I made a bit more than the recipe provides.)

I had no problems with clothing stains while the deodorant was hard, but when it softened, I may have used too much, and I found oil stains on my favorite tee. This only happened with a light-colored tee. (They came out with a LOT of washing.) The stuff smells fantastic, and I really love it so I'm going to give it another shot and pay more attention to how much I apply. It only takes a little to do the trick.

The recipe is based on one I found on the blog, In Sonnet's Kitchen, which, sorry to say, is no longer available.

Homemade deodorant (based on a recipe from In Sonnet's Kitchen)

• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 2 Tablespoons arrowroot powder (or corn starch)
• 5 teaspoons baking soda
• 10 drops lavender essential oil
• 10 drops tea tree oil

1. Melt the coconut oil in a small pot over a low flame, or in a glass measuring cup in the microwave. If you use the microwave, set for 20 seconds at a time until liquified. (mine took two 20-second cycles)
2. Add the corn starch and baking soda to the liquefied oil, and combine. 
3. Add the essential oils. Mix together thoroughly to remove any lumps.
4. Transfer to a glass container or two small glass jars.
5. The deodorant will solidify just fine on the counter top if the room is cool. To speed it up, or if the room is too warm, you can cool it in the refrigerator until solid, stirring every 20 minutes or so. 
6. I let it harden in the refrigerator, and kept taking it out to stir it while it cooled, because the ingredients tend to separate if you don't.

I like using the deodorant best when it's solid. I just scoop a little on the back of my fingernail and spread it on. If it gets too warm, and the deodorant melts, you can store it in the refrigerator. In Seattle's climate, I keep it in the bathroom cupboard year round. Note that some people have a reaction to baking soda in a deodorant, and get a rash. If you have sensitive skin, this may not be for you.


Update: Although I had no problems using the deodorant for nearly a year, I now find that it irritates my skin. At first, reducing the baking soda helped, but not anymore.