I expect the answer to that varies quite a lot from person to person but I think the fundamentals are pretty easy… You like the smell and that smell is what people are still getting by the end of the day. Price probably comes into consideration for most of us and maybe ease of use (it’s not messy to put on and doesn’t stain your clothes or leave an obvious mark).

If you are reading this through the Plastic-Free Dunfermline group, then you probably also care about what the ingredients are, what the packaging is made of and the kind of impact you might be having on the environment by using your favoured deodorant.

And if that is the case, have you ever thought about making your own?

I knew this was a possibility but had never done it until a few weeks ago… to be fair, I still haven’t made the deodorant: my wife has! But I am now using the home brew everyday and feeling like a very happy (and sweet smelling) customer.

As it turns out, it is pretty easy to do (I am told) and cheap. There are only a few basic ingredients and loads of easy to find recipes. The one we’ve been using involves shea butter, coconut oil, bicarb and whichever essential oil you want to flavour the resulting paste with. We’ve made a few batches now and although they go a bit soft in hot weather – so worth having a leak proof container as keeping it in the fridge involves the risk of someone mistaking it for a lemon posset - they are working really well for me. 

The application is not technical: just stick a finger in the tub and rub it on. There is no greasiness, it works (i.e. I still smell more or less good at the end of the day) and it has an added bonus of making me feel kind of smug about not giving any of my money to some big company.

So a few questions I have and would be interested to know your thoughts on:

1. Is buying those ingredients and making my own really better for the environment than buying a deodorant? 

2. What other recipes have you tried? And do they work?

3. Do you make any other stuff at home that you think decreases your use of plastic and has a good impact on the environment?