This is a fun discovery that I just felt like sharing with all of you.
I haven’t bought deodorant from the store for years. Many deodorants contain aluminum and this is absorbed by your skin when you wear it. Accumulating aluminum in your body has some major health hazards. It is wise to pay attention to everything you put on your skin (lotion, shaving cream, sunscreen, bug repellent..) because your skin absorbs it. Just think: is this something I want inside my body? If not, then don’t put it on your body.
I tried natural deodorants from the store, but never found one that I liked and that worked well for me. So I asked some good old-fashioned country friends what they used. One of my friends suggested lemon juice and another had heard of apple cider vinegar. I used lemon juice as a deodorant for a long time. It didn’t stop me from sweating (which is a good thing because the body needs to sweat, it’s healthy) and it made my sweat smell like maple syrup. No kidding! (Jeff can attest to this.) It was really pleasant to have my sweat smell like maple syrup and was funny to me at the same time. I never tried apple cider vinegar, didn’t appeal to me accept for on salads. I also tried powdered clay, which worked great, but tended to be messy to apply.
Then I came across a book that suggested using coconut oil as a natural deodorant. Coconut oil? I love using coconut oil for all kinds of things and it sounded intriguing. So I tried it. I loved it! Now it is my number one deodorant of choice. It doesn’t stain your clothes and it works great for every day use. On a very rare occasion, it’s not strong enough and I just have to hold my arms close to my body when I hug people. (haha)  But overall, it’s by far my favorite natural deodorant that I’ve found. Plus, it’s economical because it lasts for so long. We use a lot of coconut oil for cooking so we buy it in bulk from the co-op (which lasts forever.) I fill a little jar with it and keep it in the bathroom. I haven’t had to refill it yet and I’ve been using it for a long time. It seems like the never ending jar.
When you live in the country, it is so nice to meet your basic needs with things you have stored in your own pantry. If it saves you a trip to town and some money too, than happy day!
I will say that coconut oil may not work for everyone. Each body is different. Experiment with what works for you. I just wanted to share it with all of you, in case you happen to try it and love it as much as I do. I’ve also heard you can add essential oils to it, which sounds fun. I’ve never tried it, but the possibilities are endless.

Happy Sweating!