On Homemade Hygiene

So I mentioned the hair thing. I had seen it a lot while out surfing the interwebs and have thought about it on and off for a while. I don't really know a lot about the bad things in shampoo, just that there are lot's of bad things in most products you buy in the States. I understand if you bought the same thing in the EU the product would have considerably less of the bad stuff because the government in the EU seems to actually act on information that suggests a chemical is bad for you while the US wants proof. So in the US a certain number of people have to die, get cancer, be born with birth defects, etc before they will look into it. Which makes me feel great about the government and all that, let me tell you. On the other hand, if I learn x is bad and I continue to use x, well then maybe that is my own responsibility...
Anyway, I hadn't meant to get on a soap box- it is more about getting off one.
So on the first of July I read this on Angry Chicken's blog. it took me about a minute to say to myself, "Yes."
That is because in addition to the whole hair thing, for the last couple (maybe three) years I have been sweating differently. Earlier this summer it was so bad I threw out all my shirts because the stink would not go away. I went to the dermatologist and asked him what I could do. He gave me something horrible that blocks sweat glands completely. Which I was totally willing to use. (Yes, I stank!) I had tried every deodorant out there and nothing was controlling it.
So I made up a batch of homemade deodorant this weekend. It isn't perfect but it is way better than all the other stuff I was using. I used shea butter, teatree oil, sweet orange oil, baking soda, cornstarch, and a bit of vegetable glycerin.
The no shampoo has been since July 1st and I think it is going well. Right now the baking soda is mixed with a rosemary and lavender tea I cooked up on the stove.
See for youself-

Also, as long as I am divulging all of my personal hygiene secrets I'll tell you I switched to cloth menstrual pads instead of disposable. And weird as it sounds, I think that has made "that time of the month" much more pleasant.
So, are you grossed out yet?

edit:
Recipe:

4 tablespoons shea butter
2 tbs cornstarch
2 tbs baking soda
A splash of vegetable glycerin (look at Whole Foods, and just ask the lady, because you will never find it if you don’t know what you are looking for)
Some tea tree and some sweet orange oil

I mostly eyeballed everything so this recipe is my best guess of what I did. I don’t think it is a science. Mine is pretty creamy with just a little grittiness to it.