I’ve not worn deodorant for many years now. Most people gasp at this but as most of you already know, deodorant is one of the most toxic daily products we can use. Not only do most deodorants contain ingredients that are harmful to our body, the concept of deodorant is harmful as well. Making DIY Pit Wipes are a quick and effective way to freshen up safely!
Blocking our pores that are right above lymph nodes is a good way to trap toxins inside the body. I’ve been looking into lymphatic drainage, parasite and candida cleanses and our detox pathways and more then ever am I convinced that we should do everything we can to encourage detox.
Keeping Detox Pathways Open:
Our two main detox pathways are going to the bathroom and sweating. This is how our body gets rid of waste. If waste is trapped, our bodies become filled with toxins and can not protect us against foreign invaders such as viruses and cancer. Not to mention cellulite and bad skin are direct repercussions of trapped toxins.
Have I convinced you to stop using deodorant yet?
I naturally have very slow detox pathways. I have slow digestions and I rarely sweat. I realized a long time ago that I have to take detoxing very seriously and letting go of deodorant was the first thing I did. You might wonder if you met me would I stink? Yes, if we hugged I probably would-lol. I keep products like THIS in my car and bag and often times wash my underarms when I wash my hands. Dabbing a few drops of lavender oil always goes a long way as well.
A while back I posted recipes for Toner Wipes and Cleansing Wipes and it got me thinking cotton rounds in a jar are a useful DIY for many different products! It seemed like a no brainer to create “Pit Wipes” too. These wipes are very easy to make with few ingredients. I’ve used them a lot lately and will continue to make this DIY.
What You’ll Need to Make Pit Wipes
- 1/4 cup *Hydrosol (find it HERE)
- 1/4 cup Witch Hazel (find it HERE)
- 15 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil (find it HERE)
- 10 drops **Eucalyptus (find it HERE)
- 8 drops **Lime Essential Oil (find it HERE)
- 5 drops **Lavender Essential Oil (find it HERE)
- 6-10 ounce Flip Top Jar (find it HERE)
- Pyrex 1-2 cup measuring cup
- Measuring cups

DIY Pit Wipes
Not only do most deodorants contain ingredients that are harmful to our body, but the concept of deodorant is harmful as well. Making DIY Pit Wipes are a quick and effective way to freshen up safely!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place cotton rounds in a jar. My flip top jar is 6 ounces and can be found at Hobby Lobby. It is the perfect size for these types of DIYs.
- I put quite a few rounds in because the liquid will condense them.
- Mix all my ingredients in a glass measuring cup and pour over the rounds.
- Press down on the rounds to help all the rounds to thoroughly soak up the liquid.
Notes
*I use lavender hydrosol in this recipe because it typically has a preservative and it will help prolong the shelf life. However, you can use distilled water if you’re in desperate need of making this DIY!
**I experimented with this essential oil combination. You do not need to buy all of these essential oils if you don’t want to. Tea Tree is excellent when it comes to killing bacteria so I would definitely not omit it. I would keep this recipe at 40 drops per 1/2 cup but feel free to use the essential oils you have. Bergamot and lemon are always great with tea tree and peppermint is nice to add because it gives a cooling effect!
***Since this is a water-based DIY with no preservative, I would keep these for only a month. Refrigerating them will prolong the shelf life though but I’m not sure applying these from the fridge to the pit will feel that great! If you’re like me, you’ll use this up quickly!
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Organic Lavender Hydrosol
- 2Pcs 10 Oz/300ml Clear Round Plastic Home Kitchen Storage Sealed Jar Bottles with Leak Proof Rubber and Hinged Lid for Herbs, Spices, Candy, Gift, Arts and Crafts Storage Multi-purpose Container
- Organic Lavender Essential Oil
- Lime Essential Oil
- Organic Eucalyptus Globulus Essential Oil
- Organic Tea Tree Essential Oil
- Thayers Alcohol-Free Unscented Witch Hazel Facial Toner with Aloe Vera Formula - 12 oz

If you suffer from sensitive underarms from waxing or shaving, you could add aloe vera gel into this recipe to help calm and heal! I would add 2 tbsp. of aloe vera gel and 2 tbsp. of hydrosol (instead of 1/4 cup) + 1/4 cup of witch hazel and 40 drops of essential oils.
You might wonder why I don’t use a natural deodorant since there are so many available even at retailers like Walmart and Target. I have THIS one and use it if I know I’m going to be around a lot of people but quite frankly, I rarely use it because I want to never block my pores anywhere on my body.
No deodorant is not for everyone so an aluminum, paraben, fragrance free brand is certainly a healthy alternative to the typical brands like DOVE, SUAVE and SECRET.
xx, Jenni
Can these be used in the vaginal area? If not can you recommend a natural one or a recipe for vaginal wipes?
Laura-I don’t see why not. If it had castile soap I would say it might burn. If you are very sensitive, the amount of essential oils in this recipe might burn but my gut tells me they wouldn’t.
Hi!!! I just recently started using deodorant because I’ve been perspiring more. Ironically, I just started melaleuca membership that has a buffet of essential oils that I know nothing about. I noticed I have large pores on my face so I started searching for remedies. Ironically I am from OKC and came across your site. I am 48 and have always looked young. My husband is 11 years younger. But now my pores are making my skin look older. What or can you suggest anything.
Thank you so much 😊
Marsha-Hi fellow Oklahoman! I find that incorporating a clay based mask in your skin care routine can really help with enlarged pores. Having a good toner can help as well. As far as oils go, cypress essential oil is fantastic at tightening which is why I include it in my toner on Etsy. Best of luck and thank you for reading and commenting!!
Jenni, what about your So Simple DIY Spray Deodorant recipe? It is the same idea as this post. I use that and it works great! I didn’t realize that most of the the natural ones, including DIYs, could be pore clogging! BTW, I couldn’t locate that spray recipe in your recipes index. Had to do a search for it via a search engine. Unless it was under a heading on your site that I didn’t expect …. ?
Could I sub grain alcohol for the witch hazel? That’s what I have on hand
Meagan-I believe so!
I’m highly allergic to tea-tree oil, could I simply leave it out, or is there something you could suggest I could replace it with? Would love to try these, as I’m getting kinda over having to spend $12+ on a container of natural deodorant that doesn’t even last all day. Thanks!
Margaret-Just leave it out! All essential oils are antibacterial so leaving it out will still work!
Hi! Thanks for this recipe! I love Mountain Rose Herbs, so it looks like I’ll be placing a new order! I’m curious… what are your thoughts about using reusable cotton or bamboo rounds (the sewn fabric type) that can be washed instead of using the disposable cotton-ball type rounds? I’m trying to reduce waste and use more sustainable/reusable products. All of the ingredients seem like they would be fine going in the wash, probably with a load of towels.
Mary-Hi! That’s a fantastic idea! I hadn’t thought about it. I think all the ingredients will work just fine in the wash. After all, I oil cleanse and that towel is full of yucky oil and washes just fine. Thanks for the idea!
Great idea.