Travel Downsizing: Deodorant

Have you ever noticed how your travel-sized deodorant always runs out halfway through your trip? Have you also noticed how travel-sized deodorant costs nearly as much as a regularly-sized one? Do you hate paying for checked bags and would like a really easy tip on down-sizing so that you can be one step closer to your goal of traveling with only a carry on and personal item? 

(FYI here is a post on how to pack for cold weather in only a carry on.) 

Here is a very quick "hack" to help those of you cheapskates, like me!

You need: An empty travel-sized deodorant container and a full regularly-sized one.

So, first open both containers.

Then, start twisting the bigger container so that the product starts to rise.

With some of the product coming out of the bigger container, hold the product up against the opening of the travel-sized container. This is to make sure that the product will fit. (You may want to take your empty travel container to the drugstore and check before you buy.) As long as they keep making regularly-sized deodorant that is small enough to fit inside a travel-sized container, you only ever need to buy the travel-sized container once. You can then keep reusing it like this every time your product runs out.

Remove the product from the bigger container by continuing to twist it up until it pops out.

Then, place the product into the smaller container and start twisting it down.

(You may need to press the top of the product with your thumb to get the threads to catch and pull the product down.)

Sometimes, the product is still sticking out the top, but that's okay. As long as it is securely screwed into the container, it's usable.

Don't worry if the lid doesn't go down all the way. It will after a couple of uses.

Anyways, that should save you a little space!

The End!

DIY Non-Chemical All Natural Deodorant (+ Bonus - DIY Perfume!)

Who knows what they put in deodorant these days.  It's not worth the health risk, and personally, I'm not all that impressed with the job store bought versions do.  On the other hand, most DIY facsimiles fall way short on actually working. (Who wants to smell like a dirty hippie?) This is my tried and true method. (And, listen up, I'm a sweat factory.) It kills germs, doesn't leave residue, makes you smell nice, won't kill you, and is really easy/cheap. Once you make it, you will also have some really nice perfume as a bonus.

You need four things:
1. A salt rock. (Found in organic stores and on ebay. They last forever. I've had mine for over ten years.)
2. 100 proof vodka. (Cheapest you can find.)
3. Essential oil of your choosing.
4. A dropper bottle.

Directions for making perfume:

Add however much vodka to the dropper bottle that you want. Then add drops of essential oil till you acheive the desired smell potency (I do about 30). Shake. The longer you let it cure, the longer lasting the scent will be.

Two step deodorant method:

1. Add water to the salt rock and rub it into your arm pits.
2. While your pits are drying a bit, add several drops of your perfume to the salt rock and rub that into each arm pit.

What I like about this is that I don't feel cakey, I don't leave residue, and I can smell however I want (and don't have to worry about my deodorant clashing with my perfume). It lasts even longer than store bought crap.

Notes for those with misgivings about vodka:

- You can use rubbing alcohol, but it burns.

- Realize that the finest perfumes use a distilled clear alcohol like vodka. Cheap ones use rubbing alcohol. Vodka retains the scent longer.

-You could also just spritz your favorite body spray or perfume into the salt rock, but vodka kills germs, so you get dual action with vodka. (Unless you use a high quality perfume, in which case it already has distilled alcohol in it.)

Go thou and do likewise.

The End