Afternoon beauty fix: How to mix a natural deodorant that still smells sweet

My morning beauty routine consists of all-natural products, save for my deodorant. I don’t feel safe using the mass-market ones, though, so I was thinking of using baby powder instead—would that work? Baby powder was once an early form of deodorant, applied topically to absorb liquid and dry damp skin. It’s comprised of cornstarch and talcum powder—another superfine mineral powder commonly used in cosmetics to absorb excess moisture. The downside is, you can never escape that baby powder, well, evokes the scent of a baby. Thankfully, there’s an easy way to create your own deodorant based on the baby powder formula, but without the smell. Mix together one part baking soda (to neutralize acids) and six parts cornstarch (it prevents clumps from forming). Then add one part scented powder, such as Marilyn Monroe’s personal preference, Yardley English Lavender Talc ($17, at drug stores). Voilà, you now have a paraben-free and aluminum-free ticket to smelling nice and staying dry.

In need of an afternoon beauty pick-me-up? Email us at beautyfix@fashionmagazine.com.