Waste-Free Living: DIY Deodorant
- Words by Peppermint
In the second of our extracts from Lauren and Oberon Carter’s ‘A Family Guide to Waste-Free Living’ – a book jampacked with simple, practical tips to help you embark on your own zero-waste journey – we’re giving you a couple of ways to ditch the plastic whilst smelling fresh as a daisy, with two awesome deodorant DIYs! Once you’ve whipped these up, make sure you snap up a copy of Issue 42, where you can read more about the family and have a look around their beautiful, waste-free home.
DEODORANT PASTE
This is actually very similar to our toothpaste recipe, which makes for compact travelling! We find this recipe works well for day-to-day use and more active days.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
2 heaped tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
10–20 drops essential oil – we love rosemary, lemongrass, lavender, thyme, tea tree or geranium.
Some people like to add other ingredients, such as clay or arrowroot powder. Try experimenting to find a blend that works for you.
1 clean jar
STEP 1
Place all the ingredients in a small bowl.
STEP 2
Mix with a fork until well combined.
STEP 3
Place in a clean jar for use. To use, evenly spread on fingers or palm and apply.
DEODORANT SPRAY
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
100 ml warm water
10–20 drops essential oil – lemongrass, tea tree, thyme, rosemary, lavender or geranium
spray bottle
BICARB-FREE DEODORANT SPRAY
Spray bottle
1 part apple cider vinegar
1 part water
STEP 1
Place all the ingredients in a spray bottle. We use and refill an old deodorant bottle.
STEP 2
Shake until well combined.
STEP 3
Use a few squirts each day, or as needed.
A FAMILY GUIDE TO WASTE-FREE LIVING BY LAUREN AND OBERON CARTER, PUBLISHED BY PLUM, RRP $34.99, PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAUREN OBERON
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- Bec Bligh
Quick show of hands: who’s opened a water bottle expecting a refreshing sip… and instead been greeted by the unmistakable whiff of uh-oh?
Because for something that follows us everywhere (desk, car, hikes, yoga…), the humble drink bottle is strangely prone to becoming a science experiment. Hard-to-clean corners and gaskets. Mystery smells. Bec Bligh and her husband Tim know it well. A six-month sailing trip along the Queensland coast left them with a lifetime of memories and one stubborn annoyance: mouldy water bottles they couldn’t properly clean.
So they did something about it.
Enter @EverVessel. Thoughtfully designed borosilicate glass and stainless steel bottles that keep things beautifully simple: durable materials, wide openings, easy-to-clean parts and none of the techy gimmicks that tend to age badly. Turns out simplicity, done well, is pretty powerful stuff. (Their many design awards agree!)
And lately they’ve added a little extra delight: the Artist Series, where creatives like Paola Castro, Ben Miners and Martin Thompson transform these everyday companions into tiny travelling artworks. There are more colabs in the works, too: hydration, but make it joyful! 🎨💧
We chatted with Bec about the sailing trip that started it all, the philosophy behind Ever Vessel, and why the most sustainable product is often just the one you keep using.
Tap the link in our bio to read the full conversation. 🚰
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Pull up a chair… there’s room at this table!
For the first time, Feast for Freedom is bringing people together for a spectacular long-table dinner as part of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival.
A Longer Table is exactly what it sounds like: one beautiful shared table inside the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (@Asrc1), piled with generous dishes inspired by this year’s hero cooks, Noha and Nige.
From 6 to 9pm on Wednesday, 25 March, this is what you can expect:
🍽 A three-course shared feast
🍷 Matched drinks
🎶 Live entertainment
✨ A room full of good humans
Your ticket doesn’t just buy you a delicious dinner. It supports the ASRC’s vital work and helps create a fairer future for people seeking asylum.
Seats are limited, and long tables have a way of filling up quickly – head to @MelbFoodAndWine’s website to book now: feastforfreedom.org.au/mfwf
#FeastForFreedom #MelbourneFoodAndWineFestival #LongTableDinner #FoodForChange
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My #PeppermintWaratahWrapDress is finished and I’m so proud of it. It has been designed not to flap open and flash your pants in the wind, so I feel confident it will be a great wheelchair or standing dress in English weather.
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This DIY project was featured in Issue 53 and now you can access it for the lovely low price of only $5.
Sun-safe chic is always in style. ☀️
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For our fabrics we chose two from our lovely sewing partner @Karmme_Apparel – the bold Rottnest Stripes in a lightweight, soft-drape cotton, and the quality linen in the handpainted Mexico Collection.
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Link in bio 🪡
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It’s time to Feast!
Some recipes travel a long way before they land on your table to delight your taste buds. This year’s Feast for Freedom invites us to gather our friends, cook something delectable and raise funds for the incredible work of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (@Asrc1) while we’re at it.
The 2026 Feast features recipes shared by two remarkable cooks: Noha, who brought the flavours of Palestine with her when she arrived in Australia, and Nige, a Sri-Lankan Tamil cook whose journey with food began in the most unexpected of places.
You can host your own Feast up until 30 April – simply register online and get planning! Host a dinner, organise a workplace lunch, or gather your community… However you do it, the idea is simple: cook, connect and celebrate the cultures and stories that shape Australia.
Want to find out more? Head to the link in bio to meet Noha and Nige, learn more about their stories, and discover a delicious recipe to try.
#FeastForFreedom #PeppermintMagazine #FoodForGood #ASRC
