Is this some kind of joke?

While we did create a product that tends to warrant at least a few smiles, we are actually quite serious about what goes in our bottles and onto your pits. The resulting smiles are something we did on purpose. We figured smiles and laughter make the world a better place and EVERY decision has an impact. So smile, laugh, and read on.

Armpit Woes

Pit Liquor is the result of some really serious research and was the answer to Jason's and my quest for a deodorant that was safe enough for a pregnant or nursing mom, but effective and not prone to causing rashes. Sounds easy. It wasn't. 

As a pregnant lady at the time, I was at the end of my rope with deodorants that sucked. I had cysts opening up and oozing in my pits. I had rashes. I had ruined clothes from oil stains and white marks that wouldn't go away. And to add insult to all the injury, I still stank like a sailor on the high seas.

We did not set out to become deodorant tycoons, lol. In fact, we were THOSE people, the ones who often didn't wear deo and others knew it. 

With a tiny baby on the way and raging pregnancy hormones that made me smell like a wildebeest in heat, Jason decided to start reading. And he discovered that there are actual medical textbooks available on the topic of deodorant and armpits. I do love a smart, sexy geek immersed in knowledge, even if it is armpit-based.

The answer to all life's questions

Whiskey.

But seriously. Regular alcohol is a great solution to pit stank, but it's generally not actually a safe ingredient because it's made from poisonous substances and enhanced with other poisons like glycol. 

Whiskey, on the other hand, contains tannins which are antimicrobial and it's made from ingredients that people can and do eat with no ill effect. So, truly non-toxic deodorant was born from a love for whiskey and a need for help in the pit department. But it's not just that simple. Our deodorant is at the proper alcohol content and contains many other edible ingredients that cause it to be the very best natural deodorant available. 

After a year of research, we had a deodorant we loved and were happy using. Beyond that, we found ourselves surrounded by people who wanted some for themselves. 

So, as insane people with a new baby, we did what any sleep-deprived parents would do. We started a company. We weren't sleeping at night, so why not. We ran a Kickstarter and learned there was a large market for our product, and we took off running.

We hope you have a fabulous day and we look forward to quenching your stench!

We all realize that our actions have an impact. 

And as a company, we see that our actions have larger ripples because of the scale of our impact. We want to do our part to make sure each of our choices makes the world a better, brighter place. Realizing that every decision has an impact, we want to leave this planet a better place than we found it.

Wanna #breakupwithplastic?

Us too. Let's do it! Plastic is a terrible choice for our planet. Glass is recyclable and can be broken down. It's made from silica and biodegrades. Jason wants to find a way around the necessity of the plastic cap. And now that we have an ideal cap on our bottles, we can more easily move toward that goal. It'll take time, but every purchase here supports that step. 

Eventually, I'm sure plastic will be banned. But we'd rather be proactive than reactive. We want to lead this charge, not make changes because we're forced to do so. 

We frequently examine our processes to look for ways to eliminate waste

Our recent release of the Lavender Bath Tea was the result of looking at our process and realizing we could reduce our waste and repurpose our tea. The teas are used to make our deodorant extra-effective against bacterial stink culprits (for more info, check out our blog post The Science of Stink). But since we don't soak them in water, a bunch of the goodness of the tea is still available as a bath tea.

We're looking for more ways to reuse products and are currently working on a way to make it easy for you to recycle your bottles. Keep an eye out for more of our journey to zero waste through product releases and new programs we'll be implementing. 

Caring for our planet is more than just a fun idea. It's imperative for ensuring this place can take care of our children and their kids. Here's how to become zero waste:

5 Ways to Reduce Your Waste

1. Stop buying plastic resealable bags

Replace them with wax paper, Bees Wrap, paper bags, or upcycle your old T-Shirts by turning them into no-sew bags. I have personally done this and I love it. I carry everything in old T-Shirt bags, or just use a Rubbermaid container instead.

2. Say "No" to straws and throw-away cutlery

Start carrying those essentials with you. We LOVE our Final Straws. We also carry a set of silverware with straws for us and our little one. We got these, and there are lots of other options. 

The one challenge we've had is learning to be proactive to tell waiters and baristas that we don't need straws or cutlery. Sometimes we end up with it anyway, and while we then return it, we're pretty sure they just throw it away.

3. Bring carry-out containers with you

You can get an assortment of carry-out containers for bringing with you. Or just use the containers you store leftovers in at home. Think about how much trash you'll avoid just by reusing containers.

4. Choose non-plastic packaging wherever possible

OF COURSE we have to say this. We are changing deodorant by producing it in glass containers. There are other huge offenders, too, like shampoo and conditioner. We're intrigued by LUSH and other beauty brands that have introduced shampoo and conditioner bars. 

5. Carry a water bottle, reusable coffee cup, etc

The effort to wash it really isn't that bad. You wash cups and bowls and plates at home. Why not grab a stylish, high-performance reusable container of your choice and save the planet while looking good? It's a small change, and it's also likely to make you up your personal hydration game. 

What are your favorite zero-waste journey hacks? We'd love to hear them. So often, we gain inspiration from you!

We've recently been thankful to walk beside a father who's navigating a really challenging time in his life. 

Danilson became a father the same day he lost his beloved wife. To make matters worse, he had no way of feeding his new baby. The cost for two weeks of baby formula was equivalent to an entire semester of college tuition. He had no access to that kind of money and was facing some grim realities as he grieved his dear wife. It's a situation we would never have known about, but our friend Iliezer and his English student Irina who is also a nurse at the local hospital in Guinea-Bissau were able to intervene.

Above is Irina and Iliezer. These two people are responsible for helping their community and bringing hope to otherwise painful situations. We believe firmly that the solution to problems facing West African countries is found through locals who take initiative and are given access to resources (money). Local people understand their context and have the right approach to help most effectively. Irinia and Iliezer are just such incredible people. Through their efforts, in just over six months, four lives have been saved and over 20 other people have received life-changing assistance. School costs have been paid, micro-loans have been given and repaid, and mostly, medical bills have been paid.

At the beginning of August, we sent a wire transfer to West Africa. On the other end, Iliezer picked up money with Danilson. Together they went directly to the store to purchase what equates to nearly six months of baby formula.

Why so much at one time? Resources like baby formula are not guaranteed to be available. Iliezer knew it would be best if we knew there would be plenty for the near future for little Ivonilson. 

There's no way around the fact that this is still a very sad situation given the loss of Ivonilson's mother. His life will be marked by that loss, as will Danilson's. But Ivonilson, who carries forward his mother Ivone's name, will have a life to live and stories to tell. And who knows, but some day, he might play a part in helping others around him.

For now, Danilson's radiant smile and those two boxes of formula are lighting up our hearts. We look forward to seeing that baby grow and grow. 

Thank you for purchasing a product with a conscience. This was directly caused by the influx of orders that came from our story on CBS in June. We have the best customers! Thank you!!

Thank You for Caring!

Pit Liquor is a unique product from the start, but now every bottle of deodorant means more than just non-toxic, stink-free pits. (As if that wasn't enough to start with!)

Proceeds from purchases made at Distilled Bath and Body, LLC are also used to finance micro-loans and help people cover their medical costs in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. 

We (Erica and Jason) used to live and work in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. This is us there visiting when we were 20 weeks pregnant with Eve (and just starting to work on Pit Liquor). By accident, we stumbled on this video and our friend Iliezer came to mind. Instead of working with a would-be hacker, we have the chance to work with someone we have a lot of history and trust with. Iliezer is a dear friend and we've done a lot of different kinds of work with him over the past 11 years as well as having spent a lot of time together both in person and over Skype.

We know Iliezer well and trust him implicitly, and he has just moved back to Guinea-Bissau after obtaining his second master's degree as a lawyer. This picture is his family a month ago on their wedding date.

A lot of little things add up...

So in January, we made a business proposition to Iliezer. We told him we wanted to know if he had known needs in his community. We didn't even have to wait for the answer. Guinea-Bissau has been called the worst place in the world to be a woman, it has been in the top 10 poorest countries for most of the past decade. The country has had more political instability than I can stomach. And the beautiful, resilient people are hungry, sick, and struggling financially. He wrote us back with a list of families he knows who have immediate needs and he had brilliant ideas for how he wanted to reach them. His ideas included micro-loans, paying for life-saving prescriptions and medical procedures for families who can't afford them, paying for expensive medical treatments, starting a neighborhood cleanup effort that includes creating jobs, paying kids' school costs, etc. He has a plan to help kids actually finish the school year. For almost half a year, he's been chipping away at these needs, and he's making a rocking difference in his community.

The picture above is Bruno who sat in the hospital for more than 6 months waiting for life-saving surgery. His surgery was moved multiple times because he was extremely anemic. Iliezer (left) came to pay for food for Bruno and a few weeks later, he was healthy enough to have surgery. He went home and recovered fully. His is one of many such stories. 

Tolos' Story

On Christmas day 2017, we and our friends and community in Guinea-Bissau suffered a devastating loss. The man above, Tolentino, lovingly called Tolos, passed away in Guinea-Bissau. He devoted his life to helping and caring for people in his country. He loved Guinea-Bissau with his entire heart and turned down opportunities to live abroad because he cared deeply for his "terra." He died of completely preventable causes, and his loss was felt around the world. We've had tear-filled conversations with friends in Brazil, Tunisia, Guinea-Bissau, and the USA about how his loss was felt.

Because of his life of service and his incredible, beautiful mission to love the people of Guinea-Bissau, we want to call this the Tolos Project. It is an outpouring of love for Guinea-Bissau, a place we consider a second home for our hearts. We've been involved with loving Guinea-Bissau for over a decade now. This grief and sadness we feel is turning into change that Tolos would have been delighted by. I still can't believe he's gone, and I will always remember the last thing I saw him doing: working in the rain and mud with a beautiful smile on his face. He was working on a water filter factory to make filters for the people of Guinea-Bissau at affordable prices.

The Water Filter Project

Tolos was actively involved in working on a water filter project to make affordable water filters in Guinea-Bissau. It was the final project he set his hands to, and he worked at it for many years. This picture shows him working on testing and creating the filters. Other friends of ours are currently working on the water filters. They worked closely with Tolos on a daily basis. We don't presently have a nonprofit organization for our work. We felt it was more important to get funds to Africa and we will organize an official thing later. Saving money on taxes is less important to us than getting real needs met.

If you're feeling a desire to be involved in Guinea-Bissau in a way that is meaningful and more direct than just buying a bottle of Pit Liquor, please check out the work being done by West African Vocational Schools and our friends, Jason and Emily Atkins. Jason and Emily were our teammates when we lived and worked in Africa. We visited them while I was pregnant with our daughter. We love them dearly and believe strongly in them and in what they're doing. Jason and Emily are working on the water filter factory that Tolentino was working on. It's a direct way to continue his work. They worked alongside Tolos for many years in various capacities.

To support their work directly, you can use WAVS secure giving page to give online, or send a check with "Atkins" on the memo line to: WAVS / P.O. Box 25455 / Seattle, WA 98165.

This is our story

Thanks for taking time to learn about the heart behind Pit Liquor. It's a fun, lighthearted product, but it has a serious impact as well. A little bit goes a long way in Guinea-Bissau, so we started sending money, and now it's growing because a large portion of it is going in the form of micro-loans. We will send Tolos Project Updates as they become available. We look forward to seeing this grow and change. My most recent conversation with Iliezer shows a lot of potential on the horizon for this work. Please keep quenching your stench and we'll keep using the proceeds to make this world better. 

*We give in a percentage, so the more we sell, the more we can send to Iliezer. We are putting money toward growing our company as well, but felt that this was of vital importance and wanted to make it one of the early things our company started to do.

As always, feel free to email me, Erica: erica@distilledbody.com for any reason. I love hearing from you and look forward to getting to know you!