Science of Stink
Talking Scents with Pit Liquor: Muddy Mint Soap
At Pit Liquor, we’re committed to creating strong, effective products without sacrificing our beliefs. When we set out to pair delicious-smelling soaps with our ultra-effective, organic deodorants, we knew there would be no compromising our ethics. After searching high and low, we found Simi and her awesome, Colorado-based soap making company Muddy Mint.
Coming Up Short on Soothing Suds
Simi’s soap making journey didn’t start by accident, but rather like all great inventions, was born out of necessity. “I purchased my first bar of handmade, cold process soap in 2017 after struggling with dry skin for a few years. The bar made a huge difference in how my skin felt and I became obsessed with making my own soap.”
Simi became a woman on a mission. She wanted to step out of the shower and not instantly crave moisturizer - a tall order, especially in the dry climate she calls home. After much trial and error, she landed on a soap recipe that was nourishing, natural, and didn’t dry out the skin.
Shelves at the Muddy Mint soap warehouse.
Muddy Mint Sweats the Small Stuff
Simi is meticulous and committed about what goes into her soap. “Our soap is all-natural, palm-oil free, and caters to those with dry and sensitive skin. Not all handmade soap is created equal.” She said “no” early-on to ever using palm oil because of the myriad environmental concerns associated with palm oil production. Instead of copying other cold-pressed soap makers and using coconut oil, Muddy Mint bars contain luxurious butters, like shea and cocoa - natural remedies for thirsty skin.
Most importantly, it’s not about what Simi puts into her soap recipes, but what she leaves out. “We never ever use fragrance oils (even natural ones) or any kind of synthetic colorant. All our bars are scented with pure essential oils, or left unscented. We only use plant-based colorants and clays to color our bar.” No dyes, no fragrance, no BS. Now that’s clean.
Partnering with Pit Liquor
Simi is particular about which companies she partners with, admittedly turning down a number of others before Pit Liquor came knocking. “I get quite a few inquiries to make custom soaps or do white label or private label. My answer is always no. We only make custom soaps for two or three companies and all of them are local.”
The decision to partner with Pit Liquor came easy for the team at Muddy Mint. Simi explains, “We are both committed to keeping our products completely all-natural and we share the same environmental values. Our product categories overlap beautifully and they were willing to include my business name on the labels instead of "hiding" the maker.”
Both woman-owned businesses have like-minded customers and each founder was right in believing that by combining forces, both businesses would benefit. Everyone wins when women support women.
Natural Should Mean Natural, Dammit
Muddy Mint and Pit Liquor both mean what they say and so do our labels. Natural means natural. “People don't realize that just because it says ‘lavender’, it doesn't necessarily mean it's real lavender! The word "natural" isn't regulated at all, so people use it for all kinds of things. I think it's pretty rare to find a product that really is all natural.”
This partnership is strong and sweet. Strong because of our natural, ultra-effective alcohol-fighting formula and sweet because we focus on supporting local makers, growers, and creators while choosing ingredients that are organic and sustainable. Do your pits and the planet a favor by shopping our artisan soap and natural, alcohol deodorant.
5 Stages of Deodorant Disappointment
Finding a natural deodorant that works and keeps your body free from toxins, irritants, chemicals is a roller coaster of emotion that usually ends in dismay. You’re forced to buy a ticket to get back on the ride. If you’ve struggled to source a non-toxic, organic deodorant that eliminates stank and doesn’t irritate your pits, it’s likely you’ve experienced the 5 stages of deodorant disappointment.
It’s not me, it’s you.
You board the crowded subway and grab a hand hold only to catch a whiff of garlicy-musk so strong it brings tears to your eyes. You think to yourself that this bout of body odor must be coming from someone else in the packed transit car. You bought this deodorant yesterday, after combing through countless reviews. Yeah, that scent totally belongs to someone else. We’re in a heat wave after all and these bozos probably didn’t do as much investigation into their pit products.
The WTF Stage.
You sit down to lunch with a friend at a cute outdoor patio and reach across the table for the pepper only to catch another pungent whiff. Hint: it’s not your salad niçoise. What the ever-loving hell is going on here, you think as you vigorously pepper your lunch. Why is this new deodorant not working? Should you dab at your ripe pits with the delicate linen napkin across your lap or rush to the bathroom to a quick PTA bath, minus the T and A?
Perhaps-ing your way to Pit Perfection.
On your walk back to your coworking space, your mind starts churning. Maybe you really do need to detox your pits for this natural deodorant to work. Perhaps you just need to wait a few weeks and keep using it, day in and day out for your body to grow accustomed to it. No other personal care products work like that though, do they? Perhaps if you just commit to reapplying it every few hours, you can stave off stink until some magical ingredient kicks in. You pick up another stick on the way back and reapply hurriedly in the drugstore bathroom.
Unbridled Dismay.
You return home at the end of the day only to discover your cat doesn’t even want to nuzzle up against you. You sniff your pits and alas, the B.O. is back, baby, with a vengeance. You make a mug of hot tea, sink down on the couch, and begin to sulk. Bear hugs, conga lines, and high fives disappear in the rearview as you soldier on into a decidedly solitary future.
Unacceptance.
Like you, we’ve worked our way through the four stages many times, only to find that the fifth stage – buying another stick of deodorant in hopes of achieving healthy, fragrant pits – was not good enough for us. We decided that we were going to hop off this emotional rollercoaster entirely and make our own deodorant. One that is actually non-toxic. One that works. One that offers people the chance to try it without fear of throwing hard-earned money down the drain.
Enter stage left: Pit Liquor. Denatured vodka and whiskey kills the bacteria that live in your armpits. Within seconds, the light alcohol scent evaporates and leaves behind naturally scented essential oils, like lavender, pear, cedarwood, or rose. Teas, arrowroot, and salt make your armpit undesirable for new bacteria to grow, resulting in good smelling underarms all day long and no chemical regrets. Each body responds better to either the rum, vodka, or whiskey base and we are happy to help you find deodorant heaven.
It’s time to get off this ridiculous ride. You’ve got better things to do. Try Pit Liquor. If you don’t love it, your first one is on us.
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Small Business Saturday
Three years ago, Pit Liquor deodorant was born from the desire to find a truly natural deodorant that works. Through hard work, grit, and determination, the company has gone from a kitchen counter to a full-fledged small business. Today, on Small Business Saturday, we want to take a look back at how this small business has grown and where it all began.
Pit Liquor was started back in 2017 by husband and wife Jason and Erica. During Erica's pregnancy with their daughter, Eve, Jason was concerned about the carcinogens in deodorants. They'd been trying various natural alternatives, but none of them worked. One day, he begged Erica to stop using toxic deodorant for the baby. So she slapped hand sanitizer on her armpits and headed out the door issuing Jason a challenge to find something that actually worked. When she got home, she was surprised to find she didn't stink. The hand sanitizer illuminated a new idea: high-proof, drinkable alcohol is less toxic than anything unregulated and potentially made from inedible ingredients.
Always the inventor, Jason thought plain old hand sanitizer was a boring (and not entirely non-toxic) solution to underarm stench. Any friend could tell you Jason and Erica's love for good whisky, so obviously, they turned to whiskey to solve their quandary. Jason began reading medical textbooks about deodorant and had a conversation with their doctor about the topic. He did research, trials, and found a perfect formula all while sticking to a motto to use only ingredients that are safe enough to eat.
Once they had a product and a fantastic name, they started (and completed!) a successful Kickstarter campaign and sit cozy with their patent pending. Three years later with two babies and a Great Dane in the mix, Erica and Jason have turned their idea into a thriving business, selling Pit Liquor online and in select stores, and are growing so fast their warehouse is bursting at the seams.
Pit Liquor has had over 100 media stories written about its products. They've been featured in places like: Playboy, Circa, local papers like the Loveland Reporter Harold and the Coloradoan, and even Michael Symon and Clinton Kelly talked about us on ABC's The Chew. Recently, Erica even appeared on Entrepreneur's show Elevator Pitch to promote Pit Liquor.
With hard work, ingenuity, and a little humor, Pit Liquor has grown into something Jason, Erica, and their team are truly proud of. We at Pit Liquor hope you'll join us to today to support this small business and many more like it. Cheers to quenching that stench and living your dream!