Alcohol + Food-Based Aromas = Dreamy Pits

Pit Liquor deodorant is something like a sommelier for your pits—offering a complementary pairing of alcohol and food that really does make you smell absolutely delicious. 

Can we all just agree right now that 2020 was the worst? I think we're all breathing a collective sigh of relief that the year is over. And here we are: 2021. A fresh start, a blank canvas, a chance to renew ourselves.

A lot of people talk about goals or resolutions this time of year, and it sure feels like a year to make some new plans or ideals. But instead of specific "new year's resolutions" that you can break by February (unless it's Creed's cartwheel, then you've got this) what if we create something more achievable, more customizable?

Today we're sharing five general categories for you to think through. Each one is broad enough to encompass any person, any lifestyle. We'll give you a few ideas to get you thinking, but you can take each category and make it what works for you. The goal? To help you have the best year yet. Your goals are your own, and we want to come alongside you and cheer you on.

1. Personal Health

If we've learned anything this year, it's that your health is worth protecting. We want you to find yourself happier and healthier in 2021. And let's be clear: this doesn't mean you need to go run a marathon or lose 20 pounds. Maybe you want to do that, and that's cool with us, but don't put yourself into somebody else's expectations. You can be healthy, active, and happy, no matter who you are or your life circumstances.

Here's a few ideas to get you started:

• Switch to natural deodorant: (You knew this was coming!) Get rid of those carcinogens and do your pits a favor with Pit Liquor's natural and organic formula. Wondering why this matters? Check out this post on natural deodorant.
• Move your body every day: No matter your circumstances, your body needs to move to stay strong and healthy. Rather than putting yourself into a "go to the gym everyday" mold, make a goal like "move for 20 minutes every day." Then you can check off that gym day, a walk with a friend, or chasing your toddler around the house as care for your body.

2. Self-Care

Your self needs some love, wouldn't you agree? 2020 depleted every one of us. We hope this year you'll show yourself some kindness and do things that really matter to you, things you love and that bring you joy.

• Do more of what you love: We can all agree there are things in our life that we love but just can't seem to find time for. Make this be the year you finally carve out the time! Maybe you want to read more book or run local trails or try good beer or perfect your underwater basket-weaving skills. Whatever your passion, we hope you'll make time for more of it this year. 
• Sleep: Can the importance of sleep ever be overrated? Let's collectively agree to catch our 8 hours so we're a happier, healthier version of ourselves.

3. Kindness

If we've learned anything in 2020, it's that kindness matters in big and small ways. We hope in the coming year we can all make an effort to show kindness to everyone around them.

• Choose a small act of kindness every day: Thank your grocery clerk, smile at the woman in line behind you (with your eyes, or maybe a smiley face mask!), pick up trash on the sidewalk, call an old friend, you get the idea. Small kindnesses matter deeply to others and boost your own mood as well.
• Deepen your relationships: Show others how much they matter to you by taking the time to care about them. Send a card, make a phone call, even meet in person if you're able. Choose one or two people in your life specifically this year to find a truly deep and loving relationship with.

4. Giving Back

 One of our top values at Distilled Bath & Body is giving back to the world. We have a sustainability program, and what we're most proud of is the Tolos Project. In your own life, we hope you make our beautiful world a better place.

• Find a charity that matters to you: Maybe it's working with animals or children across the world or revitalization in your neighborhood. Big or small, find a charity and give! You can donate your time, possessions, money, or support in a variety of ways that will be meaningful to you and those you're supporting.
• Spend time each week giving back: Maybe you want to tutor kids or serve meals to the elderly or snuggle puppies at the pound. Whatever matters to you, go beyond a charity to your own neighborhood and find ways to invest your time in what matters to you.

We believe this year could be your best one yet. Tell us your goals for each category so we can cheer you on!

Melanie lives near Raleigh, NC with her husband and three kids. She loves hot coffee, good books, and deep conversations. Connect with her on Instagram via @melaniesallen

It's that time of year, when you think about those you love and choose gifts to exchange, Christmas cards to send. Some years this seems fun and easy: a new apron for Mom, a thoughtful gift for your partner, a popular new toy for your kids. But other years? All you can think about it how hard it is to give gifts! What do your family members need or want? Santa is seriously underpaid. 

Never fear, we've got you covered! We have a gift idea for every hard-to-buy-for relative or friend on your list. Even better? Every gift has been thoughtfully selected from small, eco-friendly businesses, many run by women just like our own CEO. So sit back with a cup of coffee and get ready for some truly great gifts for all your hard-to-buy loved ones.

1. For your beloved grandmother across the country.

Talking over Zoom is the worst, especially when you're trying to call sweet Granny who still uses Windows 98. All you want to do is give her a hug and talk about her memories over a warm cup of tea. In years past you would visit once or twice a year, enjoying the Florida sunshine and Granny's company. But this year, everything has changed, especially for higher risk folks like your grandmother.

Try the Felt greeting card app. You can send beautiful cards with your very own handwriting straight from your phone to your grandma's mailbox. Now she can see pictures of your dog or her great-grandkids with a few thoughtful lines from you. The app makes it easy to send cards regularly so she won't feel forgotten after the holidays. She'll feel all your love, even from far away.

2. For your over-achieving, on-the-go sister-in-law.

Every time you call her she's in the middle of another volunteer event while simultaneously running fifteen miles and updating her color-coded planner. She seems to be everything and do everything while still maintaining her figure and somehow squeezing in some sleep. Just thinking about her makes you feel exhausted, but you still have to buy her a gift (wrapped perfectly, of course) before you can take a nap.

Try Girlfriend Collective leggings. These fair-trade, eco-friendly leggings mesh with her on-the-go lifestyle and even better, they're made from post-consumer plastic bottles and recycled polyester. The high rise pocket legging can hold her phone and keep her comfortable any day of the year. Throw in a few of Kate's Real Food bars in her stocking to fuel her on busy days and she'll be happy all year long.

3. For your kind-hearted aunt who has room for everyone around her table.

It might be a virtual table this year, but your aunt is the most compassionate, down-to-earth woman you know. She's never met a person she doesn't like, and she's always making new friends. Every time you're at her house, you feel like the most important person in the world to her. Her relaxed manner, her simple home, and her focus on kindness instead of competition make her everyone's favorite person.

Try Pit Liquor! Our products are as kind to her body and the earth as she is to everyone around her. You can choose a scent that's just right for her (pineapple is a favorite!), and give her a practical gift that will keep her hug-ready all year long.

4. For your best friend who has been virtual-schooling her kids all year.

It's been a year for parents, and your best friend is right in the thick of things. She's juggling two elementary school kids learning online this semester plus a toddler who needs her attention. She's holding it all together beautifully, but you know this is too much for any one person to handle. She needs (and wants!) to send her kids back to school so she can take a breath and gather herself back together. 

Try Wander + Ivy wine. This woman-owned company offers delicious organic wine in 6oz single-serve bottles. Now she can pour herself a glass at the end of a long day and take a well-deserved bubble bath. Order a holiday gift bundle so she can try a few different wines and she'll love you forever. 

5. For your brother working day and night on his new start-up.

It's been a hard year for businesses across the world, and your brother is no exception. His startup is doing well, really well, but it's requiring everything he has night and day. You've barely connected with him this year, and next year will likely be another year going full throttle to get this amazing company off the ground. You want a gift that tells him you're thinking about him and believe in him, even when you can't see him.

Try Copper Cow coffee. This pour-over Vietnamese coffee is easy to make at home and comes in a variety of delicious, organic flavors. No matter how busy his days (or nights!), your brother can make a quick cup of coffee to fuel his work. Try the Best-sellers Bundle or splurge on a Coffee Club gift subscription. He'll be ready to start the new year off right! Try

Bonus: this woman-owned, sustainably sourced company is definitely worth supporting, just like your brother's startup.

6. For your extra-tidy, extra-thoughtful mom.

Every time she calls (which is often), she's cleaning something around the house. She tells you all about her bunco club or your dad's latest project while she does the dishes, mops the floors, or dusts the shelves. Lately she's been in overload adding Christmas décor so her grandkids have something to see over Facetime when they call. Her house is warm, cozy, and always immaculately clean. While you could never achieve this level of housework perfection, it's nice to know you have a neat and tidy house to visit at the holidays that's brimming with holiday cheer.

Try Whoa Nellie cleaning supplies. This delightful company, handmade in Iowa, offers non-toxic cleaning supplies, cleaning accessories, and a few personal care products in pretty colors and patterns. Their Swedish dishcloths are as practical as they are festive, just like your mom. Send her a holiday cleaning bundle and she'll be all ready to welcome the new year.

7. For your always-drunk-at-Christmas uncle.

At this point you can't imagine a holiday without Uncle Bobby saying something inappropriate while drinking liquor out of Aunt Shirley's favorite holiday mug. You still have no idea how he manages to hold down a full-time job and take the family to Disney World every summer but props to him for pulling it off. You need a gift as unconventional as he is.

Try a Viking horn cup. He'll be delighted by the unconventional shape and history, while Aunt Shirley can finally get her mug back. Instead of picking a fight with your dad, he will feel ready to set sail with the Norse gods. 

 Looking for even more companies with a great mission and fantastic products? Click here to check out a few brands we love and join us in shopping small this holiday season to make the world a better place.

Melanie lives near Raleigh, NC with her husband and three kids. She loves hot coffee, good books, and deep conversations. Connect with her on Instagram via @intentional_motherhood

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!

Hand sanitizer has become a hot commodity this year. It's in every store, on the shelves and in dispensers. We're all using a whole lot more of it than we did last year. Did you know Distilled Bath and Body sells hand sanitizer too? But we think our Hand Liquor is a cut above the rest, and we're here to tell you why.

Methanol

Ever had a truly terrible hangover the morning after drinking? This might come as a surprise, but there's a reason for this that doesn't have anything to do with you drinking too much. Fasten your seatbelts, friends, it's time for a little lesson in how alcohol is made.

When alcohol is distilled, it sits in large containers for a period of time to let the alcohol settle. As it settles, the methanol alcohol rises to the top and the ethanol alcohol floats to the bottom. Ethanol alcohol is what's in your drink, and what your body can process. Methanol, on the other hand, cannot be processed as easily and is toxic, even deadly. To remove the toxic methanol, companies perform a process called "cutting" that siphons out all or most of the methanol, leaving the ethanol behind. The higher quality your liquor, the deeper it was cut.

Now these liquor companies who cut off their methanol are left with large quantities of un-sellable methanol alcohol. What to do with it? Why, make it into hand sanitizer of course!

Hand Sanitizers

Now let's be clear, not every hand sanitizer is made with methanol. The FDA has recently created new policies around methanol and issued warnings about it. But some methanol hand sanitizers are still sold, and this is where the "toxic hand sanitizer" claims originate. Additionally, even hand sanitizers without methanol can be unhealthy. Companies are not required to disclose where their alcohol comes from, meaning some use petroleum based alcohol or other chemical-laden products.

A Cut Above

Unlike other hand sanitizer, our Hand Liquor is made with grain-neutral, quality spirits that are made for drinking. Literally, you could drink our clean hand sanitizer with natural ingredients and be completely fine (although we don't recommend it!). The food-grade vodka and whiskey in Hand Liquor kills bacteria, but is safe to put on your body. And even though hand sanitizer is made from alcohol, we promise it's safe for little hands too. We purposely make our Hand Liquor taste bitter to deter children from drinking it. And because all our ingredients are food-grade, you can sanitize little hands before eating and have no fear for your child's health. And not only is our Hand Liquor clean & natural hand sanitizer good for your body, it's good for the environment too! You can use our glass bottles and enjoy the organic ingredients know you're taking care of yourself and our world.