The Making of Pit Liquor - What’s Going Down in the Warehouse

Sea Buckthorn, Greek Mountain Tea, Elderflower, and high quality essential oils—sounds fancy, right? These are just a few of the top notch plant-powered luxury ingredients that play a role in making Pit Liquor’s formulations the ultimate powerhouse for your pits. 

So what, you throw a mix of these ingredients in with some whiskey and call it deodorant? There's a bit more to it than that... meticulous sourcing, appropriate ratios, lots of science-y calculations... but yes! Pit Liquor is made from good, clean ingredients with our team's hard work right here in Colorado. We thought we’d give you the basics so you know what's going on your body and so you can understand just how fantastic your Pit Liquor really is.

1) Denatured Vodka & Whiskey 

Let’s start with what we kick the whole thing off with, you may or may not have guessed it: 55 gallon barrels of vodka and whiskey. 

Alcohol is a BEAST of a bacteria killer. Hence why you'll find it widely used in hand sanitizer and many other products to kill germs. But... liquor?? Because it's sold as a consumable, liquor is subject to much stricter regulations than anything made just for the health and beauty space (don't even get us started on that...). And since we believe what you put on your skin (especially in your sensitive pits, next to your lymph nodes) should be as clean as anything you put inside it, making deodorant out of liquor was our AHA! moment. 

2) Roots, Herbs, & Teas

Next up comes the addition of the plant magic. We steep our botanicals for a good long time to make sure the herbs release all their goodness. 

You've heard us ramble on about the merits of overproof alcohol for killing the bad bacteria in your pits, but what you may not know is that the botanicals (herbs and roots) we add do wonders for maintaining that antimicrobial barrier after the alcohol has done its job. Hence the fact that there are no unnecessary ingredients in your Pit Liquor. 

Some of the honorary mentions for this critical step in the making of Pit Liquor:

• Sea Buckthorn: This ingredient can basically benefit any part of the body you put it near. You’ll often see this plant in high end skin care products, benefiting you with Omega-3’s, and fighting inflammation. Ever get a rash or redness when applying an antiperspirant? Not a chance with Pit Liquor on your pits.

• Umckaloabo: Speaking of antimicrobial powers, Umckaloabo is grown in South Africa and is the only herb root to reduce the length of the common cold. This root is a killer for bad bacteria. Not only that, Umckaloabo brings the consistent amber color to your Pit Liquor, it’s not the whiskey or vodka you’re seeing in your clear bottle!

• Elderflower: Elderflower is an amazing antioxidant whose anti-microbial properties last over an extra long period of time. It comes from the elderberry plant and has skin healing and anti-inflammatory powers to keep your sensitive skin healthy.

• Gotu Kola:  We may sound repetitive at this point, but Gotu Kola is another antimicrobial powerhouse. We layer up the antibacterial herbs so that they attack different strains of bacteria—and are effective for different body chemistries.

2) Essential Oils

After we’ve got our powerful plant-infused elixir, it’s time to add oils. Each scent is formulated with a blend of essential oils that are chosen for their functional benefits as well as great smells. (Coming up with these recipes is a whole 'nother blog! Stay tuned...). They not only add olfactory delight, but efficacy for a longer-lasting formula as well. We top them off with Jojoba oil, which acts as a carrier oil and increases the strength and longevity of the scents, as well as being a treat for your skin. 

3) Arrowroot Powder

After the steeping is all said and done and we have the magical mixture we call (almost) Pit Liquor, the last thing we do before bottling it up to send to you is adding arrowroot powder to the bottom of the bottle prior to filling it up.  Arrowroot powder helps our formulas stay long lasting, making your pits inhospitable and undesirable for bacteria over the long haul—and adding a bit of dryness. Think of arrowroot as the superhero that's holding down the fort. 

And that’s the gist of how Pit Liquor is made. Thanks for taking a tour behind the scenes with us! We take major pride in our process, and in being able to transparently share it with you. 

Treat yourself to deodorant heaven.