A stroke aged just 38 was the driving force behind Alice Bardwell’s new business Pit Tastic
Of all the things we do to our bodies, I think it would be fair to say, the last thing we really worry about is the deodorant we use. Of course we want to smell nice; no one likes a “sweaty Betty’, but compared to the thought we put into the type of moisturiser, or even toothpaste we use, I think deodorant is fairly low down the list.
But surely as we now think so much about whether our food is organic, vegetarian, or vegan, what we put on our bodies should be just as kind to us and the environment as what we put into our bodies?
Well, you can sweat no more because one woman has come up with a 100% natural, 100% plastic free, even a vegan option if you want it, deodorant. Made right here in Devon.
Alice Bardwell is no stranger to the plastic-free campaign as she opened the first refill shop in Ottery St Mary, called Fillfull, back in 2018; helping the community to move a step closer to using less and wasting less.
Since then, however, life has taken a dramatic turn as Alice shares with me: “As well as the shop, I also worked in marketing and communications which meant commuting to London twice a week. Throw in two small children and life was very busy.
“But in March 2019 I suffered a stroke which took my reading, writing and understanding. It was catastrophic as I was only 38 years old. What it did do though was make me reflect on my life, as I had so nearly lost it.”
This was obviously a life-changing event but Alice was clearly not going to be one to give up and instead set about continuing her research into making plastic-free products.
“I knew I wanted to do more with natural products and something that didn’t impact the environment. Everything affects the environment in some way, but I wanted to try and strip it back as much as possible.”
So, her journey back to health began with creating a solid deodorant bar.
Spying a gap in the market, Alice set to work: “I have always loved making things and had already started to think about a plastic-free deodorant bar before my stroke. The whole process of mixing the oils and waxes was so therapeutic for me and soothed my brain. So much so that once this pandemic is over I am setting up a charity called ‘Causing a Stir’ where people can come together at my workshop to enjoy the mixing technique whilst talking and connecting.”
The whole process of creating the deodorant, Pit-Tastic, has clearly been a healing journey for Alice but her hope is that it also helps heal the planet too: “We all want to say ‘stop’ sometimes and get off the merry-go-round. I had to because of my stroke but I have always tried to live in a very natural and holistic way.
“It can be exhausting trying to do the right thing for the planet and hard work at times but if this deodorant helps others to do that in a small way then those small changes are the bigger picture for your whole health and the environment.”
Pit-Tastic is is now selling well but it was after months of mixing, testing and a lot of smelling friends’ armpits as they tried out her latest concoction to see if it worked. The result is a 100% natural product with no aluminium and no plastic packaging; a true culmination of hard work, sweat and tears but totally worth it!
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