Who makes BDirty Deodorants?
by Kootenay Co-op
Kate, a yogini and former legal professional, is the creator of BDirty Deodorant.
How would you describe your company?
I develop effective organic skincare products with simple, pure, local, organic and chemical-free ingredients. BDirty Deodorant has a special place in my heart as it is the first product I ever created.
Having recently moved to the Slocan Valley with my partner Ryan to realize our dream of homesteading and living a more self-sufficient lifestyle, it seemed like the perfect time to launch BDirty Co. organic skincare products.
Ultimately, we would like to organically grow and harvest ingredients for use in our products from our own homestead, as well as continue to support organic local producers and suppliers in the community. Currently, all of our ingredients are locally grown wherever possible, or are sourced locally. We believe in supporting our community and promoting local sustainability and environmentally conscious choices.
Honey is a key ingredient and the emblem of your brand it the honey bee. Why honey?
Honey is part of our unique formula because of its amazing healing power. Honey, a sweet gift of our buzzing sisters the bees, is one of Nature’s exceptional health offerings. Bees make it for themselves and their brood, to live on through the winter. It’s packed with everything they need, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and enzymes that are beneficial for us too!
We use premium ‘RAW’ local honey. The crystalline purity of our honey is largely a result of the type of clover that grows in our Northerly climate. Raw honey is unique in that it hasn’t undergone any heat processing resulting in a ‘RAW’ or uncooked product that retains the beneficial “bee derived” compounds intact.
How long have you been in business?
I have been developing and refining BDirty Deodorant for over 3 years. BDirty Co. was established in 2016. I am thrilled to be sharing BDirty Deodorant for the first time with all of you in our West Kootenay community through the Kootenay Co-Op.
What motivated you to start?
I started switching to natural & organic body products over 5 years ago after I sustained an injury that caused me to reconsider the choices I was making not only in my life, but also what impact the products I was choosing were having on the global community, my well-being and our environment. Your skin is the largest organ in the body and absorbs what is placed on its surface. Clogging my pores, which are meant to release sweat and in-turn toxins from the body seemed counter intuitive to maintaining balanced health and well-being.
Being a commercial antiperspirant user at the time, I hung in and persevered through some very “stinky” times as my body detoxed from using chemical products. I tried many natural deodorants and did not find one that worked well for me. Deodorant is such a personal experience. So I started to experiment with making my own. And after many failures and many years of trying, I finally created a formula that worked better for me than chemical deodorants!
I started to share my little gem of a product with the ladies in my life as baby gifts to help them stay fresh and aluminum-free during pregnancy and breast-feeding. They loved it! And the funniest part was their husbands and partners loved it just as much…and bam…household deodorant theft was on the rise! After some mass production to squelch the thievery, and some prodding and encouragement by these most loyal beings in my life, BDirty Co. came to “bee”. I hope you love BDirty Deodorant as much as we do!
What is your vision for your farm/company?
We believe that caring for your skin and caring for the Earth should go hand in hand. BDirty is committed to making natural products that actually work to eliminate the temptation of commercial skincare! We aspire to inspire our local and global community to enhance the health of our skin and Planet, humbly attempting to lead by example by offering effective natural products and educational information.
Why is local food and/or local purchasing important to you?
I always look first for local products and foods in order to support and encourage environmental sustainability, support small businesses and farms, and to enhance my connection to seasonal eating. And of course handmade products and homegrown foods are simply more delicious! For my business I strive to use local ingredients instead of more exotic options. I purchase all of my ingredients from local suppliers to keep money in the local economy and invest in the financial health of our community.
If you could deliver a message directly to Co-op members/customers, what would it be?
Ryan and I are thrilled to begin our new chapter, homesteading and becoming part of the West Kootenay community. My deepest gratitude to the Co-Op and its members for the warm welcome and support in launching BDirty Co.!
