Our Story

Growing up on a farm, I learned early that honest work leaves its mark – on the land, on your clothes, and—yes—your pits. Those childhood days of farm work and mucking out taught me the true meaning of sweat. 

But it wasn't until my years as a hospital doctor that I really understood the daily battle. There I was, spending countless hours on my feet in the hospital wards, dealing with the special kind of stress that only a busy hospital ward can throw at you. 

And three things became painfully clear: 

First, the deodorants I tried just weren't up to the task. By mid-shift, they'd given up entirely. 

Second, my uniforms were taking a daily beating, with tell-tale yellow stains creeping across my white medical coats. 

But the worst part? The constant skin irritation. Red, burning, itching—my skin was crying out for something better.

 

Make it Yourself, You Must!

Back in 2013, finding a natural deodorant was like searching for a needle in a haystack—and believe me, I've done plenty of both. The few "natural" options available were, frankly, feeble. Most couldn't handle a gentle stroll, let alone a 12-hour hospital shift. 

And ironically, some of these so-called gentle alternatives irritated my skin even worse than their industrial-strength cousins.

When my personal trainer mentioned her sister made her own deodorant, I found my unexpected Yoda. Between burpees, the wisdom was dropped, and the quest was on.

So it turns out anyone can do this. (Sort of).

I got my first set of instructions from Wiki-How, mixed up some olive oil with baking soda and lemon, and voilà! A scentless lump of...something...that would have looked more at home in the pigsty back on the farm.

A Little Kitchen Alchemy

After a few unsuccessful attempts, I did what anyone would do—I roped in my two best friends, Joe and Robin. What started as casual experimenting quickly turned into our own personal arms race. We'd try anything: exotic oils, rare butters, obscure botanical extracts. 

Our kitchen counters became makeshift labs, with hastily scribbled notes comparing bicarbonate ratios and absorption rates. 

Too much bicarb left us itching; too little, and we might as well have gone au naturel. Some batches were completely scentless. Others could knock out a Friesian bull at twenty paces.

It wasn't long before we were spending our pub nights comparing pH levels over pints and debating the merits of different coconut oil derivatives like other blokes discuss football scores.

By my count, it took four months and well over 100 failed batches before we started hitting on something promising. 

It Works!

Our first successful batch felt different. We made twenty jars and handed them out to the biggest, burliest (and sweatiest—though we'd never tell them that) blokes we knew. 

These were all Guinea pigs who wouldn't pull their punches if it didn't work.

We didn't know what was going to happen. Then the love started flooding in, including from one friend with hyperhidrosis who said it was the most effective thing he'd ever used. 

When someone who could sweat through a steel tank tells you your deodorant works, you know you're onto something.

We’ve Come a Long Way Since Then

Things are different now. We've traded kitchen counters for a proper lab in Lancashire, and our hastily scribbled notes have evolved into precise formulations. 

We're no longer selling to friends and at farmers' markets, but our mission hasn't changed—we're still those same three friends who obsessed over creating something that actually works.

We just make a bit more of it now.

 Andrew - Carr Greens Founder