The Road to Freshen Up

Behind The Brand – My Island Life

Hi, my name is Terri Smith, founder and creator of Freshen Up. I created Freshen Up to help people transition to natural deodorants with all natural and plant based ingredients. We want you to switch to natural deodorants easy and stress free.

Though my business is here in Austin, Texas, I am actually from Trinidad and Tobago, a twin-island republic in the Caribbean. More specifically, I’m from the lush island of Tobago. Tobago is what you would call an Instagram worthy island. From the pink sand at Lovers Bay to the largest brain coral and the oldest protected rainforest in the western hemisphere. We can boast of bio-diversity like no other; actually, we can boast of the North East of Tobago being awarded UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere designation. An island that changed colonial hands more than thirty times is one the Caribbean’s best-kept secret. (

In our culture, we grew up using natural remedies and a holistic approach to wellness. From early on, I was heavily influenced by my grandmother Ena, who was always repurposing and remastering her kitchen remedies. Her holy grail was the “Back to Eden” book which was second only to her bible. It is safe to say that my grandmother gave me the tools that would allow me to be creative in finding remedies to wellness that would later become Freshen Up. Thus our natural deodorant transition journey began. We want you to transition to natural deodorants easy and smooth. Switch easy.

Back To The Old Time Ways – Back To Natural

When I was going through puberty, I struggled with high perspiration. My mom gave me very strong antiperspirants such as: Right Guard Men to help mask the scent. However, all that did was mix a powerful chemical scent with my personal odor. It was quite unpleasant, to say the least. After unsuccessful attempts with antiperspirants, my mom decided to go back to her roots. She would use a rough lemon to scrub my armpits and concoct herbal mixtures for me to detox internally.

I started my brand Freshen Up because my daughter began experiencing the same things I did during puberty. I refused to allow her to be subjected to the same toxic products that left me embarrassed and self-conscious about my body odor. Thus, I began searching for safer alternatives for her to use other than the conventional deodorant. I am very particular about what my family and I put in our bodies as well as what goes on it. I was naively confident that natural products would have been the norm and readily available. Unfortunately, when I began my search, there wasn’t anything on the market that met my requirements. The adult products were slim pickings, and children products were virtually non-existent. How can we transition to natural deodorants like this???

From The Caribbean To Your Pits

This is where my ancestral calling kicked in- I could create my own. The very first product I formulated was a liquid natural deodorant; known today as the – Paw Paw Yo Deodorant Toner. I quickly realized that the deodorant alone would not be sufficient. Thus, the Deodorizing Bamboo Refresher Wipe, Bentonite & Honey Underarm Detox Mask and the Cool Dust Body Powder, were added to cover the spectrum of our lives.

Once I began making my products, I introduced them to family and friends. It became very apparent that others were searching for safer and cleaner alternatives to synthetic deodorants and antiperspirant. Thus, birthing the business that you see today. Natural is truly my passion. My non-toxic products will never make you choose between health and beauty. That’s why every product is formulated from 100% plant-based ingredients, without a single drop of artificial chemicals.

I hope this blog post helped you get to know my brand and me better for more information on the products itself you can check out our website at www.getfreshenup.com.  You can also find us on social media @getfreshenup across all platforms. Please Like/ follow/ and share!

Making the switch to natural deodorants easy is our goal. Our company, Freshen Up, is here to offer you great natural products that are plant based and good for the body.