A Close-Up Look: FRESH deodorant

Mag. Deborah Horvat / RINGANA Research & Development

To end off our “A Close-Up Look” series, today we’re examining a product that very few of us would want to be without in the hot summer months: our FRESH deodorant. Once again, we’ve asked the ideal person – Mag. Deborah Horvat, a botanist and an expert in biodiversity and ecology – to explain the product and its effects in detail:

Will I sweat less if I use FRESH deodorant?
On hot summer days, our sweat glands are working flat out. The process of perspiration – sweating – is very important, so that our bodies do not overheat. This process only becomes apparent to the nose later on when the sweat is being broken down by bacteria, giving rise to our individual body odour. That smell still has an influence on us modern humans with regard to whether we like someone or not. A deodorant can reduce the formation of sweat odour but not the volume of sweat in itself. An antiperspirant, on the other hand, reduces sweating by narrowing the sweat glands. The result is less secretion that needs to be broken down and can start to smell. The substances typically used in antiperspirants are aluminium compounds that have increasingly come into question and which, of course, we do not use. Solid crystal deodorant stones in fact consist entirely of aluminium salts.

So the two terms – deodorant and antiperspirant – do not mean the same thing, even though they are often interchanged in everyday speech. FRESH deodorant is a deodorant that combats odour and grooms the skin.

How does FRESH deodorant work?
Sweat really only starts to smell when it is being broken down by bacteria. FRESH deodorant makes it tougher for bacteria because it creates an environment that is hostile to them. This is achieved by sodium bicarbonate that raises the local pH-value on the one hand and, on the other, by slightly antimicrobial zinc oxide. The aim is certainly not to kill the skin’s own bacteria but rather to temporarily inhibit those bacteria that cause sweat to smell bad. Apart from that, the product contains gently moisture-absorbing diatoms, rosemary extract with an antioxidant effect, and a walnut extract which contains polyphenols. The product is rounded off with skin-nurturing oils and moisturisers.

Why is FRESH deodorant in cream form?
FRESH deodorant is a creamy-white water-in-oil emulsion which means that water-soluble substances are enclosed in oil. That is very unusual for a deodorant and also makes our product special. The result is that the skin is also supplied with plant oils and moisturisers. The formulation can stay on the skin for longer, allowing it to develop its full effect.