How does Lume work?Updated a month ago
Lume Whole Body Deodorant works by making it harder for bacteria to consume fluids like sweat, semen, urine, and blood that lead to odor all while maintaining the healthy physiological pH of our skin.
Clinical Testing
We work with a third-party testing site to evaluate how well our products work. To assess odor control, real people with real BO underwent a 10-day period where they refrained from using any deodorant or antiperspirant products. This part of the study is important because many other antiperspirants and deodorants contain waxes and oils that leave a residue behind that may not completely wash off after a few showers. We needed to make sure Lume Deodorant isn’t affected by any other previously-applied product.
They then "primed" their pits with Lume Deodorant for 3 days. On the 4th day, they applied Lume Deodorant and put on a clean white, cotton t-shirt to wear for the rest of the study.
Subjects were then evaluated for body odor and graded at specific timepoints. These odor judges can detect even minute BO thresholds, beyond the average human sense of smell. They grade completely blinded, not knowing if a product was placed on a subject, or if the subject had no product applied at all. Once they’re done gathering the data, statisticians confirm whether the results were statistically significant. That’s the testing that we do to find out we have 72 hour odor control for our deodorants, 72 hour sweat control for our Sweat Control Cream, and 24 hour odor control for our body wash, cleansing bar, wipes, and body cream.
Odor Control vs Odor Free
It’s important to note the distinction between odor control and odor-free. When we say that our products have 72-hour or 24-hour odor control, it does not mean that you can expect to have zero odor for 72 or 24 hours (though that might be the experience for some lucky people!). It means that on average in our clinical studies, people have had lower odor scores for that amount of time compared to not using any product in that area after a shower.
There’s no flip that switches at any particular time point to turn odor back on. Over time as the product wears off because of friction, sweating, or washing, you might notice odor creep up. Whenever you’re not happy with your level of odor, simply reapply!
Another common culprit for odor is our clothing. Especially if you tend to notice BO only a few hours into the day, then your clothes might be to blame! Odor-causing bacteria called “biofilm” cement themselves into the fibers of clothing causing permastink that's activated by our body heat & moisture and sticks around even after many wash cycles. Because BO can happen in two places -- on our skin and in our clothes -- removing the biofilm with an enzyme booster or spray (like our laundry products) can make a huge difference in maximizing Lume Deodorant’s odor control power.