As if we need more worries as we age, but unfortunately odor is one of them. Luckily for us, this anti-odor body wash is here to help with ingredients like Japanese persimmon extract and green tea. I interviewed Doctor Charlene Brannon, who formulated the product, on all the details of its creation and why it’s the perfect solution for aging skin! Mirai Clinical Purifying & Deodorizing Body Wash available on Mirai Clinical for $19.
1. What causes smell to increase with age? Is it hormones?
When the natural aging process occurs, “nonenal” (no-nay-nal) smell increases as our hormone levels go down and our skin is less able to anti-oxidize products naturally produced on our skin. The imbalance of hormones results in less efficiency in body metabolism, and more aldehydes and other substances that smell.
2. Why isn’t regular soap or body wash effective enough to eliminate smell? Isn’t that why we shower every day?
Regular soap or body wash eliminates most substances that cause odors but they are not effective in reducing the potency of nonenal which is an aldehyde with a strong and distinct odor.
3. I thought it was bacteria that causes odor. Does aging increase bacteria?
Bacteria do produce odors by metabolizing organic bi-products found on the skin. The bacteria themselves do not smell; the metabolites they produce are small and volatile and that is what we smell. When bacteria meets sweat, regular BO occurs. On the other hand, when natural oils (lipid acid) gets oxidized, nonenal occurs. So regular BO and AO (aging odor) occurs from totally different processes. Aging increases bacteria production due to weakened immunity.
4. Is the persimmon ingredient you use anti-bacterial? How does it actually work?
The persimmon is effective because the particular odor has lots of double bonds which are effectively absorbed by the tannin in persimmon. There are some components that may have a slight bacterial effect, but they do not influence the amount of nonenal left on the skin. Persimmon has been used for anti-bacterial purposes for centuries.
5. Does it work after one use or do you have to use it for a certain amount of time before it becomes effective?
Mirai Clinical soaps do increase in efficiency when used over a period of time, like a few days. Since the compounds have a lasting effect, you will notice more effect when used over time.
6. Can you also address how the products eliminate both smells from aging and vaginal smell?
Our persimmon has very condensed tannin, which absorbs all kinds of odors. Carefully cultivated persimmons are processed and tested for deodorant before formulating. Green tea is used to keep the deodorant effective for a long time. Astaxanthin (as-ta-zan-thin) is the most powerful antioxidant from sea nature, which prevents oxidization of natural oils, the cause of aging odor.