Fight body odour with a suit of live bacteria
Deodorant not enough to stop your body odour? A futuristic-style bodysuit with live bacteria embedded in it could help combat those unpleasant smells.
The pale grey, long-sleeved “Skin II” contains healthy probiotic bacteria, reducing body odour, says its designer, Rosie Broadhead.
“It’s not the sweat on your body that causes body odour, it’s the bacteria. So we’ve incorporated healthy bacteria into the textiles to enable a healthy microbiome, which will help to reduce your body odour,” says Broadhead.
“This change in the microbiome is associated with reducing your body odour, encouraging cell renewal and is really good for the skin’s immune system.”
Broadhead developed the garment as part of her postgraduate degree at London arts university Central Saint Martins. She worked with Belgian microbiologist Chris Callewaert of Ghent University to develop Skin II. He provided her with the healthy probiotic bacteria that are commonly found on skin, and has himself done extensive research on the causes of body odour.
They plan to commercialise Skin II, and Broadhead hopes to design a sportswear range with the same technology.
Broadhead says the sustainability of the bodysuit is another of its benefits. Reducing body odour reduces the need to wash the bodysuit so often. Testing shows that the bacteria in the bodysuit are able to survive a 30°C wash.
“People are becoming more aware of sustainability and the environment. They’re concerned about the food that they are eating and the cosmetics that they’re putting on their skin. But less is known about the toxic chemicals that are in our clothing.
“So in time I think people will become more aware of wellness clothing,” Broadhead says.
THEY PLAN TO COMMERCIALISE SKIN II, AND BROADHEAD HOPES TO DESIGN A SPORTSWEAR RANGE WITH THE SAME TECHNOLOGY