Lately, the skin microbiome has been getting a lot of attention in the beauty, skincare, and personal wellness worlds. And for good reason: the communities of microbes that live on our skin (our skin microbiome) play a major role in keeping us healthy. These microbes help to protect us from infection, producing vitamins and other nutrients, and regulating inflammation. When the skin microbiome is out of balance, it can lead to skin problems like acne, eczema, psoriasis, skin infections… and yes, body odor.
"Dr. Armpit,” known to us as Dr. Chris Calleweart, a scientific advisor to Parallel and expert on the skin microbiome (with a specialty in body odor), says that when it comes to odor, the solution for many people may not be more deodorant, but less.
Traditional deodorants work by blitzing bad and good bacteria, which can disrupt the skin microbiome and actually make body odor worse. In some ways, it’s akin to using a topical antibiotic. For people who struggle with bad B.O., stopping use of traditional deodorants altogether may be the best solution. Dr. Armpit says that for many, the benefits might outweigh the risks. And he's not the only one: more and more people are turning to natural solutions for their body odor problems.
Examples of these natural solutions include probiotics (which Dr. Armpit is working on) can help to restore the balance of good bacteria on the skin. You can find probiotics in some soaps and body washes, as well as in dietary supplements. You can also take an opposite approach and use natural microbes like phages to target the bad bacteria, allowing the good bacteria to grow (this is what we do at Parallel). Other natural, homeopathic solutions include topical application of apple cider vinegar or witch hazel, both of which have antibacterial properties.
The global market for skin microbe modulators was valued at over $620 million in 2020 and is expected to grow to nearly $3 billion by 2030. This is in large part due to the growing awareness of the importance of the skin microbiome to our overall health and aging. At Parallel Health, we are at the forefront of this industry, developing testing and personalized products that support your unique skin microbiome.
As Dr. Armpit is creating natural solutions to tackle body odor in the form of effective probiotics, Parallel continues to develop testing and personalized serums to understand your skin microbiome on several sites across your body, including those that affect your natural scent and body odor, and provide to you the right solution. We are excited to continue our relationship with Dr. Armpit as our collective work on the skin microbiome enables us to provide complete solutions to one of the foremost personal care challenges to date.
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About Parallel
A parallel world lives amongst us: the microbial world. This world impacts not only our lifespan, but also our healthspan.
Our mission is to empower people with real science to make meaningful skin care decisions to improve their healthspan, mental well-being, and self-confidence.
Parallel is a next-generation skin health company providing effective, personalized skin care and testing, powered by genomics, skin microbiome science, and machine learning.
