Lume Deodorant | Outrageously Effective Whole Body Deodorant

Imagine deodorant and body care that not only performs the function it was designed for but also provides benefits to nourish and improve the look and feel of skin. Welcome to Lume and our star player—Mandelic Acid.

Mandelic Acid is a gentle giant that belongs to a group of alpha hydroxy acids. It provides many benefits for your skin and is the powerhouse behind Lume’s success as a Whole Body Deodorant.

In this blog, we’ll explain in detail and answer the questions: What are alpha hydroxy acids? What is Mandelic Acid, and how does it work to control odor? What other benefits does it offer?

What are AHAs?

Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) are a group of water-soluble acids commonly derived from fruits, milk, and sugar. They can also be produced synthetically. AHAs are primarily used in skincare and body care for their exfoliating properties.

Alpha hydroxy acids work by gently dissolving the bonds between dead skin cells on the surface. This allows them to be sloughed off more easily, revealing fresher, smoother skin underneath.

Some common types of AHAs include:

• Glycolic acid (derived from sugar cane)
• Lactic acid (derived from milk)
• Citric acid (derived from citrus fruits)
• Malic acid (derived from apples)
• Tartaric acid (derived from grapes)
• Mandelic acid (derived from bitter almonds)

In addition to exfoliating the skin, AHAs are often used to improve skin texture, reduce fine lines, promote a more even skin tone, and lower a product’s pH level. They can also help with conditions like acne, hyperpigmentation, and sun damage.

Synthetic AHAs are usually easier to stabilize and maintain consistent quality than natural ones. Even though they're synthetic, they work just as well at exfoliating and improving skin texture.

What is Mandelic Acid?

Mandelic acid is an antioxidant derived from bitter almonds or produced synthetically.

Lume uses synthetically produced Mandelic Acid, which is equally effective but does not pose any risks to those with nut allergies.

How Mandelic Acid Works

Mandelic acid chemically exfoliates dead skin cells, improving the look and feel of skin. Exfoliating helps promote collagen production and improve skin elasticity. Mandelic Acid also has antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Exfoliating also helps products work better because by removing the top layer of dead skin, the beneficial ingredients in deodorant and body care products are able to better penetrate skin.

Why Mandelic Acid For Deodorant?

We know that Mandelic Acid is a great exfoliant, but what’s the science behind using it in deodorant?

It’s probably most helpful to first understand how odor forms. Bacteria living on our skin consume bodily fluids (sweat, blood, urine, and semen) and create odor. The odor reaction is the same regardless of whether it takes place in our armpits, privates, or feet.

Odor causing bacteria thrive in a high pH environment. So let’s say our skin has a natural pH of around 4.7 - 5.75, which is slightly acidic. When you introduce a product or bodily fluid with a pH higher than that of skin, odor reactions accelerate.

Average pH Ranges of Bodily Fluids

• Sweat 5.7 - 7.3
• Blood 7.35 - 7.45
• Urine 4.6 - 8.0
• Semen 7.2 - 8

Ever had any of these bodily fluids on your skin?

You can see why the bodily fluids many of us come in contact with regularly can create odor: They raise skin’s pH—and again, odor causing bacteria LOVE a high pH environment. If you are interested in learning a bit more about pH and odor control, check out this blog.

What better way to control body odor than keeping the pH of odor prone areas as low as possible?

Enter Mandelic Acid with a low enough pH that it brings Lume Deodorant into the Outrageously Effective range.

Mandelic Acid vs Other Acids

Mandelic acid has a larger molecular size than other alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), such as glycolic acid. This allows it to penetrate the skin more slowly, exfoliating the surface without going too deep, which makes it less likely to cause redness, irritation, or flakiness–ideal for people with sensitive skin.

Additional Skin Loving Benefits

While Lume chose Mandelic Acid for its low pH to safely control odor for the entire body—including private parts—it also offers several skin benefits that really go above and beyond. Ultimately, if it’s safe for your most sensitive parts, it’s going to be gentle on the rest of our less sensitive parts.

Frequently used in skincare products and services like facials and chemical peels, Mandelic Acid is known for being a gentle exfoliant, fading hyperpigmentation, repairing sun damage, and clearing up acne.

When reviews like these rolled in a regular basis, it really caught our attention:

“Shortly after switching to Lume, my underarms went back to normal color, the rashes went away and stayed gone, and my pits don’t stink! What more could you ask for!? Thank you for creating Lume! Happy armpits, happy life 🖤👍🏼” ~ CL

“This product is legit and my underarms are starting to go back to my actual skin color, which is blowing my mind.” ~ RB

“I agree your deodorant is very effective, but what has me returning as a customer is how much better the skin under my armpits FEEL with your product than with the other antiperspirant I used for over a decade.” ~ CH

Lume received enough positive reviews from customers who noticed skin benefits beyond odor control we decided to conduct clinical testing to see if claims could be verified.

In addition to 72 hour odor control, Lume Aluminum Free Deodorants are clinically proven to:

• Exfoliate
• Brighten skin
• Visibly even skin tone
• Reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation
• Fade scars

With deodorant that could almost qualify as skincare, we knew we had to create a moisturizer powered by Mandelic Acid as well. While it’s primary purpose is to hydrate, Lume Acidified Body Cream also improves the look and feel of skin.

Lume Acidified Body Cream is clinically proven to:

• Double skin's hydration after one use
• Triple skin's hydration after 2 weeks of daily use
• Exfoliate
• Smooth the appearance of rough and bumpy skin
• Improve the appearance of keratosis pilaris (KP)
• Bonus: Controls odor

Lume wants to transform the way you think about and manage body odor. We are proud to use premium ingredients, like Mandelic Acid, to deliver an elevated experience in Whole Body odor control.

Did you Lume today?