
I was intrigued by the brand’s reliance on mandelic acid, as I’ve been hearing a lot about the effectiveness of acids for fighting odor-causing bacteria. The language on the brand’s Instagram is what really made me believe it is the real deal: “Think pits, underboobs, belly buttons, tummy folds, butt cracks, thigh creases, vulvas, balls, and feet.” Blunt and to the point. Anything that promises to operate on the bacterial level, rather than just mask whatever scent is happening, sounded good to me.
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Mandelic acid is gentle on skin, pH-balancing, and is effective as an antibacterial agent without disrupting your natural skin barrier.

Though I was excited to try something new, I was not expecting anything more than another okay option, something that could supplement but not replace my tried-and-true method of taking multiple 2-minute armpit/crotch showers per day. Some have worked better than others in terms of curbing my smell or sweat levels for a while, but I have never found something that does not require reapplication throughout the day. I’ve tried a multitude of deodorizing products. What started as a deodorant is now an entire BO-busting system that includes soap, body wash, body butter, wipes, and a pre-laundry treatment. Thus, we have Lume –– an all-over body product that helps balance the skin’s pH and stop odor before it starts. She set out to make a product that blocks the ability for bacteria to consume those fluids in the first place. This reaction occurs everywhere on our body, not just in the nether-regions. She found that most body odor occurs when the bacteria on the skin interacts with and consumes bodily fluids like blood, sweat, urine, or semen. After doing some research, Klingman began to realize that oftentimes odor is an external issue. Of course, as the old adage goes, it’s not supposed to smell like flowers, but certain levels of odor can absolutely be inconvenient or uncomfortable for people. After countless patients coming in with concerns about genital odor and leaving with false BV diagnoses, Klingman was inspired to find a solution that would not result in unnecessarily-prescribed antibiotics––which ironically end up causing a bacterial infection anyway. Lume’s founder, Shannon Klingman, got the idea for Lume while she was in residency to become an OB/GYN. That is, until I discovered Lume Deodorant. I’ve been perfectly happy with this way of life, just operating under the assumption that I would never be able to fully curb this unless I got those monthly Botox shots to my sweat glands.

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I’ve instead learned how to control and manage the smell that comes along with it: I shower multiple times a day, reapply whichever deodorant I’m using, change my clothes often, wash my clothes constantly, and wear only breathable fabrics. Your girl’s just damp and hormonal, chronically. After trying over-the-counter antiperspirants, prescription deodorants, and every natural product under the sun, I’ve come to accept my natural functions as they are. If I’m exercising outside in the summer, if it's cold and I’m wearing a coat, even if it’s very neutral weather and I’m standing completely still, you can guarantee my armpits and underboobs are dripping wet. I’m still a naturally very sweaty person. At the time the only thing to do was spray equally strong scents on top of it, which made both the issue and the school hallways exponentially worse (cue ‘Warm & Cozy’ and ‘Japanese Cherry Blossom’-scented horror flashbacks).

Like many around me at that time, I had entered the putrid era of puberty, and already occupied with bras and acne, hadn’t yet figured out what to do about it. His name was ******* *****, not that I’m holding a grudge or anything, and to be honest, he was totally right. In 7th grade, I was in line at a Madison Avenue bagel shop near my middle school when the boy I had a crush on remarked that I smelled like shit.

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