Personal care brand Nez wants consumers to change the way they think about deodorant and their deodorant routine. So much so, that they contend their brand name when flipped suggests how the brand aims to make users feel: zen.

 

“Why can’t applying deodorant be this moment of thinking about your day with a ‘nez’ moment and living in a state of ‘nez’? said Cofounder Sherry Jhawar to HAPPI in a recent phone interview.

 

While “Nez” is also French for “nose” referring to its elevated scent profile, the deodorant brand’s launch a year ago goes deeper than its intoxicating scents. Cofounder Sherry Jhawar, a breast cancer survivor, was 32 when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of the disease. The former L’Oréal and Eos executive drew on her marketing background to launch Nez.

Knowing that anti-perspirants prevent sweating, an act that Jhawar views as an essential bodily function to release toxins, she helped design her aluminum-free deodorants to align with why the body sweats: nerves and exercise. 

 

The goal is to give consumers peace of mind that they’re not using anything potentially hazardous to their health while targeting the root cause of their perspiration – all while providing a mood-enhancing scent.

 

“Why is deodorant a one-size-fits-all?” Jhawar said during a recent interview with Happi. “Scientifically, there should be a different deodorant based on what you’re going to do.”

 

With a tagline of “Smile, don’t sweat the small stuff,” the brand created three dermatologist-tested, gender-neutral deodorants that cater to the reasons consumers sweat. Jhawar assigned suitable fragrances that apply to each, and named them accordingly: Workout Sesh, Date Ready and Board Meeting. 

 

Nez says the deodorants target the two glands – eccrine and apocrine – that are responsible for causing a smellier sweat from nerves and a wet sweat from strenuous exercise, respectively. The apocrine gland is a thicker kind of sweat that doesn’t evaporate as fast, resulting in a stress-related stench that smells bad, Jhawar explained.

 

Board Meeting is formulated with the “calming, clean” scent of pear, jasmine and amber to amplify focus on the task at hand; bentonite clay and arrowroot powder to help manage stress sweat; and shea butter and coconut to help soothe the skin.

 

Workout Sesh is formulated with cucumber and leafy greens for increased energy; zinc ricinoleate, arrowroot and bamboo powders for optimal sweat absorption; and shea butter and coconut oil to aid in nourishing skin during workouts.

 

Date Night contains a blend of palo santo, vanilla and bergamot and is infused with charcoal powder and bentonite clay to help absorb nervous sweat while shea butter, coconut oil and vitamin E hydrate the skin.

 

Having launched one year ago, Nez deodorants are available in 50 Urban Outfitters stores nationwide and online at Poosh, Urban Outfitters and nezcare.com. 

 

This past spring, the brand distributed travel-size samples at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California. The brand aspires for additional retail partnerships with more prominent vendors like Sephora, Target and Ulta Beauty in 2024, according to Jhawar.

A 12-year breast cancer survivor, Nez is paying it forward. Her brand has partnered with the National Breast Cancer Foundation, which provides early detection, education and support services to those affected by breast cancer. For Breast Cancer Awareness Month this past October, the brand donated $250,000 worth of full-sized deodorants in support of initiatives led by the Foundation and Susan G. Komen. Nez deodorants were shared in the Foundation’s Hope and Metastatic Breast Cancer Kits and Susan G. Komen’s Survivor Goodie Bags.