Answering a basic hygiene need, the AP/deo category moves steadily along by offering pleasant scents in utilitarian packaging designed to get the job done. But a Chicago-based start-up is out to change all that with new option that meshes personalization, sustainability and style.
 
CEO Antoine Wade has designed and patented Switch Fresh, billed as the world’s first reusable deodorant bottle that reduces plastic waste and “inspires individuality with unisex scents and personalized designs.”
 
Traditional deodorant bottles contain a mechanism that you twist to raise and lower the product. Switch Fresh’s patented design eliminates the twist function and adds gliders on the side of each shuttle. Those gliders allow consumers to move the product as well as attach and detach the replaceable deodorant cartridges. In addition, the feature allows each reusable bottle to be customized; cartridges can be attached to each end, creating two separate scents in one bottle.
 
By using replaceable cartridges, Switch Fresh reduces the amount of disposable waste by 96% compared to traditional deodorant packs, according to the company.
 
Like many startups, Switch Fresh is running a crowdfunding campaign.
 
“The design, prototype and testing stages are complete and we're ready to hit the go button on our first production run of Switch Fresh,” Wade told Happi in late January.  “We recently launched on Indiegogo and have gotten really positive feedback. We are educating the public on who we are and how we're different. We have a month left in the campaign and have been covered by the Chicago Tribune, Ad Age and TreeHugger thus far. Once the campaign is complete, we're planning to have the product in the hands of backers this summer.”
 
The idea for Switch Fresh was born after brainstorming a personal care project with his cousin NBA star Dwayne Wade.
 
“Deodorant is used by nearly everyone on the planet,” said Wade. “But, with a product so well-known and used, there hasn't been any real innovation in the industry, so I really wanted to put a cool spin on something we use every day.”
 
Part of the spin is scent, and a dual cartridge design that allows users to easily have two options.
 
“Everyone loves variety and we wanted to provide that. No one wants one perfume or cologne for every occasion. That's what most deodorants provide. So, we wanted to offer a work/play, day/night scenario,” Wade told Happi.  “For instance, someone might want a crisp, fresh fragrance while at the office, but more of a spicy or romantic fragrance for going to dinner or drinks.”
 
Wade didn’t want to fall into stereotypical gender offerings either.
 
“Our product is effective for both men and women, but fragrance options aren't determined by your gender. A study shows that 29% of men use women's deodorant. I was one of them. I grew up in a single parent household and my mother bought one deodorant for us all to share. It happened to be for women. So, I actually like softer, fresher scents that women's deodorant offers and found out some women like men's deodorant for similar reasons. So again, I just wanted to give people what they want without feeling limited.”
 
The design allows for even more personalization.
 
“Someone else may prefer natural deodorant for average daily use, but want an antiperspirant during a workout. Two spouses can even use their favorite formulas in one Switch Shuttle. The dual sided option delivers the variety customers want, while reducing their carbon footprint,” he said.
 
Wade knows taking AP/deo brands owned by biggest players in personal care won’t be easy. But he’s is up to the challenge.

“Awareness is definitely going to be our biggest hurdle. To get consumers to purchase Switch Fresh, they have to know there are effective alternatives available to traditional brands they see on the shelves every day. We all love comfort and familiarity and people use what they are used to. But there's no magic deodorant formula that any one corporation owns, so it's a pretty even playing field in terms of the product and its effectiveness,” he said.
 
Switch Fresh is a product that should resonate with millennial/eco-friendly consumers.
 
“They see a need for innovation and aren't afraid to explore different products to meet that need,” Wade said. “We hope this will be our field-of-dreams moment. We built it, now we have to see if they come.”