Goodbye Body Odor with Bioshield-Deo

Bioshield Deo is built around the concept of the skin microbiome, that is, maintaining the balance of natural microorganisms on the skin. The team formulated it by combining Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate as a postbiotic with betel leaf extract, which has potential antibacterial properties, a concept still rarely explored by conventional deodorant products.

Behind Bioshield Deo stands a cross program team consisting of Putri Sanjita Alcha as team leader, Irbah Afiifah Zahra, and Dyah Ayu Oki Rahmadhani from the Biology Education Program, along with Nadya Putri Adisty and Nandifa Azzahra Salsabila from the Pharmacy Program. All five are supervised by Endang Setyaningsih, S.Si., M.Si., Ph.D., through the Student Creativity Program in Entrepreneurship (PKM-K).

"It started from our Indonesian Language course. We were asked to put together a proposal as a team and choose a PKM scheme that interested us. From there, each member started putting forward their own ideas," Irbah said when interviewed on Monday (14/9/2026).

Among the various ideas that came up, they agreed to focus on an issue very close to everyday life: body odor and excessive sweating. According to her, almost everyone has experienced this problem at some point.

A number of studies the team found note that certain deodorants and antiperspirants can affect the natural microbiome composition of underarm skin. In the literature from Dermatologic Clinics and the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), for example, aluminum based antiperspirants work by forming a gel plug in sweat ducts to help reduce sweat production.

Meanwhile, another study titled "The Effect of Habitual Deodorant Use on the Axillary Microbiome," published in the journal PeerJ, found that regular use of conventional deodorants or antiperspirants can suppress the natural population of underarm bacteria, and can even change the composition of bacteria living in that area.

"But not all bacteria on the skin are actually harmful. So we started thinking about creating an innovation that doesn't clog pores and is friendlier to the skin's natural microbiome," Irbah explained.

That realization led the team to a concept now increasingly explored in skincare, namely maintaining the balance of the skin microbiome. Rather than eliminating all bacteria, Bioshield Deo is designed to help suppress the bacteria responsible for body odor while still preserving the good microorganisms the skin actually needs.

To bring that concept to life, the team chose two main ingredients: Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate as a postbiotic (a bioactive compound or beneficial metabolic substance produced by probiotics after digesting prebiotics), and betel leaf extract.

"Betel leaf contains chavicol and eugenol, which have antibacterial properties. Meanwhile, the postbiotic works to help keep the skin's microbiome balanced and stable," she explained.

These two active ingredients were then combined with 10 other supporting ingredients: shea butter, virgin coconut oil, candelilla wax, cetyl alcohol, geogard ECT, arrowroot starch, glycerin, disodium EDTA, essential oil, and vitamin E.

Each ingredient serves a different function, from maintaining skin moisture and preserving the balm's texture, to helping control sweat so users stay comfortable.

Although the idea was born back in February, when the PKM selection process began, the journey to a finished product wasn't instant. The team only started the intensive formulation process around July and needed roughly a month to produce a ready to use product.

The team developed three different formula compositions during the trial period, a step taken so they could find the most optimal combination of effectiveness, comfort of use, and skin safety.

After testing and surveying, the third formula came out best in terms of color, scent, and texture. It was also the most well liked formula and didn't cause any irritation.

Choosing the balm stick form was also a carefully considered decision, seen as more practical and more hygienic.

"A balm you scoop out with your finger isn't very practical. We chose a stick so you just twist it up and apply it directly. If it were a spray, the formulation and the steps involved would also be completely different," she added.

Beyond that, using a balm stick format also allowed the team to make use of ingredients like shea butter and virgin coconut oil. Both help keep underarm skin moisturized without leaving a sticky feeling after use.

Although the team has already secured Intellectual Property Rights (HKI), they admit Bioshield Deo isn't fully perfected yet. The product keeps being refined based on feedback from users who have started trying it out.

One issue is texture, which some users still find slightly rough when applying it to the underarm. Going forward, the team wants to refine the formulation so the product's texture is smoother, as well as redesign the packaging.

"Since we already have the patent, we're only marketing it by word of mouth for now, and that's where we're getting feedback from. Going forward, we want to make the texture more comfortable to apply and give the packaging a more ergonomic shape, maybe something curved, or a roll form that follows the curve of the underarm more closely," Nadya said.

Bioshield Deo is currently only sold in limited quantities, priced at Rp22,000 per stick, in two scent variants: lemon and rose.

"We're still waiting for the distribution permit process before we expand into e-commerce platforms like TikTok Shop or Shopee, so we can reach a wider market," she concluded.

Writer: Genis Dwi Gustati

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid

Editor: Al Habiib Josy Asheva