The Aussie Couple Behind All Natural Anti Odourant NO PONG!

I’m one of those people who feels the heat instantly. So much so, that I prefer to feel slightly cold than feel like I’m having a hot flash a hundred times a day!

I rarely wear double layers and if I do it’s probably because I’m coming down with something or it’s that time of the month when my fashion choices are questionable.

So you can imagine, that for me, a good deodorant is of the utmost importance. I mean after the perfect frizz tamer and brow powder it is quite possibly the most used item in my beauty cabinet.

Just today I read an interesting article about how we perceive smell. It said that people who smell bad can’t actually smell their own body odour. It has something to do with the receptors in our noses that shut down after smelling the same scent for too long. Which probably explains why you can’t smell your own perfume on you after a while or why the inside of your house has no odour to you but it does to others.

It went on to say that a simple way you can reset you nose so that it can pick up odour again is to take a big whiff of coffee! The way it works is because coffee has a strong single-scent component it gives your nose a break from what it’s been smelling all day. It kind of resets it so you’re able to process new smells- ie. if you have bad BO!!

So if you think your deodorant may not be working for you – go smell some coffee then smell yourself and see.

If you need some help in the deodorant department then you’ve come to the right place today! I discovered a product called NO PONG which no joke has replaced my much loved Mitchum that I’ve been using for ages. And while I thought it was working well it’s nothing compared to the freshness I feel after using NO PONG.

So what is it? It’s a deodorant developed by Aussie couple Chris Caley and Melanie McVean (see below), who saw a gap in the market for an effective all natural product that actually works! With a background in science, marketing and healthcare these two really know their stuff.

We recently interviewed Melanie about NO PONG to get to know more about this revolutionary product and how it came about.

• Where did the name NO PONG come from and who thought of it?Chris and I don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we are straight shooters!  The name No Pong came from a “hackathon” or a brainstorm that we did when we decided to sell the product.  Honestly, No Pong best described what the product did.  Just like Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, the first people to the top of Everest, it just wouldn’t be sporting to say who came up with it… it was a team effort!
• Melanie, your background is in women’s health, how did that help you in developing this product?
  I was actually making a very basic version of the product for myself for about a year before we launched No Pong.  I think it is important to pay attention to what we put in and on our body, so I started making my own creams, lotions and yes, deodorant.  This is how No Pong came about.
• How is NO PONG different to other deodorants?
  No Pong is an extremely effective all natural anti-odourant.  It is different from other deodorants, firstly, because it works.  It lasts all day and then some!  Secondly, it is a cream based deodorant; you only need a small amount, but it needs to be rubbed in well.  It can take people a little while getting used to applying this way, but honestly, I think it’s a great way to give a little love to your armpit. Thirdly, it is not water based, so it won’t simply wash off when you sweat.  No Pong is designed to create a water-resistant environment that smelly bacteria can’t survive.  This is the key to its effectiveness. Lastly, No Pong is affordable.  We believe that great natural products should be available to everyone.  We have designed our business with this as one of our key values and we will always strive to keep our products as affordable as possible.

• What are the nasty chemicals we need to be aware of in other products?
  There is a lot of hype around some of the ingredients in regular deodorants.  This might sound counter-intuitive coming from a natural deodorant company, but we’re science people as well and the truth is, the jury is still out on many of the effects they can have on our bodies.
• There are a few key ingredients that are known to have an effect on the human body: Aluminium is known to have potential to cause mutation to genetic code.  It has been contentiously linked to Alzheimer’s disease also Parabens are known to mimic hormone functions, particularly oestrogen, and its well known effects on breast cancer.  Triclosan is a common anti-bacterial found in traditional deodorants, and actually banned for use in soaps by the US Food and Drug Administration, but not in Australia. However, it’s really important for people to understand that the scientific jury is out on the real-world, long term effect of many of these as used in deodorants.  That said, why use these ingredients at all if you don’t have to!
• Why is the formula in a paste form and not a roll on? Is it more effective this way?
• We designed No Pong as a cream-based paste because this was the form that our ingredients were the most effective.  It can be a bit of getting used to, for some people, but as you only need to apply it once a day, most people just add it to their morning routine as they would putting on face moisturiser or brushing their teeth. As someone who works in women’s health, I think it is extremely important to be in tune and comfortable with your body and putting deodorant in this way is a great way to give your armpits a quick daily check as well.

• Are there any other products you are hoping to launch under the NO PONG name? Foot deodorisers perhaps?
  We actually just launched a new No Pong Bicarb Free, Low Fragrance anti-odourant.  We’re really quite excited about it and have had some really great feedback from our wonderful customers! We don’t have any other products on the pipeline right now, and as a small, but fast growing business, we’re just trying to do one thing really well, and that is, making awesome deodorant!
• Do you remember the exact moment the idea for NO PONG came to you?
  I do actually. I was making my own cosmetics and had a simpler version of No Pong for myself. Chris and I were on a surfing trip in the tropics and using this deodorant.  Chris literally wore the same shirt for 3 days and didn’t smell at all.  Now, we don’t recommend wearing the same clothes for 3 days straight, but we were in a remote destination with no laundry services, and “running” water was probably an optimistic way to describe the situation, as it was more like a feeble dribble.  On the 3rd day, we realised how good this stuff actually was!  It was this moment that we knew we were on to something and No Pong was born.
• What advice would you give others who may want to start up their own business?
  The best advice we could give others who want to start their own business, is to test the market first.  Don’t invest heavily up front before you have some supporters and customers.  A friend of ours once said, “don’t try to come up with a million dollar idea.  Just come up with a $20,000 idea and grow it from there”
• Describe your perfect day to us.
  We love to travel, but we rarely take trips just to “relax”.  We’re both active people, so our travel is generally related to healthy, active sports and hobbies. But it’s also important to have meaning and purpose as well as fun.  Besides running No Pong, I’m a Clinical Midwife Consultant and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and I’m passionate about reducing foetal and maternal mortality rates, especially preventable cases in the developing world. My perfect day would combine the two.  Waking up with some yoga or a run, working to help upskill and educate midwives, maybe a surf at lunchtime and a glass of wine over dinner with Chris.  I wouldn’t get much better than that!
• If I’m wearing NO PONG will I stay fresh while running around with kids all day?
  Yes, No Pong is an extremely effective all natural anti-odourant and we are confident that it will give you at least 12+ hours of “pong free” running around with the kids.

If NO PONG sounds like something you need in you life click here for details on how to get your hot little hands and bodies onto it!

Photos: No Pong