Close the tap (and don't spend more water than necessary on your trips)
Imagine that you fly directly to Seoul for work and you only need a packet of gel without rinsing to arrive fresh and clean to your meeting as if you had taken a good shower.
imagine now how could this invention change the reality of millions of people who live in places with water restrictions.
A Ludwick Marishane He came up with this idea when he was going to school in a rural community near Johannesburg . A somewhat hygiene-averse friend wondered why there might not be a solution to washing without water, which inspired Ludwick to found DryBath.
And we ask ourselves: What makes the difference when it comes to feeling that we are clean? “The smell, without a doubt. Showering and bathing can be very pleasant, but our ultimate goal is to end up smelling good... or rather, not smelling bad." explains this 29-year-old South African, ambassador of the Dockers firm.
Ludwick Marishane: There's Nothing Like a Good Idea
your product removes dirt and dead cells through a gentle massage, without damaging the natural protective barrier of the skin with germicides and almost no need to use water , in front of the 200 liters consumed by our usual 10 minutes of showering.
Ludwick welcomes us to Lisbon to tell us about this new cosmetic that can even be used in rivers (attention, campers!). “You could even eat it safely. We have formulated it like this so it can be used with young children . The only contaminant is packaging , but it is what the consumer demands today and we want the project to survive. Can be improved later ”, he adds.
His invention will protect many people in Motetema, his native village of deadly diseases caused by stagnant water bacteria . “80% of our production is exported to the US, Europe and Asia. The gel sachet with the biodegradable wipe to apply it has a price of four dollars; our goal is to reach the dollar and a half and find distribution partners. We believe that there is a good market in the North American west coast, Mexico, southern Africa, India, Beijing, Moscow and São Paulo”.
Ludwick Marishane presenting his invention
What about the new eco-consciousness that many luxury resorts are embracing? "Perhaps in the future... At the moment we believe that it would not work in hotels with more than three stars , because of the concept that people have of personal cleanliness. Our target audience is children ; for adults, taking a shower is almost a religion, a really difficult concept to change, ”he stresses.
However, he is already in talks with motels where they would offer lower-priced rooms without bathrooms. "We also focus on truck drivers, security personnel, hospitals, prisons...".
Marishane sees himself as an entrepreneur - "Why not? I am someone who intends to solve some problems in the community” – and he was undeterred when some previous ideas failed... like 'healthy' cigarettes. "Apparently, in prisons they have been smoking tea leaves for centuries , there is nothing new about it, ”he jokes.
An old cell phone and a weekly internet access budget of five dollars were his tools to create DryBath . “I want it to be like Coca-Cola: it is always the same, whether the president or a homeless man drinks it. And that companies like Unilever or Procter & Gamble copy us or, better yet, buy us”.
And it is not the only company of his: In his hands he has the idea of somehow reducing school dropout in Africa.
***** _This report was published in **number 128 of Condé Nast Traveler Magazine (May)**. Subscribe to the printed edition (11 printed issues and a digital version for €24.75, by calling 902 53 55 57 or from our website). The May issue of Condé Nast Traveler is available in its digital version to enjoy on your preferred device. _