The Savior for Sweat & Odor Worries! Diving into the "Deodorant Putty" that Soothes Worries About Body Odor & Stickiness All Day

Each year, Japanese summers are getting hotter. This year, even in May, there were many days with summer-like heat, and more areas have already recorded severe heat days. Nowadays, deodorants aren’t just for people who naturally sweat a lot or play sports—they’re becoming a universal etiquette essential for everyone.

In this era when odor care is a must, one product from Nivea-Kao deserves special attention: a completely new kind[1] of deodorant that took five years to perfect—"8x4 Deodorant Putty." We interviewed Hikaru Sekine and Narumi Nitta from Nivea-Kao Co., Ltd. about the true capabilities and the development story behind this deodorant, which applies like foundation using a puff.

Recently, it really feels like deodorants are gaining popularity regardless of gender. As the intense heat season gets longer, the deodorant market is growing, too.

“Like people say, Japan’s weather is polarizing toward summer and winter, and summer is becoming longer and hotter. Alongside this, awareness of body odor has risen sharply. According to our survey on 'sweat and odor issues'[2], 65.8% of people said they’re concerned about body odor, over 72% said they sweat a lot, and 76.8% answered that using deodorant is an important part of personal grooming.

"Thanks to the sweltering heat, everyone sweats to some degree, so you see more people using cooling gadgets like portable fans and neck coolers. Even those who aren’t especially worried about odor tend to use deodorants as a routine step of sweat care. New hairstyles with bangs and worries about makeup smudging have also made facial sweat a new concern, so demand for solutions there is growing.

"The '8x4 Deodorant Putty' we’re covering this time isn’t just for underarms; you can use it on your décolletage and face, too. We hope it’ll help anyone bothered by sweat get through the extreme heat.” (Nitta)

Nivea-Kao’s 8x4 series has been a long-loved brand since it launched in 1974 as Japan’s first powder spray. The new "8x4 Deodorant Putty" released this year is a never-before-seen deodorant in the form of a soft, putty-like cream, which you apply with a cushion puff.

Sekine told us what inspired this completely new formulation.

“Until now, 8x4 has rolled out many odor care products that do more than just prevent body odor—they make the process positive by letting you enjoy pleasant scents too. Our research found that while many users enjoy the fragrances, those who really worry about body odor want something that keeps them dry and odor-free until evening—especially under their arms.

"Before developing the '8x4 Deodorant Putty,' we did in-depth interviews and discovered people not only worry about odor, but also voiced needs like, ‘I want to really rub it into my underarms,’ and ‘I want to keep my underarms totally dry.’

"So, we experimented with many formulas, using our company’s experience, aiming for one you could really rub in. But until now, existing forms just couldn’t deliver both that 'rub-in' feeling and a powdery, smooth finish at the same time.

"This time, our team was determined to create something that delivered on rub-in satisfaction, all-day smoothness, and powerful deodorizing, so our customers could live confidently without being troubled by sweat odor. That’s why we set out to create an uncompromising, completely new formula.”

With the goal of creating an unprecedented deodorant that meets customer needs, Nivea-Kao spent five years developing and testing over 1,000 prototypes. They reportedly faced numerous challenges before the creation of this innovative product.

"We searched for and tested every possible powder, ultimately adopting a new powder—high sweat-absorbing and high moisture-absorbing dry powder—which had never been used in conventional deodorants.

"Although this ingredient offers excellent functionality, it is extremely expensive, and we almost gave up on incorporating it. However, our internal team was determined to reinvent 8x4, so we persisted in finding the best formula for our company, which enabled us to make it a reality." (Sekine)

Even after finding the ideal powder, the path to product completion wasn’t smooth.

"Balancing the application texture users want with a silky-smooth finish proved extremely difficult. If we increased the powder for a more powdery feel, it became too stiff, impairing ease of application; if we made the base softer for smoother application, the silky finish was lost… On top of that, achieving both sometimes caused quality issues, such as graininess or separation in the product.

"Because the formula was completely new, we repeatedly ran prototypes under the same conditions, each time eliminating one ingredient to track down the cause. Every production stage—from selecting raw materials to filling—required trial and error. Since every phenomenon we encountered was unprecedented, it took many years to reach completion." (Sekine)

"8x4 Deodorant Putty" was born after overcoming countless obstacles. In addition to the high sweat- and moisture-absorbing dry powder, it contains roasted alum (potassium aluminum sulfate) as a deodorant, and IPMP (isopropyl methylphenol) as an antibacterial agent. It is also recognized to help with body odor from underarms (axillary odor), skin perspiration odor, and deodorizing effects.

While being a completely new, functionality-focused item, it retains the emotional and positive image that 8x4 has always valued.

"Although sweat and odor care tend to carry a negative image, with '8x4 Deodorant Putty,' we paid particular attention to the appearance so users would view sweat care in a positive light.

"Since its format is unlike existing deodorants, the outer box highlights product features, and the inner packaging is designed not to look like a deodorant but rather have a charming, uplifting, cosmetic-like feel." (Nitta)

"As a guideline, use an amount approximately 1.4cm in diameter for each underarm. Take a thin layer with the puff and apply it. You can get around 100 uses for both underarms. It offers all-day protection from sweat and odor, but you can also reapply during the day if you’re concerned about sweat or feeling uneasy.

"It can be washed off with regular body wash, but if you’re worried about residue, you can also use a cleansing oil or makeup remover." (Sekine)

"Since the silky feel lasts all day, we recommend using it in the morning before going out. It’s great not only for underarms but also areas like the face, décolleté, or chest—wherever sweat is a concern [5]. It’s perfect for outdoor events, music festivals, or when you want to keep sweat under control while meeting your favorite artist! We definitely encourage you to try it in those situations as well." (Nitta)

With "8x4 Deodorant Putty," a product that responds to users’ deep concerns and is developed by Nivea-Kao without compromise, many people have been moved. It’s sure to become even more of a lifesaver in the coming season.