Meet HIKI: The Brand That Loves to See You Sweat

While Rihanna has been doing the work, work, work, work, work, work, to make sweating as sexy as possible, unfortunately there is only one Rihanna, and the teaming, sweaty masses have yet to catch up to her elegant glisten. So how are we plebes to manage in a timeline when the climate change crisis is making things awfully steamy around here?

Well, new brand HIKI has been thinking about your sweaty bod this whole time and they are on it. A self-proclaimed "everyday sweat brand," HIKI makes products to address all the places you sweat — not just your armpits: your boobs, your butt, your feet, and all those uncomfortable chafing places, like between your thighs. Having a functional temperature-regulating body rules; you kind of need that to live, you know? But it's not without its inconveniences, lots of which could be curtailed by getting rid of the shame that surrounds sweating.

I went through puberty at a time before natural deodorant was a thing, and all the chalky white deodorants and antiperspirants on the drugstore selves contained chemicals that I was allergic to — allergic to the degree of giving my underarm inflamed cysts that at one point required surgical removal. What a fun time to be a smelly teen! I'd carry disposable alcohol wipes in my backpack in an effort to de-bacteria my pits midday (because B.O. is caused by bacteria mingling with perspiration, not just sweat itself. I was an informed teen!), which did not work that well and also still left sweat stains in my shirts.

But enough about me and my sad teenage armpits! I'm just grateful to live in a time now when there are non-poisonous choices for sweat and B.O. management. It's one thing to offer products that hide your stinky B.O. while indirectly shaming your for having it at all.

That's what makes HIKI refreshing. It's not as though society is going to catch up to our progressive ideals where everyone is totally chill and sweat-positive as fast as we can de-stigmatize the shame behind them, so they offer products that help you manage your own body's waterworks however you want, while acknowledging that it is all very normal and good to have them in the first place.

Oh and here is the actual best part (a reward for those who have read this far hehe): due to the current global crisis, HIKI wants to "spread kindness and compassion by offering products for free." All medical and hospital facility workers who are on the front lines of this virus are being offered free product, and not only that, but everyone who posts on Instagram what you're feeling grateful for using the hashtag #TodayImFeeling and tagging @arfabrands will also get 2 products for free. All you have do pay for is $5 shipping.

Now let's finally meet them, shall we?

At $14, this tea tree mint, tangerine, and fresh wood scented deodorant isn't all that much more expensive than lots of other natural deodorants out there. While this one contains mostly natural ingredients, HIKI opted for the inclusion of non-toxic and high quality synthetic alternatives for the best function and feel. The packaging is eco-friendly, made completely from post-consumer waste packaging and recyclable components.

There's also a mini travel version of this deodorant that goes for $8, and a travel version with 100% post-consumer recycled materials (that's the white one).

Some of us sweat more enthusiastically than others in certain situations or just all the time. And sometimes you just don't want to soak through your clothes, which is fine. This is meant to keep your pits extra dry in times when you're speech-giving, dance floor dominating, or going on that very important job interview. It's unscented and can be layered with HIKI's Deodorant.

Also hot tip: applying antiperspirant the night before makes it more effective because it gives the ingredients time to do their work while you're sleeping and ostensibly not sweating.

Who enjoys being sticky?

• Crickets chirping *

Body powder is probably the next best thing to a shower to wick that layer of sticky sweat from your body in all those cozy areas like your boobs, pits, butt, feet, etc. This one is lightly scented and leaves a silky finish on your skin. HIKI made sure to test it on all different skin types to make sure you don't look like you're covered in chalk dust, no matter what color you are (phew).

Just think of yourself like a chinchilla taking a little dust bath to beat the heat.

OK, I lied — the next best thing to a shower is probably a body wipe. These come in a pack of 12 individually-wrapped, oversized wipes (they're 7 x 10 inches), so you can throw some in your gym bag, your carry-on, keep some in your car, or share with your hot friends.

The HIKI team felt that individually-wrapped ones were preferable to packs since those packs always seem to dry out after a while and these retain the most effective amount of wetness to get the most mileage out of them. If you're annoyed for the environment, the outer packets are recyclable!

You can shop all their products here.