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PROVO -- A Provo-based company has been doing anything but sweating out the recession. In fact, the product it markets, "SweatBlock," just got a big endorsement from a national television show.
The "Rachael Ray" show tested and profiled the liquid solution, which is designed to block sweat for up to a week at a time, using full-time firefighters as their test subjects. One firefighter, who told the show he was very skeptical at first, gave the product rave reviews.
Company co-founder Marilyn Steffensen says she was pleased with the endorsement but not surprised. They've been quietly selling the product for years. Sales have gone from a few hundred dollars the first year to more than $60,000 last year.
Steffensen says the day of the show they made $15,000 in sales alone. "What we weren't expecting was such a positive response," she said.
With or without the endorsement, Steffensen believes the recession has been a good time to be in the sweat business. "People are still sweating, in fact, they may be sweating more now, and we are grateful that people find our product," she said.
Steffensen's husband Scott developed the product over a period of years after graduating with a degree in pharmacology. "He was a sweaty guy," said Steffensen, "Who just for his own personal benefit started experimenting with the solution to stop sweat."
The active ingredient in that solution is aluminum chloride. The product contains a level low enough to not require a prescription.
E-mail: mgiauque@ksl.com
