Students concoct antiperspirant for hands

Thursday, April 21, 2016
Students make antiperspirant for hands
Students concoct antiperspirant for hands

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Duke student Kasper Kubica and UNC student David Spratte have a problem - they're really sweaty. And every time they have a job interview or go on a date, they both worry about their clammy hands.

"A lot of people are fed up with sweaty hands and no one's doing anything about it. We are personally fed up with sweaty hands and that's why we wanted to come up with a solution," Spratte said.

The pair along with a UNC chemistry student friend started concocting an antiperspirant for hands in their dorm room. They came up with Carpe Lotion. It started with a lot of research, then a lot of experimenting and testing it out on their sweaty friends.

"We realized we couldn't be testing three different prototypes a day because they all work. We're like- okay, the first one stopped the sweat. Now, how are we going to test the next two?" Kasper said.

UNC chemistry student Chris Jenks, who is part of Carpe, concocting the company
UNC chemistry student Chris Jenks, who is part of Carpe, concocting the company's antiperspirant for hands in their dorm room.

Next, they had to find someone to believe in their idea. And they did with Bootstrap Advisors, a firm that helps startups sell products to the masses. Now you can find Carpe on Amazon, dozens of pharmacies, a tennis chain, and other random stores around the Triangle.

"There's not necessarily a section for sweaty hands," said Spratte.

"We're very much in the thick of explosive growth right now where it's just taking off, people are realizing there's a huge market for this," Kasper said.

So what's next for this sweat-fighting duo?

"We're growing and we're trying to create new solutions to sweaty problems. This is not the end this is just the beginning. It is the end of sweaty hands and feet, but it's just the beginning of Carpe lotion," Spratte said.

Learn more about Carpe at their website: https://www.carpelotion.com/