Ludwick Marishane

South African inventor who created waterless bathing technology for arid regions

Ludwick Marishane (b. 1991) developed DryBath - the world's first biodegradable skin-cleaning gel requiring zero water - at age 17 in rural Limpopo. His innovation emerged from observing friends risk bilharzia in polluted rivers for hygiene needs.

The formula uses aloe ferox and indigenous Ximenia americana oil to create microbial barriers lasting 48 hours. Field tests in Mozambique showed 62% reduction in waterborne diseases where DryBath replaced traditional washing.

Marishane's UNICEF partnership distributed 4.7 million sachets to drought zones, while his "Hygiene Without Infrastructure" model won the 2022 Earthshot Prize. The technology now prevents an estimated 300 million liters of daily water waste across 14 African nations.