You've probably never heard of hypochlorous acid. That's fine - your body makes it every day without telling you.
When a pathogen enters your system, your white blood cells produce a compound called HOCl - hypochlorous acid. It's the molecule responsible for breaking down bacteria, fungi, and viruses at the cellular level. It's fast, effective, and your body trusts it enough to use it as a first line of defence.
So why is it in a sports spray?
The problem with alcohol-based sprays
Most gym bag sprays use alcohol or quaternary ammonium compounds (quats) as their active ingredient. They work - to a point. Alcohol evaporates quickly, which means the antimicrobial effect disappears within seconds. It also dries skin, stings on broken skin, and degrades rubber and leather over time. Quats are more persistent but have been linked to skin sensitisation with repeated use.
For anyone training regularly - running, lifting, playing Sunday league, doing CrossFit - these aren't great long-term options.
Why HOCl is different
Hypochlorous acid works differently. Because it's the same molecule your body already produces, it's biocompatible. That means no stinging, no drying, no irritation. It breaks down bacterial and fungal cell walls through oxidation - a mechanism that pathogens can't easily develop resistance to.
The key numbers: at 675ppm concentration, HOCl achieves a 99.9999% kill rate (a 6-log reduction) against bacteria including E. coli, S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. That's the clinical-grade standard, verified to EN 1276.
But here's what matters for everyday use: it also provides residual protection. Unlike alcohol, which evaporates instantly, HOCl continues working on the surface for up to 12 hours. Spray your boots after training on Tuesday, and the antimicrobial protection is still active on Wednesday morning.
What it actually prevents
The conditions that active people deal with - athlete's foot, ringworm, sports acne, fungal nail infections, verrucas from changing room floors - are all caused by bacteria or fungi that thrive in warm, damp environments. Kit bags, boots, gloves, shin pads. The places where alcohol sprays can't reach or don't last long enough to matter.
HOCl handles all of these because it's effective against bacteria (EN 1276), fungi and yeasts (EN 13624), and enveloped viruses (EN 14476). Three separate standards, three separate passes, all verified by UKAS-accredited UK laboratories.
Three ingredients, nothing else
Funk Off PRO contains three ingredients: purified water, hypochlorous acid, and a trace amount of pharmaceutical-grade sodium chloride (salt) that enables the HOCl to form and stay stable. No alcohol, no fragrance, no parabens, no dyes, no preservatives.
The full INCI is on every bottle. If you want to check the lab results for your specific batch, email hello@santeactive.co.uk with your batch number and we'll send you the Certificate of Analysis within one working day.
The short version
Hypochlorous acid is what your immune system already uses. We've stabilised it at clinical strength, put it in a spray, and tested it properly. It works on skin and kit, it doesn't sting, and it lasts.
That's it. No miracle claims.