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Adeline Mans

Do you ever stick your nose into that little hollow in someone’s neck to deeply inhale their scent? It makes sense because how someone smells triggers all sorts of things. But now, research shows that a woman's body odor even affects the behavior of men. Not all sweat smells the same. If you've spent days, weeks, and months in a slightly too small gym, you know exactly what I mean. Sometimes, there's such a terrible stench from someone that it literally takes your breath away and knocks you out. And every now and then, someone walks by, and their sweat actually smells… good? Clean even? Maybe even attractive? I've always found it complicated that sweat can smell good, but apparently, nature works that way. The scent of fresh coffee in the early morning. The hint of Chanel on a friend. The notes of a fine wine when you really stick your nose in that glass. The mix of onion and garlic in a pan. And sometimes, even the first puff of a cigarette drifting by on a summer day on the terrace. What you like to smell is personal, but with body odor, something else is going on. Sniffing Around Researchers at the University of Tokyo decided to stick their noses in this intriguing topic. In this case, it was about the body odor of women and how it affects men. Apparently, a lot of information is stored in the composition of our body odor, better known as sweat. And now, it turns out, it really has an effect on others. When a woman ovulates, her body odor is said to change slightly from the norm, as reported on Scientias.nl. This has a remarkable effect on men's behavior. It took endless time, sweat samples, and research in Tokyo, but it turns out that when the egg is on its way to the uterus, your scent turns into a kind of natural love potion. No magic about it, just good old Mother Nature. The man in question feels calmer when he detects this scent on a woman; he experiences less stress, and he finds the woman more attractive. You might think this was already well known, but that's not the case. This is the first study to actually prove it. Three specific scent compounds in the woman's sweat are responsible for this effect. What effect, you might wonder. Men rated the body odor of women during ovulation higher. But it didn’t stop with sniffing, as they actually found the women more attractive during this period of the cycle than at other times. Sweaty Stuff The researchers are intrigued. It reveals a whole new form of communication between men and women, which was previously unknown. Now it’s up to brain scans to show whether it not only has a calming effect but also influences the actions a man takes. Other studies have already shown that scent can influence behavior. Sweat or a specific body odor, then, can say a lot more than you might have thought. There are even indications in the research that this odor actually guides men's behavior. So, you might want to think twice before rushing to the shower after a sweaty workout. That little bit of sweat might just have a very positive effect on a man in your life. Of course, you'll need to know what phase of your cycle you're in before you go throwing yourself at some man right after coming out of the gym. It would be a shame if your own sweat worked against you. Scents often carry memories. It’s even said that this is much stronger than, for example, images or sounds. A scent can evoke emotions. It can change your mood. I totally get that because I also get especially happy when I follow my nose toward a great restaurant. How we experience a scent is partly innate and largely learned. If something you smell brings a positive association, you're likely to find that smell pleasant for the rest of your life. Fun Fact: Women increasingly associate toxic men with one specific perfume. There are countless memes online about Dior’s Sauvage fragrance. No scientific backing to that, of course, but it's certainly entertaining. So next time you're in the perfume shop, make sure to give that bottle a sniff—you’ll at least know which red flags to avoid. And which green flags might have a stress-reducing effect during ovulation. Source: Scientias.nl | Image: Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson in 'Babygirl.'
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