Why humans care so much about body odour, and what it really tells us
Home Humans spend a great deal of time trying to smell good. We wash, deodorise and perfume our bodies daily, suggesting body odour must matter. Yet scientifically, the picture is far less straightforward. In the animal world, smell is a powerful communication tool. Many species use scent to signal readiness to mate, mark territory or warn of danger. Female moths, for example, release chemical cues that attract males over long distances in predictable ways. Humans also produce body odour through sweat and sebaceous glands. In addition, apocrine sweat glands are concentrated in areas such as the armpits, genitals and around the nipples. These glands release oily secretions that skin bacteria break down into the characteristic smells associated with body odour. Read more:
The biology of body odour, from sweat glands to skin bacteria Biologically, the human body is certainly equipped to produce odours that others can detect. Whether these odours carry information in the same way as scent signals do in other species remains uncertain.
Published: May 26, 2026 9:35 am
Source: The Conversation — Read original