Try this: sniff coffee or charcoal for a full minute. Then go back and take a whiff of your underarm or other potentially offending area. In a pinch, you could even smell the crook of your elbow, which contains few sweat glands.
Go take a shower, watch TV, read a book for a while. Then, collect the clothes and give them the sniff test, especially around the pit area and anywhere you sweat profusely. If you find an odor that is unpleasant, that might be an indicator that you have a body odor problem that is leaching into your clothing.
Everyone has their own scent—just think of how differently your grandma and your boyfriend smell when you lean in for a hug. But can we smell ourselves? For the first time, scientists show that yes, we can, ScienceNOW reports. Our basis of self-smell originates in molecules similar to those animals use to chose mates.
One study even showed that the genetic coding for a certain protein that helps to bind on to smells and help them reach the smell receptors in the nose, does vary in a population, so some people may naturally have a better sense of smell than others.
Yes, sometimes people are attracted to other people's special brand of human smell. It sounds weird, but every so often, a chemically compatible match comes along and...you get all caught up in a phenomenon we're calling body-odor attraction. And, no, you are not alone.
Bacteria on your skin cause body odor. It's completely normal to have a natural body odor and isn't necessarily related to how much you sweat. Sweat itself is odorless. Some medical conditions, genetics, being overweight or eating certain foods could make you more susceptible to bad body odor.
ODOR AFTER A SHOWER IS DUE TO LINGERING BACTERIA
In addition to bacteria, oftentimes there is deodorant residue and other impurities that are trapped in the underarm pores and within the hair if you have armpit hair.
Olfactory reference syndrome (ORS), also known as olfactory reference disorder, is an underrecognized and often severe condition that has similarities to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). People with ORS think they smell bad, but in reality they don't.
But your own underarms could reek and you might not be able to tell: Humans are prone to what scientists call olfactory fatigue; our sense of smell just gets plain tired out by familiar odors and stops detecting them. Believe it or not, that can actually be a good thing.
Be honest and kind but also be direct, don't try and tackle the problem by means of well intended hints. Ask them what may be causing the odour and how you can help. Take notes—you may need them if you need to handle the situation formally.
Showering a few times a week, especially after you exercise or do other activities that make you sweat, may be enough to rid you of body odor without drying out or irritating your skin.
Although there is some controversy on the subject of "racial" variation in body odor, it is determined that African blacks probably produce the greatest amount of apocrine sweat, which is the known substrate for axillary odor.
Trimethylaminuria (TMAU) is an uncommon condition that causes an unpleasant, fishy smell. It's also called "fish odour syndrome". Sometimes it's caused by faulty genes that a person inherits from their parents, but this isn't always the case. There's currently no cure, but there are things that can help.
Having the same percentage of 19.4, woodsy and musk are without a doubt the top main accords that men find attractive when worn. The 3rd place goes to vanilla-scented fragrances with 17.3%, 4th place for sweet scents with 15.3%, and 5th place for floral ones with 14.3%.
Yes, men and women really do have distinctive scents. And thanks to Swiss researchers, we even know which chemicals are responsible for the difference. Both male and female sweat feature 3-hydroxy-3-methylhexanoic acid and 3-methyl-3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol, but they're not present in equal amounts.
In analyzing the body odors of 20 pairs of friends who mutually agreed that they “just clicked” when they met, the researchers found that the smells of each pair were significantly more similar to each other than they were to random others.
Hair is another place where bacteria like to hide. If you still smell a strong body odor after a shower, consider shaving the hair in your armpits, groin, and chest. The hair's surface is a perfect place for bacteria to call home, and it's harder to eliminate them from the hair than your bare skin.