Two percent of people carry an unusual form of a specific gene (ABCC11) that means their armpits never smell. The finding came from new research involving 6,495 women who are enrolled in the Children of the 90s study at the University of Bristol, England, and was published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
It's conventional wisdom that three things in life are inevitable: death, taxes and smelly armpits. But the third trouble on that list, it turns out, only afflicts 98% of us.
Personal hygiene and lifestyle
Removing some of the bacteria on your skin regularly can prevent unpleasant body odor. Keep your armpits shaved, so sweat evaporates quickly and doesn't have as much time to interact with bacteria. Hair is a breeding ground for bacteria. Regularly wash clothing, and wear clean clothes.
While only 2 percent of Europeans lack the genes for smelly armpits, most East Asians and almost all Koreans lack this gene, Day told LiveScience.
Although rare, some people are born without the sense of smell, which is a condition called congenital anosmia. This occurs when there is either an inherited genetic disorder or abnormal development of the olfactory system (the body's sensory system for smell) occurring before birth.
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.
Everyone has their own unique smell. Some types of body odor, however, may be an indication of the presence of certain health problems. For example, sweat that smells like bleach may be a sign of a liver or kidney disease.
ABCC11: the “no body odor gene”
People with the ABCC11 non-functioning gene variant have dry earwax and little or no body odor.
Studies have shown that body odor is strongly connected with attraction in heterosexual females. The women in one study ranked body odor as more important for attraction than “looks”. Humans may not simply depend on visual and verbal senses to be attracted to a possible partner/mate.
“A high percentage of Korean patients have the mutation called ABCC11 which alters the composition of sweat so that they do not produce body odor,” he confirms with Very Good Light. “Body odor is produced when sweat is broken down by bacteria that live naturally on the skin.
It would be amazing if you could sniff yourself and immediately pick up on any emanating odors, but alas, life isn't so simple. According to Lifehacker, it can be quite difficult to detect your own body odors because the receptors in your nose shut down after smelling the same scent for too long.
In a TikTok video, he explains: "If you have a mutation in the ABCC11 gene, your body doesn't produce a particular protein found in armpit sweat that bacteria feed on which causes bad underarm odor. About 2% of the population have this genetic mutation including most Koreans.
Sweating and body odor are caused by sweat glands in your body. The two main types of sweat glands are eccrine glands and apocrine glands. Eccrine glands occur over most of your body and open directly onto the surface of the skin.
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%.
Summary of studies in healthy populations showing no sex differences in odor hedonic perception (non-specific odors and body odors). No sex differences. However, in both men and women, female axillary odors are judged weaker and less unpleasant than male axillary odors.
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.
At about age 40, the body subtly changes the way omega-7 unsaturated fatty acids on the skin are degraded. These acids get exposed to the air and create a compound called “nonenal.” Nonenal most likely gets produced due to hormone imbalances.
Today most East Asians and nearly all Koreans lack a chemical in their armpits that bacteria munch on to make body odor, because they carry this variant of the ABCC11 gene. About 98 percent of Europeans have the smelly-armpit version of the gene, and along with it comes stickier and smellier earwax.
It's likely because they have a malfunctioning version of something called a transporter protein, which, in most people, is responsible for secreting the molecules that a certain type of bacteria then consumes, a process that results in body odor. As our Gal Science puts it in the video, “No bacteria buffet, no smell.”
Sweat doesn't smell. It's a clear, odorless liquid mostly made up of water, salt proteins and oils. The smell that we call 'body odor' is actually caused by bacteria breaking down protein and oils releasing odor. Our body is home to millions of harmless bacteria that help the skin's natural defense.
Sniff your clothes at the end of the day.
Sweat tends to soak into clothing, especially your underwear, your bra, or your T-shirt. Toward the end of the day, give your clothing a sniff. If it smells pungent or musty, it's likely that you've got some body odor.
The answer has to do with hormones—specifically, pheromones. “Pheromones are chemicals that animals and humans produce, which change and influence the behavior of another animal or human of the same species,” says Erica Spiegelman, wellness specialist, recovery counselor, and author of The Rewired Life.