Your natural body odor, also known as your ‘scent’, is determined by a number of factors. These include your genetics, diet, lifestyle habits, health conditions, and even your environment. Understanding what makes you smell the way you do can help you manage any undesirable odors.
Genetics
Genetics play a big role in determining your natural scent. Your specific combination of genes influences the chemical composition of your sweat and other bodily secretions. This gives each person a unique ‘scent print’ from birth.
Studies suggest genetics account for up to 85% of variability in human scent. Identical twins, who share the same DNA, have more similar scents compared to non-identical siblings. Ethnicity also impacts scent, with people of East Asian and African descent having distinct scent profiles.
Specific genes control the activity of enzymes that break down compounds in sweat, tears, urine, saliva and vaginal secretions. The byproducts of this process create your distinctive aroma. Genes also influence the chemical composition of secretions from your apocrine glands, which produce sweat.
Diet
What you eat can significantly affect how you smell. Strong smelling foods like garlic, onions, curry, and cumin can make their way into your sweat and breath. Red meat and dairy may also make you more pungent.
That’s because the breakdown products of these foods enter your bloodstream and eventually get excreted. Spices contain volatile oils that evaporate through your pores. Foods high in sulfur, like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, can worsen body odor too.
Being overweight or obese may increase odor as larger bodies sweat more. Losing weight and eating a healthy diet with more fruits and vegetables can help minimize unwanted smells.
Foods that Worsen Scent
- Garlic
- Onions
- Spicy foods
- Curries
- Red meat
- Dairy
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
Foods that Improve Scent
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Leafy greens
- Carrots
- Parsley
- Celery
- Lemon
- Pineapple
Lifestyle Factors
Daily habits and lifestyle strongly impact how you smell. Things like smoking, alcohol, stress levels and exercise change body chemistry and odor.
Smoking – Chemicals from cigarettes get excreted through sweat and breath. This gives smokers a distinct stale scent.
Alcohol – Drinking alcohol increases secretion of certain pungent compounds. It also dehydrates the body and inhibits excretion of some waste products.
Stress – Stress causes hormonal and chemical changes that affect smell. Cortisol released during stress increases apocrine sweat production.
Exercise – Working out and sweating more cleans out pores and rinses away odor-causing bacteria. But exercise sweat itself has no odor.
Medications – Drugs like antidepressants, painkillers, and antibiotics can lead to changes in body scent.
Clothing – Tight clothing, synthetic fabrics, and not laundering clothes frequently enough can trap odors on your body.
| Lifestyle Factor | Effect on Scent |
|---|---|
| Smoking | Causes distinct stale smell |
| Alcohol | Increases pungent odors |
| Stress | Increases apocrine sweat |
| Exercise | Cleans pores and removes bacteria |
| Medications | Can change body chemistry |
| Clothing | Traps odors on the body |
Health Conditions
Certain illnesses and health problems can affect body scent as well. Here are some ways medical conditions influence odor:
Skin disorders – Issues like dermatitis and fungal infections alter skin microbiome. This disrupts natural scent.
Cystic fibrosis – People with CF have a distinct salty smell due to high sodium levels in sweat.
Diabetes – Uncontrolled diabetes with high blood sugar causes a sweet, fruity odor.
Liver disease – Liver dysfunction leads to musty-smelling sweat.
Kidney disease – Buildup of waste products causes urine-like odor.
Metabolic disorders – Inborn errors of metabolism change scent in urine or sweat.
PUBMED – A strong, offensive odor, often described as fishy, can occur.
Cancer – Some cancers are linked to specific smells from compounds in a tumor’s breath.
| Health Condition | Effect on Scent |
|---|---|
| Skin disorders | Disrupt natural skin microbiome |
| Cystic fibrosis | Causes salty sweat |
| Diabetes | Fructose builds up causing sweet smell |
| Liver disease | Musty, unpleasant body odor |
| Kidney disease | Urine-like smell from waste buildup |
| Metabolic disorders | Changes odor of sweat and urine |
| Trimethylaminuria | Causes offensive fishy odor |
| Cancer | Produces distinct smells from compounds |
Age & Gender
Age and gender also impact how you naturally smell. As you get older, your body produces different chemicals and hormones that affect odor. Going through puberty dramatically alters scent in adolescence.
Children have a mildly sweet, soapy smell. Puberty causes apocrine sweat glands to activate, changing body odor. Adults have the most intense scent between 20-30 years old.
Body scent declines with old age as sweat gland activity decreases. Elderly people typically have a mild, inoffensive odor.
Females experience huge scent shifts during pregnancy and menstruation due to hormonal fluctuations. Men generally have more pungent smelling sweat and urine because of androgen hormones like testosterone.
| Age Group | Typical Scent Profile |
|---|---|
| Babies & Children | Mild, sweet, soapy |
| Teens | Major changes during puberty |
| Young Adults | Most intense scent |
| Middle Aged | Gradual mellowing of odor |
| Elderly | Mild, inoffensive, decreased |
Environmental Factors
Your surroundings can also have subtle effects on natural scent. Exposure to pollutants, ambient temperatures and humidity levels impact sweat production and odor.
Industrial chemicals, car exhaust fumes, tobacco smoke and other contaminants get into sweat. Hot, humid environments make people sweat more. Bacteria also thrive in warm, moist areas of the body which worsens BO.
Where you live geographically makes a difference too. People adapted to hot climates sweat more. High altitude areas have clean, crisp air that limits odor. Cold, dry regions see less sweat and bacteria growth.
Ways Environment Affects Scent:
- Exposure to pollutants
- Industrial chemicals
- Hot, humid climates
- Altitude
- Cold, dry air
Tips to Improve Your Natural Scent
While you can’t change intrinsic factors like your genes, age or health conditions, you can take steps to smell your best.
- Bathe regularly using antimicrobial soaps
- Use aluminum-free deodorants
- Avoid spicy foods if smell is a concern
- Wear natural fibers like cotton and linen
- Change clothes after working out
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Quit smoking and avoid alcohol
- Manage stress with yoga, meditation, etc.
- See your doctor if smell doesn’t improve
Conclusion
Your natural scent is the result of a complex interaction between genetic, dietary, lifestyle and environmental factors. While you can’t completely eliminate body odor, you can take steps to minimize unpleasant smells.
Focus on cultivating healthy habits like a nutritious diet, regular exercise, and good hygiene. Be aware of how certain foods, medications and medical conditions affect your odor. Seek medical advice if smell becomes an impairment.
Embrace your natural scent as part of what makes you unique. With some basic modifications, you can smell fresh while staying true to yourself.