During the teenage years, parents often notice that their children start to develop a distinct smell. While babies have a sweet “baby smell” and primary school children don’t typically have a noticeable odor, teenagers begin to emit a new kind of smell. This change in body odor has been studied for its role in social relationships, including those between friends, romantic partners, and family members.
Newborns are able to recognize their mother’s scent, and mothers often have a preference for the smell of their own baby over others. Some studies suggest that parents may subconsciously wean off the body odor of their adolescent children of the opposite sex, potentially as a means of preventing genital warts.
A recent study published in Communications Chemistry delved into the potential causes of this change in body odor during adolescence. The researchers found that the activity of sebaceous glands and sweat glands accelerates during this time, which may contribute to the shift in smell. In particular, two volatile steroids were identified in the armpits of teenagers that were not present in younger children. These compounds were described as having scents reminiscent of sweat, urine, musk, and sandalwood.
Additionally, higher concentrations of carboxylic acids, which can be produced by the sebaceous glands, were found in the armpits of teenagers. These compounds, along with others described as waxy and reminiscent of a goat, contributed to the distinct smell of teenagers. On the other hand, younger children were found to have a different set of compounds in their armpits, including violet and soap-scented compounds.
While the study did not indicate whether all teenagers or children exhibited the same compounds in their armpits, the differences observed offer insights into the changes that occur in body odor during adolescence. This research sheds light on the biological processes that contribute to the development of body odor in teenagers and highlights the complexity of scent perception across different age groups.