Chemical Composition of Teenage Body Odor Finally RevealedNew Study Sheds Light on Why Teens Smell Like Sweat and Goats. Credit: newatlas.com

If you have ever had the misfortune of being trapped on a stuffy form of public transportation while a group of high school students boards after a grueling day, you are all too familiar with the unmistakable odor of teenagers. It's a fact, plain and simple. They have a distinct stench.

As puberty brings about a multitude of changes in the body, one of them being the activation of sweat glands, we now know that this characteristic teenage smell is a result of hormonal fluctuations. When sweat mixes with a unique combination of microbes, it produces a smell that can only be described as, well, teenage.

But until now, the chemical makeup of this distinct body odor has remained largely unknown. However, a recent study conducted by a team of researchers in Germany has shed light on the matter by comparing the chemical composition of body odor in teenagers and infants. The study honed in on the specific compounds responsible for the sweet, floral scent of babies and the musty, sweaty scent of teenagers.

The study consisted of two groups – 18 infants ranging from ages 0 to 3, and 18 teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18. Each participant wore a pre-treated cotton t-shirt with pads sewn under the arms for one night. In the 48 hours leading up to the study, the participants followed strict dietary and hygiene protocols, avoiding heavily spiced foods and perfumed cleaning products.

In contrast, the teenagers' body odor was much stronger. The researchers detected high levels of compounds such as 4-Ethyloctanoic acid, described as having a "goat-like" smell, and Dodecanoic acid, described as "wax-like." Additionally, the teenagers' body odor also contained some new compounds that were not found in the infants.

Interestingly, two steroid compounds – 5α-androst-16-en-3-one and 5α-androst-16-en-3α-ol – were only found in the samples from teenagers. These compounds were described as having scents similar to sweat, urine, musk, and sandalwood.

One of the main findings of the study is that the reason infants smell better than teenagers is likely due to the absence of these particular steroid compounds. In other words, it's not that babies smell inherently pleasant, but rather that they do not produce the unpleasant odors associated with these compounds.

So there you have it. That distinct teenage smell is indeed a real thing, and it's not just your imagination when you think they might smell a little like goats and urine. The study, titled "Chemical analysis of body odor in infants and teenagers," was recently published in the journal Communications Chemistry.

Source: newatlas.com
Ann Castro
Ann Castro Author
Ann Castro carries a total of 7 years experience in the healthcare domain. She owns a Master’s of Medicine Degree. She bagged numerous awards by contributing in the medical field with her ground-breaking notions. Ann has developed her own style of working and known for accuracy in her work. She loves trekking. She visits new places whenever she gets free time.