Dr Michelle Dickinson: nanotechnologist explains biological factors behind teenage stink

If you have ever had a teenager in your home, you know that they have their own unique teenage aroma. New research out this week was able to confirm that teenagers typically smell of goats, cheese and urine- and there is a chemical reason why.

Published in the journal Communications Chemistry, the researchers sewed cotton wool pads into the armpit area of pyjamas to collect the sweat from 36 volunteers who wore them overnight. 18 of the volunteers were infants aged 3 and under and 18 of the volunteers were teenagers aged 14-18.

The extracted sweat was then analysed using both a gas chromatography-olfactometry device for chemical analysis as well as professions human smellers.

The infants had their own unique smell which was described as smelling like violets and due to a higher level of the ketone α-isomethylionone.

They found that chemically two steroids 5α-androst-16-en-3-one and 5α-androst-16-en-3α-ol were only present in the teenage sweat. These steroids are reported to have a smell that is similar to sweat, urine, musk and sandalwood.

The teenagers also had elevated levels of six different carboxylic acids which smell of goat, cheese, capsicim and wax according to the professional smellers.

The change in the smell of teenagers is due to the onset of activity of sweat and sebum glands combined with hair growth, and microbes on the skin.

Sebum is an oily substance that helps to protect your skin and these glands become very active around puberty.

While the study didn’t come up with a conclusion as to why the smell of teenagers changes, previous research into stickleback fish found that related sticklebacks dislike each other's smell once they reach sexual maturity which might help them to avoid inbreeding.

Whatever the reason – the likelihood is that your teenager stinks and there isn’t much anyone can do about it.

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