Love Is in the Air, But Sometimes It's the Pits

A first date probably won't go as well as hoped if you show up in full-on stinky hobo mode. But leaving a little bit of your own special essence just might do the trick.

Androstadienone is a compound that is derived metabolically from the human sex hormone testosterone, and is commonly found in the sweat of both sexes. A study recently completed by Tasmin Saxton of the University of St. Andrews has determined that just a mere whiff of the stuff will help bring about feelings of attraction for a man by the woman whose olfactory system catches the scent.

Aside from the fact that it's a component of everyone's sweat, androstadienone remains a bit of a scientific mystery. Not everyone is even capable of smelling it, and some of those who can find it unpleasant.

Saxton's study involved blind testing within a speed-dating situation. Some female subjects were dabbed under the nose with clove oil alone, and others with clove oil and the sweat-derived compound. A third subset was dabbed with just water. The results indicated that those with the androstadienone on average rated their male counterparts as being more attractive.

Presenting her findings at the British Science Festival, Dr. Saxton suggests that clean, but perhaps not super squeaky clean, may be a critical ingredient for hitting it off, as quoted in The Independent:

"We found that the women given androstadienone had given slightly higher ratings of attractiveness to the men. That suggested this constituent of sweat does seem to have some kind of impact on attraction," adding in her presentation that "[p]eople do value somebody's natural skin smell and it's worth bearing in mind that this may be part of your appeal -- how you smell naturally."

Photo courtesy of David Shankbone, via Wikimedia Commons