Smell

Well, I could have told you that based on purely anecdotal evidence (i.e., growing up with a teenage brother), but now I've got the scientists to back me up. According to a new study out of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, women are far more adept than men at cutting through fancy colognes to detect a dude's scent.

Apparently, men and women are equally skilled at detecting stink, but women aren't as easily fooled by cover-ups:

Underarm odors alone smelled equally strong to women and men. But when fragrances were introduced, only two of 32 fragrances blocked underarm odor when women were doing the sniffing, compared with 19 fragrances that blocked the odor for men.

The scientists surmise that women are better at detecting "biologically relevant" information — perhaps whether he's in the mood or sweating out pheromones. So does that mean BO can help you pick a sig-o?

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Some guys seem to exude sex, a trait often attributed to pheromones, the chemical signals that people supposedly emit when they're in the mood. But turns out, scientists have never been able to find evidence of such pheromones in humans.

In an essay published in the journal Nature, scientists say they haven't pinned down so-called "releaser pheromones" in humans, which would trigger sexual desire. They have, however, found evidence of "primer pheromones" related to physical reactions. Here's more:

Scientists have observed what they think are the effects of human primer pheromones, including studies showing that some compound in the extract from a woman's armpit can cause menstrual cycles of nearby women to sync up. And a recent study found that women can smell a guy's sexual intentions. . . . But without any actual chemicals identified as pheromones, scientists can't test effects on humans, so the jury is out as to whether we communicate via pheromones.

OK, first of all: How cool is it that they may have proven that menstrual-cycle syncing actually happens?! I thought that was just a myth. That makes me wonder if the sexual pheromones thing is also a myth or if maybe it's just not proven yet. What do you think?

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I've heard that some women love how their man smells after he works out, and it turns out that musty aroma might be telling you more than you think. According to a recent study, the scent of a man's perspiration can subconsciously tell a woman that he's "in the mood."

Researchers in this study asked 20 heterosexual men to stop wearing antiperspirant and other scented products for a few days. Then (this is a funny image!) they asked the men to put pads in their armpits while they watched pornographic movies so the scientists could gather their sweat. Afterward, they were asked to place pads under their armpits so sweat could be collected when they weren't aroused. Nineteen brave women's brains were scanned as they sniffed these pads and lo and behold, their brains reacted to the sweat produced when the guys were turned on. I guess we have a little animal instinct in us after all!

What do you think? Are you turned on by your man's sweat when he's aroused?

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One of my friends recently told me that when her husband is out of town, she sleeps with one of his old t-shirts so she can snuggle with something that smells like him. It keeps the loneliness at bay and although it sounds a little childish, she's not alone. Researchers reported that as many as three-quarters of women admit they cuddle with clothing worn by their significant other when he or she is away. And get this — two-thirds of men do the same thing!

Can you relate? Do you embrace clothes worn by your lover when you're apart?

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Scents are all the rage this season, and I'm not just talking perfume. This month's Psychology Today has a fascinating article about how natural scents determine our attraction to others. It's widely known that pheromones, a natural scent released by humans directly related to sexuality, influence lust and that butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling. But this article takes it a step further, saying that the smells we seek out are actually determined by our genes.

Unfortunately, for those of us on the Pill or other hormonal birth control, things seem to go a little haywire. According to the article:

The pill subverts a woman's ability to sniff out a compatible mate by causing her to misinterpret the scent messages she receives. . . . and making her seem less appealing to men.

Yikes, this means we could be choosing the wrong men and losing out on great guys because we're on the Pill! As if a decreased sex drive wasn't enough of a bummer!

I don't scoff at science and medicine, but it's hard to believe our genes and smells could have that much to do with our relationships. Then again, there's nothing like your favorite man's smell first thing in the morning. What do you think? Has scent had an effect on your attraction or desires?

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We all have our very own favorite smells -- which is why we also have smells we can't stand! Personally, I am sensitive to cooked broccoli, really strong cologne, and old, rotted flowers -- did I mention I have a sensitive nose?! So ladies, what smells do you have aversions to that you would like to eliminate forever?

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