Teenagers smell “like goats”, according to scientific research

A study conducted in Germany revealed that babies smell like flowers and teenagers smell like goats. In the study at the Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, the odors of 18 babies aged three and under and 18 teenagers were examined. In the experiment, participants were asked to spend a night with cotton tapes placed under the armpits of their clothes. Participants were also asked to stop using perfume and eating onions or garlic 48 hours before the experiment. Scientists then examined the chemical compounds in the tapes in the laboratory.

In the study published yesterday in the academic journal Communications Chemistry, a musty odor resembling the smell of sweat and urine was detected in samples taken from adolescents. In the study, this was described as “like the smell of goats”.

It was stated that “floral, perfumey and soapy scents” were more prominent in babies. It was also stated that there were “woody odors” in the samples from both groups.

Diana Owisenko, who conducted the experiment, said that the odors in adolescents are caused by the sweat glands working more and the sebum secretion produced by the sebaceous glands increasing.

“It is difficult to determine whether a smell will always be pleasant or bad to everyone,” said Owisenko, adding that this is an issue that varies from person to person.

Ilona Croy, one of the co-authors of the study, pointed out that the difference in smell between babies and adolescents may have an evolutionary dimension and said, “This is a very meaningful difference because the baby’s smell facilitates bonding between parents and children.”