Androstenone makes other sweat constituents smell worse

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-2494.2005.00293.x

Sexual differentiation in sensitivity to male body odor1
Y. Tokunaga**Beauty-Care Research Laboratories,
Y. Omoto**Beauty-Care Research Laboratories,
T. Sangu**Beauty-Care Research Laboratories,
M. Miyazaki††Process Development Research Center, Lion Corporation, 13-12 Hirai 7-Chome, Edogawa-Ku, Tokyo, 132-0035 Japan,
R. Kon**Beauty-Care Research Laboratories and
K. Takada**Beauty-Care Research Laboratories
*Beauty-Care Research Laboratories and †Process Development Research Center, Lion Corporation, 13-12 Hirai 7-Chome, Edogawa-Ku, Tokyo, 132-0035 Japan


We have confirmed that more female subjects than male subjects evaluate male body odor as significantly unpleasant. Through an investigation on sexual differentiation in sensitivity to male body odor, we concluded that one of the volatile steroids, androstenone, had two effects on female olfactory sense. First, female subjects perceived androstenone itself to be more unpleasant than male subjects. Second, for only female subjects, androstenone, at a concentration of one-tenth of detection threshold, enhanced the intensity and unpleasantness of body-odor constituents such as short-chain fatty acids.