Women’s Armpit BO Can Actually Relax Men — But Only at Certain Times of the Month 👃💞

Turns out, romance isn’t just in the air — sometimes it’s in your deodorant-free pits.

A new study out of Japan had male participants sniff women’s armpits (yes, that was their actual job), and found that women’s natural body odour can actually help men relax.

But — and it’s a big but — the effect only works at certain points in the menstrual cycle, specifically when men found the scent more appealing… which, surprise surprise, was around ovulation. Not only did the BO smell “better” then, but the guys also rated the women’s faces as cuter. (Translation: biology is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.)

The Science-y Bit 🧪

• Women’s body odour changes throughout the month.
• Around peak fertility, men tend to find it more pleasant.
• When men got a good whiff, their stress markers dropped compared to a control group.
• Basically, a sniff of ovulation pit could be nature’s chill pill.

Why It Matters (and Why It’s Weird)

Scientists at the University of Tokyo say this may be one way body odour plays a role in nonverbal communication between men and women.

Previous research has hinted that certain compounds in sweat and urine — like androstadienone from men and estratetraenol from women — can subtly influence mood and attraction. But those findings have been debated, thanks to flaws like… questionable hygiene and inconsistent sniffing methods. (Science is messy, okay?)

RELATED: Think You Always Smell Bad? It Might Be This Little-Known Syndrome

So yes, under very specific circumstances, your natural scent might make you cuter and calmer to a potential partner. But for now, most of us will still be buying deodorant… because nobody’s ready for Eau de TTC Subway at Rush Hour.