The Real Reason Why Your Teenager Smells So Damn Bad

Nothing really tops the newborn baby smell, fresh, clean and indescribable at times. Then we get on to the toddler stage where they smell of peeled oranges and whatever snack they rubbed on their sweet little faces.

Those smells are endearing. Then, we finally get to the teenage stage and suddenly you’re getting whiffs of intense body odour which is...not so endearing.

So why do teenagers smell bad? Well, according to science there is actually a valid reason – other than just refusing to shower regularly.

Once your child reaches the teens they will, of course, go into puberty – that awkward in-between phase of not really being a child, but also not quite an adult.

How puberty impacts your teen’s body odour

According to ScienceNews, scientists have revealed that during puberty, two smelly steroids are introduced to the body. 

Also, higher levels of carboxylic acids are created when bacteria breaks down armpit sweat and sebum, which may also contribute to changes in body odour during the teenage years.

Chemist Helene Loos of Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg in Germany said: “Body odour changes through development. There is a really great diversity of different odour compounds that are present in body odours.”

Scientists found that the steroids found in a teenager’s body odours, which were not present in infants or young children.

One steroid, (5α-androst-16-en-3-one), smelt of sweat, urine and musk and the other, (5α-androst-16-en-3α-ol), smelt of musk and sandalwood.

On the other end of the age spectrum, scientists found samples from children ages three and under possessed more of a substance associated with a flowery fragrance.

So next time you’re wondering if its just your teen that’s smelly, it’s natural, and it’s science!