Want to charm your date or subtly encourage your partner to pitch in around the house? Science may have found a surprisingly simple trick—timing.
A new study from the University of Tokyo suggests that a woman’s natural body scent becomes more attractive to men when she’s ovulating—the peak of her fertility cycle. Researchers discovered that hormonal changes throughout the menstrual cycle influence body odour, with key shifts during ovulation making women smell more appealing.
“Body odour appears to play a role in subtle communication between men and women,” the researchers explained.
The study tracked 21 women over a month, during which they wore absorbent pads under their arms at four different stages of their menstrual cycle. Using advanced analysis techniques (gas chromatography–mass spectrometry), the scientists identified three specific scent compounds that significantly increased during ovulation, typically around day 14 of the cycle.
Among these were:
- (E)-geranylacetone – a compound with a light, floral, slightly sweet aroma.
- Tetradecanoic acid – which has a waxy, soap-like scent.
To test how these smells affected men, the researchers compared a “neutral” scent—collected when the woman wasn’t ovulating—with the same scent enhanced by the ovulation-specific compounds. The results were striking: men found the enhanced scents more pleasant and also rated accompanying female facial images as more attractive and feminine.
Interestingly, the ovulation-related scents didn’t just enhance attraction—they also reduced stress levels in men. The compounds triggered a calming effect, even lowering levels of amylase, a biological marker of stress, found in saliva.
“We discovered that these three compounds not only boosted the appeal of body odour but also promoted relaxation in men,” said Professor Kazushige Touhara, lead author of the study published in iScience. “When exposed to the ovulation-related scents, men found the odours less unpleasant, and perceived women’s faces as more attractive and soothing.”
The researchers noted that these shifts in scent are likely tied to hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle. The study builds on previous research showing that a woman’s voice and facial appearance are also perceived as more attractive during ovulation.
In essence, the findings suggest that nature may be giving fertility a helping hand—through subtle but powerful sensory cues.
