Strange perfume: The more you sweat, the more fragrant it is

Scientists have just invented a special perfume that breaks down sweat and actually creates a more pleasant scent the more the user sweats.

The new invention could pave the way for a deodorant that becomes more effective as you get hotter, making travelling on crowded buses or trains in the summer more pleasant.

People using the new perfume can even delay showering immediately after playing sports, because the sweat secreted from their bodies will no longer give off an unpleasant odor.

A new perfume smells better the more the wearer sweats. Photo: Alamy

At the heart of the new invention are solutions called “ionic liquids,” which are odorless themselves and can absorb the odor of any chemicals attached to them, according to a study published in the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Scientists from Queen's University Belfast have now developed a version of perfume that can release an absorbed scent, but only when it comes into contact with water.

When experts added a sweet perfume to an ionic solution, the scent disappeared. However, when water was added to the solution, the scent reappeared.

Another peculiar thing the team discovered was that the more water they added, the stronger the aroma became.

Ionic solutions can also “trap” and neutralize the chemicals that cause the unpleasant odor of sweat, a property that makes them more attractive to deodorant manufacturers.

Contrary to popular belief, sweat itself has no odor. Body odor only occurs when bacteria feed on the sugar proteins in sweat, releasing chemicals that give off an unpleasant odor.

According to Vietnamnet