The Axe effect

Is it true that we choose our partner because of the odor of the body he or she has? I think so, we all have an unique body odor but it's also that a whole family can have a family odor. I think that we choose our partners not only for her or his character but also because of their scent but we are not aware of it.

I found an interesting article about how hetero and homo sexuals react on the odor of a male or female. Researchers obtained the body odors of male and female heterosexual and homosexual "odor donors" who avoid all fragrances, soaps, and shampoos for 9 days. During this time they could not shave their armpits or eat spicy food. Following this preparation they wore cotton gauze pads under their arms for three days. These pads were later cut up and places in plastic squeeze bottles for use in the study. These pads were smelled by a group who didn't know from which group it came from. The result was as follow:

Heterosexual males found the odors of heterosexual females to be the least unpleasant, and the odors of gay males to be the most unpleasant.

Gay males found the odors of heterosexual females to be least unpleasant, but the odors of gay males followed close behind.

The odors of lesbians and heterosexual males were judged most unpleasant (but the overall differences were smaller for gay males than for other "odor evaluators").

Heterosexual females found the odors of gay males and lesbians to be more unpleasant than the odors of other heterosexual females and heterosexual males.

Lesbians preferred the odors of heterosexual females and especially disliked the odors of gay males.

http://mentalhealth.about.com/od/gender/a/bosexpreference.htm

According to a study by Dr George Preti makes the smell of a sweaty male armpit a woman feel calmer. For this study they collected the sweat of male donors by placing pads under the armpits and made concentrated compounds extracted from the sweat. Female volunteers were being exposed to the smells for six hours, after six hours the women reported feeling less tense and more relaxed.

Preti and team also measured the women's' levels of luteinising hormone, which plays varied roles in triggering ovulation and in sex drive. Pulses of this hormone released from the brain increase in size and frequency as women approach ovulation. In the experiment, the researchers found when women smelt the sweat extract it induced a surge of the hormone.

http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s888984.htm

Interesting to make a relaxing perfume for women from the sweat of men. Well in the essential oil of sandalwood there is something similar as the pheromone called androstenone what also is found in the sweat of men. But would it calm me down? I'm not sure when looking at the photo of vin Diesel, somehow it didn't make me feel calm........