Many scientists believe that how a person reacts to another person’s scent is one of the ways a mate is chosen, and throughout history, sweat has been used in perfume and love potions as potential means of attracting mates. One study found that women who wore a perfume laced with artificial sweat had three times the amount of sexual attention from men than women who did not. This is thought to be perhaps because the scent of sweat reminds the opposite sex of fertility, which might attract them because of humans' inherent desire to reproduce.
More about the body’s reaction to love:
- Falling in love might actually be dangerous to a person who has a heart condition, because the body releases chemicals that cause the heart rate to increase.
- People have been found to be the most attracted to peoples whose immune system genes are the most different from their own, which scientists believe could stem from an evolutionary need to prevent inbreeding.
- Musk deer emit a scent that is thought to cause sexual attraction in other deer as well as humans. The species became endangered after being hunted for its musk, which is used in perfume.
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Discussion Comments
How close are the musk deer to being an extinct species? Considering how they're hunted for their musks products, I'm assuming there aren't a lot left. After all, imagine how many bottles of perfume are produced on a daily basis.
Fascinating article about love and sweat. I've learned a lot more about perfumes and love potions, that's for sure. It's interesting how whether we know it or not, humans have some similarities to animals. For example, where it states that deer use a scent that attracts other deers, let's look at it this way. When we use perfume or cologne, we're essentially using a scent that it meant to attract other mates (male or female).
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