Bryan Strong

“Another significant factor in sexual attraction is scent. Th e other person’s smell—
that is, his or her natural body scent mixed with the lingering smells of the day—
plays a major role in drawing people together and finding optimal partners. Some
people report that they know right away from his or her smell that a person is the
one for them, and of course conversely some conclude that his or her body odor
is a “deal-breaker.” (For a discussion of pheromones, see Chapter 3.) Psychologist
Rachel Herz, author of the book Th e Scent of Desire: Discovering Our Enigmatic
Sense of Smell (2007), states that “body odor is an external manifestation of the
immune system and smells we think are attractive come from people who are most
genetically compatible with us” (quoted in Svoboda, 2008). Interestingly, from what
we discussed above about symmetry, men and women whose body odors are judged
to be sexy by others are also more likely to have symmetrical faces. So, it seems
that finding a person with a pleasing body odor is essential. People who want to
find out their partners’ true scent can go fragrance-free for a few days. Th ey may
worry about their own scent, and some people may indeed not like it, but there
will always be persons who will be attracted to their natural body odor (Fisher,
2009; Herz, 2007; Martins et al. 2005; Moalem, 2009; Svoboda, 2009).”
― Bryan Strong, Human Sexuality: Diversity in Contemporary America