The Science of Scent

Does All Vanilla Smell the Same? Tahitian Vanilla’s Anise-Like Character

Three vanilla-bean samples shared vanillin but differed in minor odorants. Tahitian anise notes and Comoro smokiness offered clues beyond the main compound.

2026.11.03

The Science of Scent

Do Pleasant Wood-Scented Rooms Produce Matching Bodily Responses?

A study of four hiba-wood rooms found that pleasant impressions and short-term physiological responses did not follow the same pattern.

2026.11.03

The Science of Scent

When Does Skatole Begin to Smell Heavy and Unpleasant?

A study normalized skatole concentrations to individual detection thresholds to examine shifts in odor quality and modeled indoor acceptability.

2026.11.03

The Science of Scent

Why Does Adding Milk Change Coffee Aroma?

A small breath-analysis study found selective changes in coffee aroma release with milk. Adding FFT and FMS strengthened perceived coffee-like aroma.

2026.11.03

The Science of Scent

Making Activated Carbon White Without Losing Its Odor-Capturing Role

Researchers coated activated carbon with titanium dioxide and a polymer, tested adsorption of five odor compounds, and evaluated a WAC-containing spray in eight people over six hours.

2026.11.03

The Science of Scent

Does Deodorant Make Body-Odor Similarity Harder to Detect?

Raters judged unfragranced odors from actual couples more similar than recombined pairs, but the overall couple-level analysis was not significant. The study also explored contraception and relationship satisfaction.

2026.11.03

The Science of Scent

Foot Odor Does Not Come from Sweat Alone

A laboratory study linked foot callus, bacterial enzymes, and staphylococcal metabolism to isovaleric-acid production, while showing that other bacteria can consume odor compounds.

2026.11.03

The Science of Scent

Cheese or Vomit? How Names Change the Way Odors Are Perceived

Three studies explore how odor labels alter pleasantness, brain responses, sniffing, and some physiological measures, while revealing important differences between experiments.

2026.11.03

The Science of Scent

Can a Different Shampoo Fragrance Change How It Feels?

Home-use trials of shampoos with identical bases found fragrance-related differences mainly in the feel of the neat product and during washing. Results after multiple-testing correction were more limited for wet and dry hair.

2026.11.03

The Science of Scent

Women’s Underarm Odor: Is It Related to Hair-Removal Frequency?

A study of Japanese women found no clear odor-intensity differences by shaving frequency or hair-removal history, but found an association with transepidermal water loss.

2026.11.03

The Science of Scent