The more you sweat, the better you smell

SCIENTISTS in Britain said this week that they had developed the first perfume that smells better the more you sweat — and it reduces body odour.

Researchers at Queen’s University, Belfast, said that the new perfume “releases more of its aroma when it comes into contact with moisture”.

The fragrance uses as a delivery system an ionic liquid — salt in liquid form — that has no smell.

“The perfumed ionic liquid releases its aroma when it comes into contact with water, allowing more of the perfume’s scent to be released onto the skin,” Queen’s University said. The new perfume will also take away bad odours. “The thiol compounds that are responsible for the bad smell of sweat are attracted to the ionic liquid, attaching themselves to it and losing their potency,” the scientists said.

Queen’s University said it was already working with a perfume company on practical applications, and project leader Nimal Gunaratne said it had “great commercial potential”.

Gunaratne said that the ionic liquid could be used for other scientific applications in which the slow release of a substance is required.

“This is an exciting breakthrough,” he said. — AFP