Scientists develop Perfume that Smells Better The More You Sweat

Smelling good is an essential part of our social rules. Now scientists devised a new perfume that smells better the more a wearer is sweating.

Scientists at Queen’s University Belfast, Ireland have the developed the first-ever perfume delivery system to ensure the more a person sweats, the better they will smell.

Researchers in the Queen’s University Ionic Liquid Laboratories (QUILL) Research Center devised a new perfume delivery system which releases more of its aroma when it comes into contact with moisture.

The perfume has been created by tagging a raw fragrance onto an ionic liquid (salt in the form of liquid) which 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 a person’s skin.

In addition, the new perfume delivery system also has the ability to remove the bad odors that come from sweat. The ‘thiol’ compounds that are responsible for the malodor of sweat are attracted to the ionic liquid, attaching themselves to it and losing their potency. Not only is the new perfume trying to intensify the smell and covering up the bad odor it also removes the compounds that case the bad smell.

The researchers are currently working with a perfume development company to identify a number of product ideas that could eventually be sold in shops.

Project leader, Dr Nimal Gunaratne, from the Queen’s University Belfast Ionic Liquid Laboratories (QUILL) Research Center, said: “This is an exciting breakthrough that uses newly discovered ionic liquid systems to release material in a controlled manner. Not only does it have great commercial potential, and could be used in perfumes and cosmetic creams, but it could also be used in others area of science, such as the slow release of certain substances of interest.”

The research has been published in the Royal Society of Chemistry publishing site.