Study Identifies Women's Scent Preferences by Region

Axe, a manufacturer of men's cologne and highly fragranced body products, sponsored a study by Dr. Alan Hirsch to identify what scents "turn girls on." The study found that the scents preferred varies widely by what region within the US.

Here are the findings:

Girls’ Scent Preferences by City
1. New York City – Coffee
2. Los Angeles – Lavender
3. Chicago – Vanilla
4. Houston – Barbeque
5. Atlanta – Cherry
6. Phoenix – Eucalyptus
7. Philadelphia – Clean Laundry
8. Dallas – Smoke/Fireplace
9. San Diego – Suntan Lotion/Ocean
10. Minneapolis-St. Paul – Cut Grass

For single guys outside of these metro areas, there are some scents that a popular across regions, and across the country.

Girls’ Scent Preferences Nationwide
1. Vanilla
2. Coffee
3. Lavender
4. Fresh Air/Rain

Girls’ Scent Preferences Regionally
• East Coast – Coffee
• South – Fire/Smoke
• Midwest – Cut Grass
• West Coast – Baked Goods

In another study commissioned by Axe, researchers asked young women about their ideas on scent and attraction. Here are some of the highlights:

• Dirty little secret: One in four girls will wait anywhere from two weeks to a month before washing their sheets in order to keep their guy’s scent close

• Father doesn’t know best: 56 percent of girls say they won’t date a guy who smells like their dad

• Guard your belongings: One out of two girls admits that she has committed theft by stealing an article of clothing from a guy to smell when he’s gone and nearly 60 percent of girls sleep in their guy’s clothes because they like his lingering aroma

• Need proof of how scent and memory are intertwined? 60 percent of girls still remember the smell of their ex’s cologne

Love Is in the Air

With Valentine’s Day approaching, the topic of love is something on everyone’s mind. And since scent is the only sense that directly is tied to the emotional center of the brain, it makes “scents” to talk about the fragrance of love.

Pheromones are chemical scents released in order to attract the opposite sex. They are not smelled in the same way as a fragrance, but with specialized receptors inside the nose. Pheromones are well known to work among various species of animals, however, their effectiveness in human sexual attraction is somewhat controversial. Some scientists say that human beings have “outgrown” the need for such chemical markers in choosing a mate through evolution, while others maintain their continued relevance.

Science has confirmed that people do sniff out potential love interests by gravitating to those with opposite natural immunities within our genetic makeup. The reason is that the resulting offspring will be stronger because of the combination of immunities. A Brazilian study found that, when women were given unwashed t-shirts worn by men, they rated the smell more pleasant for those men who had opposite MHC.[1]

Interestingly, when people marry those with differing MHC, (major histocompatibilty complex, which transmits information about immunities), they tend to have better, more loving and longer lasting relationships than those with similar MHC.

However, when women are on birth control pills, they tend to choose partners with the same MHC as theirs. The reason, scientists say, is that the pill tricks the body into thinking that it is pregnant, and for a pregnant woman, it is safer to surround herself with males who are family members. Women who form relationships with MHC similar men are more likely to feel sexually unsatisfied and cheat on their partners.[2]

So, assuming that you have found your perfect match, what scents can rev up the romance? Traditional romantic fragrances include roses, musk and chocolate. A study confirmed that people are, indeed, sexually/romantically stimulated by scent. However, the kinds of scents that work may surprise you. The top scent for male stimulation was a combination of pumpkin pie and lavender, followed by a licorice/doughnut blend. Women like to wear sexy perfumes with musk, but tend to be aroused more by the musk than the men.

Aromatherapy identifies a number of scents that act as an aphrodisiac, including basil, jasmine, neroli, ylang ylang, bergamot and sandalwood. So try one of these scents to infuse a little extra romance this Valentine's Day. Your partner will love it!

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[1] “New Evidence That The MHC Influences Odor Perception In Humans: A Study With 58 Southern Brazilian Students”, Pablo Sandro Carvalho Santos, Juliano Augusto Schinemann, Juarez Gabardo and Maria da Graça Bicalho, LIGH—Laboratório de Imunogenética e Histocompatibilidade, Departamento de Genética, Paraná, Brazil, February 2004

[2] “Birth Control Pills Affect Women’s Taste in Men,” Melinda Wenner, Scientific American, December 2008