Sweating is a natural process that is just what our body needs to cool off. And according to the Cleveland Clinic, sweat is pretty amazing in that it is actually more pure than much of the water we drink. Imagine that!
On its own, sweat is 99 percent water and is odorless. But when it combines with bacteria, it stinks. That’s what causes that awful B.O that makes us move two chairs down from whoever has the “funk.”
Where Does Sweat Come From?
People sweat from lots of different places, but we most often sweat in our armpits, feet and hands. According to Medline Plus, sweat glands produce perspiration, and how much sweat is released really depends on the number of sweat glands. Most people have somewhere between two and four million of these little numbers, and they reach their full glory when puberty sets in.
The thing is there are two kinds of sweat -- common sweat and stress sweat. Common sweat is what we experience when we’re hot -- like when we work out. But stress sweat is a thicker type of sweat that may surface in our armpits or nether regions. Plus, we can have what is called “flop sweat.” Flop sweat occurs when apocrine sweat meets the bacteria on our body. This type of sweat smells just plain funky.
Sweat smells different from person to person, so your sweat won’t smell like your workout partner's. When bacteria mingles with sweat on your body, this creates your unique scent.