Watch CBS News

Seen At 11: 'Smell Dating' Seeks To Use Body Odors To Bring Mates Together

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The smell of love is in the air.

As CBS2's Kristine Johnson reported, a recent New York dating project put body odor to the test to determine whether there could be a couple connection based solely on scent.

There is, in fact, solid science to back up the attraction of Smell Dating.

And while it might not be the most conventional way to find a mate, a person's smell -- their body odor -- can be a powerful tool when it comes to the chemistry of love and attraction.

"When I get to know someone, I actually smell their neck, and it was like a source of comfort to me," said Smell Dating participant Nicki Gallagher.

"I definitely know that scent can trigger feelings and emotions and memory," said Smell Dating participant Verna Sulpizio.

Scientist Dr. Paul Zak said smell indeed can be a major factor in attraction.

"People actually can pick out who they're attracted to at least partially based on smell," he said.

The smelly dating undertaking had men and women sniffing unwashed T-shirts to see if there was an olfactory attraction.

The experiment was based on a New York art project called Smell Dating. Sam Lavigne and Tega Brain are the creators.

"The truth is that we're smelling other people all the time, you know? But we just don't -- it's just not part of our vocabulary to talk about it," Lavinge said.

The connections that were made from participants smelling only a small swatch of a smelly T-shirt were almost intuitive. They had no other knowledge about whom they were smelling.

"We had lots of people go on dates," Lavigne said. "We also just had a lot of people sort of e-mailing back and forth, where they're kind of relating to other people just through this one sense."

And there is a reason connections were made. It's called the science of pheromones

"Pheromones are unconscious smells that we process," Dr. Zak said.

Pheromones were put to the test with three men and three women to see if the science of love could be measured by the nose.

"If you're going to be around someone for a long time, you have to tolerate them, and evolution has given this little guidance on smell," Dr. Zak said.

Participants' physical reactions were charted, and a potential match was in the wind.

"It's very intimate. It's very intimate," Lavigne said. "You have to put yourself out there also to do it."

The folks from smell dating told CBS2 some couples are still together since their experiment this spring. There is currently a wait list for the next smell dating round – more information is available at the Smell Dating website.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.