Our bodies have millions of sweat glands, and they are of two main types: eccrine and apocrine. The eccrine glands are all over our body and produce watery sweat (99% water) to cool us down. The apocrine glands, found mainly in our armpits and groin, produce a thicker sweat that also releases an oily substance in response to emotions like anxiety, which is initially odorless.
The “oniony” smell you’re noticing comes from the interaction between the sweat from apocrine glands and bacteria on our skin. The sweat these glands produce has proteins and fats. When bacteria on our skin eat these proteins and fats, they produce smelly compounds. One of these compounds is 3-methyl-2-hexenoic acid, which smells much like onions! Sometimes, these bacteria feed on dead skin and eccrine sweat to produce a pungent smell, but that isn’t necessarily sharing a smell better suited to food items.
Remember, sweating is natural, and everyone has their unique scent. Regular washing and using deodorant can help in reducing or mask the smell.
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