Why Does My Sweat Smell Like Weed?

Sweating, or perspiration, is one of the body’s cooling mechanisms released through sweat glands in the skin. It is normal and usually odorless.

However, having a strong sweat smell like weed registers as unpleasant, can affect your self-esteem and social life .

Our instincts tell us to avoid it if we can. Why Does My Sweat Smell Like Weed?  How to stop my sweat from smelling?

Don't worry! In this article, I will explain why a person’s sweat may smell like weed and what treatment options are available.

What Does Marijuana Smell Like?

Marijuana has a distinctive smell that many recognize instantly, whether it’s because they’ve experimented with it or because they’ve been around legal marijuana.

It has a skunky, musky odor that can be potent, especially when smoked. The smell of marijuana can embed itself in the user’s hair, clothing, or other personal items.

What impacts the smell of marijuana?

The strongest factor in the way marijuana smells is the terpenes it conrains.

Terpenes are chemicals found in all plants that contribute to their distinctive smells.

People often think of cannabis when they think of terpenes because cannabis is very rich in them, but terpenes are not specific to cannabis.

For example, Myrcene is the most common terpene in cannabis, giving some strains a distinctive, earthy aroma.

limonene smells citrusy whereas pinene has more of an evergreen or pine scent.

Different varieties or "strains" of cannabis have different terpene compositions and levels that can create different smells.

Why does weed smell like skunk?

Some weed smells kinda funky that’s why it’s called skunk, cat piss, dog shit and cheese etc.

Cannabis smells like “skunk” because of several sulfur-containing volatile compounds that contributed to the skunky smell of marijuana. Sulfur-containing compounds are known for their offensive odor.

Specifically, a compound called 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol was found to be the primary compound responsible for the smell.

What is sweat? and What makes sweat smell?

The primary purpose of sweat is to aid in thermoregulation by evaporation from the skin, but sweating also helps to keep the outer layers of the skin hydrated and may provide a minor excretory function in clearing excess micronutrients from the body.

Sweat contains water,  sodium chloride, minerals, and other trace elements along with lactate and urea.

Sweat is produced by three major sweat glands: eccrine, apocrine, and apoeccrine.

1. Eccrine glands are the most abundant and common across the body. This type of sweat gland produces the most sweat for cooling, but it does not have a smell.

2. Apocrine glands are only present on skin with hair, such as the breasts, face, scalp, perineum, and the underarms. They produce sweat that comes through hair follicles rather than through the skin’s pores.

Sweat from apocrine glands can have an odor. They produce a much thicker sweat containing lipids, proteins, sugars, and ammonia.

When these thicker sweat being secreted onto the skin surface where bacteria digest them, the waste products of which are volatile and soul-smelling.

3. Apoeccrine glands are only in the underarms, develop from eccrine glands starting in early puberty.

Chemically, these glands also produce salty water rather than the lipid-rich excretions of apocrine glands - has nothing to do with smell.

Why Does My Sweat Smell Like Weed?

There are many possible causes of sweat smelling like weed. These may include:

1. Smoking Weed

If you smoke weed a lot, that would be a reason. Things we eat drink or consume in general, gets released through our pores.

 The Terpenes (such as myrcene) and sulfur-containing compounds contribute to the skunky smell associated with both cannabis and sweat.

Since terpenes and sulfur-containing compounds are fat soluble compounds just like THC they might be stored in fat cells and get excreted during exercise.

Gnerally, Terpenes and other sulfur-containing compounds can linger in the fat cells of body from 25 days to three months after marijuana use. The exact timeline depends on factors like the frequency and quantity of marijuana use, amount of body fat, and consistency of exercise.

2. Thiol-Rich Diet

Rotten eggs and Skunk spray smells Skunky the way it does because of compounds called thiols, which are also present in a number of plants we as humans consume in various ways.

Thiols also are part of the cannabis odor, hence why cannabis and skunk spray or rotten eggs smell similar.

If a person’s diet is high in thiol-rich foods, their sweat could reasonably smell like skunk/cannabis. Especially during puberty.

Examples of thiol-rich foods are: Red meat, garlic, Onions, Garlic, Cabbage, Broccoli Cauliflower, etc.

3. Your Skin Bacteria

The weed smell is probably a small sulfur containing molecule secreted by a bacteria on your skin. You just happen to have the right combo of things in your sweat to make the smell.

We all have our own microbiome, or bacteria that reside on our skin. These bacteria dictate the smell sweat produces after it breaks down those sweat precursors.

When our sweat interacts with that bacteria, it can cause the production of compounds, including thiols, that can have a strong smell.

This is especially true in the Armpits, where the warm and moist environment encourages more bacteria to grow. If you live in a warm climate, this becomes even more potent.

How to Get Rid of Weed Smell from Sweat?

Any weed-like aroma coming from you isn't a good thing!

 If you’re self-conscious about your sweat odor of weedl, there are things you can try to reduce or mask the unpleasant smell.

Stop smoking weed, Change the diet, Using a stronger antiperspirant, shaving, and washing with antibacterial soap several times a day can help.

Conclusion

Sweat is usually odorless, but smoking cannabis, certain foods, your Skin bacteria, and some conditions can make it smell like weed.

Understanding the role of them in body odour can help us manage and prevent weed-like sweat smells more effectively.

In this case, you can try antiperspirants to reduce the amount they sweat, changing the diet, shaving and washing with antibacterial soap.

 If the problem persists, seeking medical advice is recommended. Embrace these insights and take control of your body odour with confidence!