The type of soap you use may influence mosquito attraction, study finds

Researchers have found that certain ingredients in some soaps can interfere with the body's natural production of VOCs, making you less attractive to mosquitoes.

In particular, soaps containing lauric acid and myristic acid were associated with lower production of VOCs that attract mosquitoes. On the other hand, soaps containing palmitic acid did not have the same repellent effect.

However, the scientists point out that more studies are needed to fully understand the relationship between the different compounds in soaps and mosquito attraction.

Therefore, choosing the right soap can be an additional strategy to avoid mosquito bites, but it is important to remember that other measures, such as the use of repellents and protective clothing, are also essential to prevent diseases transmitted by these insects.

However, some female mosquitoes also have the ability to feed on nectar to obtain necessary nutrients. This means that the scent of the products we use on our skin, including soaps, can influence their attractiveness.

The Virginia Tech University study specifically investigated the effect of soaps on attracting mosquitoes. The results showed that certain ingredients present in some soaps can interfere with the production of natural volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the human body, which are released by the skin and can attract mosquitoes.

The presence of substances such as lauric acid and myristic acid in soaps was associated with a lower production of these mosquito-attractive VOCs. However, it is important to note that palmitic acid did not have the same repellent effect.

These findings highlight the possibility of choosing soaps that may help reduce mosquito attraction, although more research is needed to fully understand this relationship.

Overall, this research offers an interesting perspective on how body odors might be influenced by the products we use on our skin, and how this might affect mosquito attraction. However, it is important to remember that the use of repellents and other protective measures remains the main strategy to avoid mosquito bites and the diseases associated with them.

How was this study carried out?

Four volunteers were selected who had their olfactory signatures identified, in order to determine if they naturally attracted more mosquitoes or not. The scientists also used four types of soap: two considered "natural" and two of the "ordinary" type.

In the experiment, shirts with sleeves were used by the volunteers and some of them were washed with the tested soaps, while others remained unwashed. Additionally, researchers washed unused shirts.

The shirts were then individually exposed to the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, responsible for transmitting diseases such as dengue, zika, chikungunya and yellow fever.

Study result

The results of this study revealed that washing shirts with soap had a significant impact on people's body odor. Washing with all types of soaps resulted in an increase in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that attract mosquitoes.

However, soaps deemed "natural", with fewer harsh chemicals, showed a significantly lower increase in VOCs compared to "regular" soaps.

The researchers observed that shirts washed with "ordinary" soaps exhibited high concentrations of aromatic compounds found in plants and flowers that attract mosquitoes. These same compounds were also found in shirts washed with "natural" soaps, but in lower concentrations. In addition, the shirts washed with the "natural" soaps had repellent scents, such as the limonene found in citrus fruits such as lemons and oranges.

Clément Vinauger, a biochemist and geneticist at Virginia Tech and author of the study, explained that using soap significantly changes our body smell because it adds various plant chemicals. He pointed out that the specific combination of the soap's chemicals and a person's body odor determines whether mosquitoes find them more or less attractive after applying the soap to their skin.

These findings provide interesting insights into how soaps can influence mosquito attraction through changes in body odor. However, it is important to remember that additional measures of protection against mosquitoes, such as the use of repellents, remain important to avoid bites and diseases transmitted by these insects.