Study compared the chemical composition of mixed body odor samples from 18 infants (0-3 years old) and 18 adolescents. The samples for this study came from cotton pads sewn into the armpits of cotton T-shirts and baby onesies, which the subjects wore overnight.
Two steroidal compounds, androstenone, were also identified, present only in samples from teenagers. The presence of higher levels of carboxylic acids and steroids may be due to differences in the activity of sebaceous glands and apocrine glands.