Why do some people have stronger body odor than others?

Human skin has two main types of sweat glands, and the apocrine glands in areas like the armpits produce secretions that bacteria can break down into odor-causing compounds. People differ in how much they sweat, which bacteria live on their skin, and how their body chemistry processes sweat. Genetics can influence odor intensity, and diet or some medications can change it too. Stress sweat often smells stronger because it is linked to different gland activity than cooling sweat. So body odor is a mix of biology, microbiology, and lifestyle rather than simply being “dirty.”