欧博abgMost East Asians lack the ABCC11 gene linked
A growing body of scientific research has shown that a significant portion of East Asians—particularly those from countries like South Korea, Japan, and China—lack the functional ABCC11 gene, which plays a key role in producing underarm odor, leading many scientists to conclude that a large percentage of the population in this region does not actually need deodorant, a discovery that radically redefines global assumptions about personal hygiene needs and consumer behavior.
This genetic trait, which results in dry rather than wet earwax and minimal axillary odor, was thoroughly documented in studies conducted by institutions such as the University of Bristol, Kyoto University, and genetic data analysis from the Korean Health and Genome Research Institute, revealing that around 97 to 99 percent of East Asians carry the non-odor-producing variant of the gene, compared to much lower rates in people of African or European descent.
According to experts at the American Society for Microbiology, body odor is actually created not by sweat itself, but by bacteria such as Staphylococcus hominis breaking down proteins and lipids on the skin’s surface, a process significantly muted in individuals with the ABCC11 gene variant due to differences in apocrine gland activity.
Medical publications like Medical Channel Asia and popular outlets like NBC News have noted how this genetic trait has influenced cultural norms in Asia, where deodorant sales are dramatically lower, and body odor is less of a social concern, unlike in Western societies where daily use of antiperspirants is almost a universal habit.
As this research gains global attention, it not only informs public health and consumer product development but also opens up new avenues in understanding how genetics, microbiology, and lifestyle intersect to shape regional differences in hygiene, perception of smell, and the human relationship with scent itself.