Which glands secrete thicker sweat causing body odour?

Prepare for the VTCT Level 2 Facial and Skincare Test. Revise with flashcards and multiple choice questions, accompanied by insightful explanations. Ace your assessment with confidence!

This question tests which sweat glands produce thicker secretions that lead to body odour. Eccrine glands make a clear, watery sweat for cooling and are odorless by themselves. Apocrine glands, found mainly in the armpits and groin, secrete a thicker, milky fluid rich in proteins and lipids. When skin bacteria break down these components, they produce the characteristic body odour. Sebaceous glands produce sebum (oil) into hair follicles, not sweat, so they’re not the source of the odour. Hair follicles themselves aren’t glands. So the thicker sweat that causes odor comes from apocrine glands.