15/12/2025 - Sniff tests, when science has a nose for these things

At SYRES, we have a particular job: we get consumers talking… and sometimes their armpits.

This is the whole point of the sniff test: a rigorous olfactory method, calibrated to the millimeter, which allows for the evaluation of a deodorant's effectiveness without leaving room for approximations.… even when a smell decides to become a little too prominent.

To compare two deodorants, our protocol relies on a mechanism as precise as a scientific choreography:

• Our expert judges assess the intensity of body odor at T0, immediately after application, and then again at T8H. Professionals whose noses are unflappable. True artists of understated courage.
• The volunteers share their experience immediately, at 8 hours, and after 7 days of daily use. Because deodorant isn't used in a laboratory, but in real life, between meetings, public transport, children, impromptu sports activities, and all sorts of unexpected situations.

The applications are standardized. : one formula under one armpit, the other under the other, and an impeccable draw that guarantees that no one always inherits from the same side.

Those who think consumer testing lacks adventure have clearly never been to a sniff test!

This protocol allows brands to:

• to objectively measure odor-control performance,
• to compare two formulas under perfectly equivalent conditions,
• validate a claim with real field data.
• identify what consumers actually perceive.

At SYRES, we are convinced of one thing: to understand a product, you sometimes have to accept getting a little closer.

Fortunately, our expert judges have legendary composure… and an unerringly loyal nose.

If you are developing a deodorant and want a robust, controlled, and reproducible study, our team is ready to listen.