What Is Belly Button Lint? Eye Boogers? 10 Necessary Explanations for Body Gunk

Belly button lint

The fluff in your navel was traditionally believed to come from clothing fabric (new garments can shed up to one thousandth of their weight to the belly button in a year). In 2009, however, Vienna University of Technology researchers performed a chemical analysis on 503 pieces of belly button lint. (Yes, they really did study this!). They discovered the stuff also consists of dead skin, dust, sweat, and even fat. A type of scaly hair spirals around the belly button, directing debris inward. This means if you shave your belly button, you may have less fluff—until the hair grows back. An Australian study of 5,000 fluff samples found that the typical host of belly button lint is “a slightly overweight middle-aged male with a hairy abdomen,” and people with “innies” are more likely to have belly button lint than those with “outies.” This is how you can banish belly bloat while you sleep.