The “Old Person Smell” Is Real — Here’s How To Find Out If It Will Happen To You

Do you remember what your favorite grandmother smelled like? If you think of a loved one, you may recall a smell described as a mixture of stale grease and moldy cardboard. It might remind you to open old books or unwrap a box of vintage clothes. And while it’s much milder than the sweaty body odor of youth, it’s certainly noticeable and will probably linger in your memories as “old person smell.”

Apparently this smell is an actual biological phenomenon caused by the epidermal change that happens to everyone as we age. According to skin experts, each birthday after 40 increases the likelihood of these changes in skin odor. Research identified the culprit as something called 2-nonenal (pronounced) no-nah-nahl), an organic compound known as an aldehyde.

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This “aging smell” occurs due to increased production of this aldehyde in older people, which is the source of the distinctive, dusty “grandma” smell. By the way, not all aldehydes smell the same, and another example is cinnamaldehyde, the organic compound that gives cinnamon its characteristic taste and aroma. Dr. Delphine J. LeeChief of dermatology and residency program director at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

We talked to dermatologists and other experts to understand why this happens.

Here’s what changes in your skin to produce the scent.

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The 2-nonenal compound has a distinctive odor and increases as people age. “As we get older, many things are happening to our skin at once,” she said. Dr. Sonal ChoudharyHe’s a dermatologist at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “Antioxidant defenses in our skin decrease, the composition of sebum changes, and our cumulative UV exposure and environmental stress increases oxidative damage to the skin.” Since these weaken the skin, 2-nonenal has the opportunity to make its presence known.

“Research suggests that measurable increases in 2-nonenal generally begin after age 40, with a more pronounced accumulation in the 50s and beyond,” Choudhary said. “This is not an instantaneous change, but a gradual process. The intensity of the scent varies significantly from person to person, depending on genetics, skin type, lifestyle and environmental factors.”

Dermatologist says this is something that happens to most people Dr. Naana Boakyefounder Bergen Dermatology. “Evidence suggests that 2-nonenal production is a widespread age-related phenomenon that is not limited to a small subgroup of people,” he said. “Studies consistently detect this grassy, ​​oily odor in older adults of both sexes. Although levels vary among individuals, there is no evidence that only certain individuals produce it.”

If you are producing it, you may not be able to smell it yourself.

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Since many factors, including genetics and lifestyle, contribute to your skin condition, you may be lucky and avoid 2-nonenal scent altogether. And even if that distinctive scent emerges, remember that it’s all in the nose of the beholder. “People may exaggerate whether this smell is unpleasant or disgusting,” Lee said. “It may even be more neutral or pleasant than the body odors of young and middle-aged people.”

As Choudhary points out, this process happens gradually, giving your brain the opportunity to get used to the new smell thanks to something called olfactory adaptation. You may not notice the common smell after a while, as the brain usually filters out familiar smells while remaining alert to new information. An example of this “nose blindness” is when we notice that a friend’s house always smells a certain way, but we probably can’t detect the unique scent of our own home.

Unlike sweat, it does not wash off easily.

Since it is a 2-nonenal fatty acid, it does not dissolve easily in soap and water like sweat. “It’s hard to get rid of this molecule because it’s so sticky,” he said Danielle ReedHe is chief scientific officer of the Monell Chemical Senses Center, a nonprofit research institute studying taste and smell. “It likes to stick to your skin and stick to fabrics. You’ll remove some of it when you bathe, but your body is doing this all the time, so washing isn’t a cure.”

Boakye suggested that using antioxidant-based cleansers may be beneficial. He also said that products containing ingredients that bind aldehydes, such as tannins, may help reduce lingering odor in some people. “Palm soap containing tannin has a plausible mechanism and a long history of use, but large randomized studies are lacking,” he said. Although none of these experts recommend specific products, Mirai’s clinical palm soapIt is a popular and highly rated product that contains Japanese persimmon and green tea extract.

Recent research has examined the potential role eggplant extract It may play a role in reducing oxidative stress, which contributes to the formation of 2-nonenal. In a study published last year, researchers said the active ingredient N-trans-feruloylputresin was found in the fruits, leaves, stems and roots of eggplant., exhibited excellent 2-nonenal scavenging activity. But Lee said it was an option “one day”: “Clinical data in humans remains limited, so this should not be positioned as a treatment.”

Older to work was initially positive about how consumption of white button mushroom extract could alleviate body odor in subjects aged 50 to 79, but no large clinical studies have been conducted to follow this up.

So experts agree that there is no surefire way to completely eliminate it from your skin. “If you could figure this out you’d be very rich, but so far there’s nothing that really helps,” Reed said.

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And also? Everything is natural and completely normal.

If you notice this smell on yourself or someone you love, don’t be embarrassed or judgmental. Choudhary also noted that this is not a sign of poor hygiene, nor is it inevitable or unmanageable. “This is a normal biochemical change of aging skin, similar to wrinkles or dryness,” he said. “With careful skin care, antioxidant support and proper washing, this problem can often be significantly minimized.”

Another issue is that smell is a subjective area for people. “We decided we don’t like the smell of old people, but we like the smell of babies’ heads,” Reed said. “Perhaps we, as a society, can learn to love the smell of aging. Not everyone finds the smell unpleasant, and there is always something for everyone when it comes to smell.”

There is also an opportunity to address these and other age-related changes because they will happen whether we like them or not.

“As a dermatologist, I emphasize that aging is a natural, lifelong biological process that we all experience,” Lee said. “We must focus on promoting health and well-being throughout our lives, while recognizing and valuing the wisdom, resilience, and lived experience that comes with advancing age. I want us to place less emphasis on cosmetic or physiological changes, such as body odor or wrinkles, that are often part of a life lived to the fullest.”

This article was first published on: HuffPost.

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