# Old person smell - its real **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 2, 2012, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-person-smell-its-real/626999 "2012-07-02T14:16:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-person-smell-its-real/626999/1 "2012-07-02T14:16:01Z")
As little kids we all quickly noticed grandma smelled funny when we gave her that mandatory hug and kiss. šŸ˜ƒ Not necessarily a bad smell. Just different. Turns out its real. Interesting study. > **[ā€˜Old-Person Smellā€™ Really Exists, Scientists Say | TIME.com](https://healthland.time.com/2012/05/31/old-person-smell-really-exists-scientists-say/?iid=obnetwork)** > > Elderly people have a distinct smell, confirm researchers at Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, but contrary to stereotype their scent isn't all bad. article in Scientific American > **[Scents and Senescence: "Old Person Smell" Is Real, but Not Necessarily Offensive](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/old-person-smell/)** > > A new study confirms that people, like many animals, easily recognize a uniqueā€”but not unpleasantā€”eau de elderly > [@](#): > > The old-person smell detected in the study couldnā€™t be explained by the donorsā€™ lifestyle or environment. The donors were all instructed to wash with unscented soap and shampoo before bed each night. They were also asked to refrain from drinking alcohol, smoking and eating spicy foods or any other type of food that could affect body odor. > [@](#): > > The biological explanation for old-person smell isnā€™t clear, but the researchers note that human body odors ā€œoriginate from a complex interaction between skin gland secretions and bacterial activity, and skin gland composition and secretion change in an age-dependent manner throughout development.ā€ ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-person-smell-its-real/626999/2 "2012-07-02T15:05:26Z")
It just occurred to me that grandma was only 58 when I was 10. Yet, she very much had that old person smell even then. Brings up the question of when the smell develops. I only notice it these days with people obviously past seventy. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-person-smell-its-real/626999/3 "2012-07-02T16:25:16Z")
I thought old person smell was due to their house cleaners and various ointments they used in olden times. Very strong BenGay type odor. Couldnā€™t possibly be coming from the person, IMHO. It permeates the whole house. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-person-smell-its-real/626999/4 "2012-07-02T16:31:50Z")
God yes, itā€™s real. I moved into a house this year that had been built in the fifties by a couple who lived there until they passed. They were very particular and it was sparkling clean and well maintained, but the old person smell was so incredibly strong. Even now, 6 months later, I quiz friends when they come over, since you tend to get used to smells. ā€œYou really canā€™t smell it anymore? Youā€™re sure??ā€ They assure me itā€™s gone, but it took months of candles, air fresheners, open windows and carpet cleaning. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-person-smell-its-real/626999/5 "2012-07-02T17:35:01Z")
Itā€™s a combination of moth balls and Weed and Feed fertilizer. Every once in a while I get a whiff of it from myself, and Iā€™m only 55! ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-person-smell-its-real/626999/6 "2012-07-02T17:55:03Z")
> [@peedin](#): > > Itā€™s a combination of moth balls and Weed and Feed fertilizer. Every once in a while I get a whiff of it from myself, and Iā€™m only 55! Thatā€™s what I was going to say. Body odor? I always thought it was just mothballs. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-person-smell-its-real/626999/7 "2012-07-02T18:14:56Z")
+1 on mothballs. Thatā€™s the ā€œgrandmaā€ smell I remember. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-person-smell-its-real/626999/8 "2012-07-02T18:20:22Z")
If you read the link, itā€™s not mothballs or cleaners or perfumes - they removed all environmental odors and the ā€œold person smellā€ remained. I sometimes notice it from my own urine. No idea, and Iā€™m not that old, but once in a while - generally if Iā€™m feeling really run down - it smells like Grandmaā€™s house when I pee. Itā€™s not the smell of urine in general, though. Itā€™s another smell within that smell. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, itā€™s a smell associated with the Kidneys. Kidneys hold the energy known as Jing, strongly associated with what we would call ā€œlife forceā€ or something similar. Youā€™re born with so much Jing, and when itā€™s all gone, you die. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-person-smell-its-real/626999/9 "2012-07-02T18:35:30Z")
My dad has started to smell Old, and I havenā€™t told him yet. Itā€™s like, how do you break the news that you now smell like youā€™re in the last stage of your life and will continue to do so until your end? It seems like a heavy reality check to lay on someone. Heā€™s had that smell for at least a year, maybe more, so Iā€™ve been sitting on this for awhile. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-person-smell-its-real/626999/10 "2012-07-04T17:17:30Z")
Whatā€™s 20 feet long and smells like urine? Line dancing class at the nursing home. I apologize in advance. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-person-smell-its-real/626999/11 "2012-07-04T17:42:49Z")
> [@gallows\_fodder](#): > > My dad has started to smell Old, and I havenā€™t told him yet. Itā€™s like, how do you break the news that you now smell like youā€™re in the last stage of your life and will continue to do so until your end? It seems like a heavy reality check to lay on someone. > > Heā€™s had that smell for at least a year, maybe more, so Iā€™ve been sitting on this for awhile. My god, why would you tell him?? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-person-smell-its-real/626999/12 "2012-07-04T17:49:41Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Turns out its real. Interesting study. > [ā€˜Old-Person Smellā€™ Really Exists, Scientists Say | TIME.com](http://healthland.time.com/2012/05/31/old-person-smell-really-exists-scientists-say/?iid=obnetwork) One obvious flaw in that study was the odor samples were armpit pads worn for 5 days. How do we know that armpits are the main body odor generators, and why would a 5 day, non-bathing odor be exactly the same as a one-day odor? To elaborate, if urine is a main component of body odor, just how much urine will there be on armpit pads? And since bacteria may be a factor in smell generation, the possibility of a bacterial component might make 1-day smells different from 5-day ones. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-person-smell-its-real/626999/13 "2012-07-04T18:09:54Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I sometimes notice it from my own urine. No idea, and Iā€™m not that old, but once in a while - generally if Iā€™m feeling really run down - it smells like Grandmaā€™s house when I pee. Itā€™s not the smell of urine in general, though. Itā€™s another smell within that smell. Wait, I am a bit confused here; you smell your pee? ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-person-smell-its-real/626999/14 "2012-07-04T18:11:36Z")
\ ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-person-smell-its-real/626999/15 "2012-07-04T18:26:46Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > It just occurred to me that grandma was only 58 when I was 10. Yet, she very much had that old person smell even then. > > Brings up the question of when the smell develops. I only notice it these days with people obviously past seventy. Thatā€™s because you are starting to develop old person smell yourself, so you donā€™t notice it as much. It is creeping up on you, and you donā€™t even know! ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-person-smell-its-real/626999/16 "2012-07-04T19:34:12Z")
My mom is in her seventies, my dad in his eighties. Neither have that small, nor does their home. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-person-smell-its-real/626999/17 "2012-07-04T20:23:34Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > My mom is in her seventies, my dad in his eighties. Neither have that small, nor does their home. Just how small are they? ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-person-smell-its-real/626999/18 "2012-07-05T00:35:22Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Just how small are they? Not that small, actually. Nor that smell. Gracious. What a silly typo. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-person-smell-its-real/626999/19 "2012-07-05T00:53:43Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Wait, I am a bit confused here; you smell your pee? > [@tapu](#): > > \ You snort your pee? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-person-smell-its-real/626999/20 "2012-07-05T01:12:18Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > You snort your pee? Thatā€™s nothing. Some people drink it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-person-smell-its-real/626999.md?page=2)