(Old People Smell)

Found something.

2-Nonenal is an unsaturated aldehyde which some research has associated with human body odor alterations during aging. The substance is also an important aroma component of aged beer [1] and buckwheat.[2] The odor of this substance is perceived as orris, fat and cucumber.[3]

In the April 2001 issue of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Shinichiro Haze, et al. published an article entitled: "2-Nonenal, Newly Found in Human Body Odor Tends to Increase with Aging".[4]

In this article they reported on their work which involved the analysis of body odor components collected via headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, from shirts worn for 3 days by subjects between the ages of 26 and 75. They found that the concentration of many components of body odor were unaffected by age. However, they did find that the concentration of 2-nonenal tended to increase with the age of the subjects. Furthermore, they determined that that 2-nonenal is generated by the oxidative degradation of omega-7 unsaturated fatty acids, such as palmitoleic acid and vaccenic acid, found on the skin surface.

They analyzed concentrations of various lipids on the skin surface by collecting samples in a gauze pad sewn into the shirts and then extracting the lipids with a hexane solvent. The article reported that concentrations of omega-10 fatty acids such as sapienic acid showed no change with age. However, concentrations of omega-7 fatty acids do increase with age.

Because of these findings, some observers have concluded that Haze's team has identified the cause of the phenomenon commonly known as "old lady smell", "old man smell" or "old person smell", a meme found in pop culture relating to an odor that is characteristically associated with the elderly. Similarly, some consider 2-nonenal's odor to resemble that of old books and is at times casually referred to as "library aldehyde."
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2-Nonenal
 
Repo Man said:
Found something.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2-Nonenal
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Good find, looks like what jmpet said has even more support now. It seems to me that taking care of your skin as you age will help minimize the the 'old people smell' problem.

When I started this thread I didn't have any idea how it would play out. A lot of people made some very knowledgeable contributions, and I now have a much better idea what causes the problem and how to make it less noticeable to others when I need to.
 
Body scent, even when we are not consciously paying attention, is one of the factors that contributes to our interactions with others, and determines whether we are attracted to them on a personal level.

Skin creams, perfumes, colognes and after shave should be carefully selected to blend well with your own chemistry and used very subtly, detectable only to a distance of 18" from your body. Many workplaces are now requesting no use of scents as many persons are allergic to the products used by others.

Be aware that even bar soap and deodorants are most often scented, and depending on how many products you utilize at one time, in combination they may become offensive.
 
scheherazade said:
Body scent, even when we are not consciously paying attention, is one of the factors that contributes to our interactions with others, and determines whether we are attracted to them on a personal level.

Skin creams, perfumes, colognes and after shave should be carefully selected to blend well with your own chemistry and used very subtly, detectable only to a distance of 18" from your body. Many workplaces are now requesting no use of scents as many persons are allergic to the products used by others.

Be aware that even bar soap and deodorants are most often scented, and depending on how many products you utilize at one time, in combination they may become offensive.
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Good advice. I never use bar soap, mainly because I don't like the soap scum build up on my sliding shower doors. Body wash never leaves scum on the doors and some of the newer body washes leave you feeling and smelling great. But I will concede the advice you give applies to any kind of soap.:D
 
Good advice. I never use bar soap, mainly because I don't like the soap scum build up on my sliding shower doors. KJK
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A domestic tip to prevent soap/shampoo residue on shower walls/doors.
Get one of those small squeegees and on your way out of the shower, quickly scrape down the walls of that excess water etc.

You will seldom have to deep clean your shower if you follow this practice. Give the faucet and handles a quick dry with your towel and your shower is ready for the next use. A professional cleaner shared that one with me and it works well especially if you have minerals in your water that contribute to staining.

Keeps the shower smelling cleaner as well. :)
 
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