Now Apologize to Your Grandmother: “Old People Smell” is a Myth, Study Says

[snopes]

All right, no more complaining about “old people smell” — according to George Preti, it doesn’t exist.

Preti, a scent expert at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, became incensed at 2001 Japanese study concluding that the skin of people over 40 produces more chemicals with an unpleasant or greasy odor. Preti, being over 40 himself, set out to disprove that idea.

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/di...th-study-says/

[Esprise Me]

Just because a phenomenon isn't caused by a certain factor, doesn't mean that phenomenon doesn't exist. I've never heard of people "over 40" being described as having "old people smell," only people well past retirement age. I've always figured it had to do with the medicines, personal care products, detergents, etc. that gave off a scent too subtle to be detected by an older person's nose. I wouldn't say all or even most old people have it, but I've known a couple who do--it's very distinct from the various unpleasant smells that younger people sometimes have.

[Tarquin Farquart]

Some old people do smell, although I'm not sure it's anything to do with the fact that they're old.

[Catalyst]

I would suspect that any actual smell has a fair bit to do with medications both topical and ingested, as well as possible issues with hygiene caused by limited mobility. It can be embarrassing to admit that you can't reach certain areas to clean them because your back just won't move the way it did twenty years ago -- or won't move at all. Medication can change body chemistry and scent fairly drastically, and there are several drugs that are more commonly taken by an older demographic.

I'm basing part of this guess on my own experience -- I've found myself with "old-person smell" before. *shudder* It was a combination of topical things that just didn't mesh well with fatigue-sweat-smell. The instant I whiffed myself I ran and took a nice hot shower, but if my sense of smell were less sharp I would not have noticed.

Choice of personal care products might be a factor as well. Sometimes you don't notice when your perfume's gone "off". Mix too-old perfume with some Ben-Gay and a whiff of setting lotion and voila.

Actually, I wonder how much of the smell -is- Grandma's setting lotion?

[llewtrah]

I've had "old people smell" when I've been ill, spent most of the time in bed and been unable to bathe. When a person is poorly mobile, it's hard to wash and hard to get the laundry done or clean the house. I've also met plenty of active seniors, some in their 90s, who smell just fine - they seem to be people more able to take care of themselves or with a family/housing scheme that helps keep on top of the hygiene and laundry. One thing I've noticed with elderly relatives/friends is the continence and flatulence problems (linked to illness) that cause odour.

[qualli]

Only vaugly related:

I have a chicken recipe (golden chicken maybe?) That has a notation beside it "Smells like old people."

It does. I can't eat it.