This specific smell, which comes to our minds especially when we say holiday visits, may be a nightmare for some of us. Moreover, it even has a name in Japanese: “kareishuu”.
So, what is the origin of the ‘old smell’ that you cannot escape no matter how hard you try to hide your age?
In one study, blindfolded subjects were able to distinguish the smell of aged.
In an experiment involving blindfolded subjects, they were asked to estimate age based on smell. By sniffing the sweat-soaked underarm pads, the volunteers could easily tell which scents belonged to the elderly.
Moreover, when combined with previous research, new findings; It demonstrates the way animals recognize the sick and dying, an ability inherited from their evolutionary ancestors by which they can measure someone’s age by smell.
Same; some animals such as mice, black-tailed deer, otters, owls, and rabbits; He can distinguish between young and old by smell.
The smell of the human body changes with age according to the activity of various skin glands and the interaction of the substances they secrete with bacteria.
Particularly active during adolescence and adulthood, sebum is secreted by sebaceous glands to lubricate and waterproof the skin.
Likewise, apocrine sweat glands, which are found in only a few places, such as the armpits and genitals, also accelerate during puberty. Eccrine sweat glands located throughout the human body secrete a clear, odorless, salty fluid throughout life.
All these liquids start to smell when they break down into smaller, smelly molecules that go into the air. The more sweat on the skin, the more chemicals are produced to break down bacteria.
The elderly release a chemical that is not seen in other periods of life.
In the article in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology; A sample of 22 people was studied, and it turned out that the skin of the elderly released Omega-7 unsaturated fatty acids when exposed to air. This became a component called 2-Nonenal and was not secreted at any stage of life except in old age.
Therefore, what we call the ‘old smell’; Children, teenagers and adults have a different smell, so we can find that smell strange. In fact, it is a very natural and completely chemically derived fragrance.
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