What's That Rash?

Is 'old person smell' a thing?

2026-10-27

We've received questions from listeners worried that other people can smell their age.
So is "old person smell" a thing? And do you need expensive soap to combat it?
Norman and Tegan discuss some of the science underpinning this supposed phenomenon, and where marketing tricks play a part.
References:

2-Nonenal Newly Found in Human Body Odor Tends to Increase with Aging

Measurement of 2-nonenal and diacetyl emanating from human skin surface employing passive flux sampler—GCMS system

Analyses of volatile organic compounds from human skin

The effect of polyphenol-containing soap on reducing body odor in middle-aged and elderly men

The Smell of Age: Perception and Discrimination of Body Odors of Different Ages

Diet quality and the attractiveness of male body odor

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