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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Health
Jillian Pretzel

Do people really smell different as they get older? The truth behind ‘old person smell’

Close-up of a senior woman smelling perfume
‘It’s just a natural byproduct of skin ageing – not dirt, not poor hygiene.’ Photograph: rubberball/Getty Images

Last week, my mom complained that she’s starting to smell “like an old person”.

She had grabbed her favorite sweater and draped it over herself at the movie theater. “It smelled like my grandmother,” she said, almost whispering. “I thought someone must have borrowed the jacket. But it was just me.”

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