You can’t scrub aging odor away with traditional soap because soap has such a high pH, it actually raises the pH of skin which in turn encourages the formation of odor! Yes folks, Lume is based in science and formulated to prevent odor from forming, not just mask or overpower odor after it forms.Īny guesses to what might be the worst product for elderly personal hygiene? Traditional soap. When skin is at an optimal pH-or in an acidified range-body odor that normally occurs can be prevented. Lume products are powered by Mandelic Acid, a gentle alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) with a nice, low pH. If this seems inevitable and discouraging, Lume would like to balance that out with some encouraging news about odor control for seniors: Lume acidifies skin, and acidified skin smells better at every age. Aging odor is the result of oxidized fatty acids on our skin. So to recap: Ordinary body odor is a reaction between bacteria on our skin and bodily fluids. Fatty acids are not water soluble like sweat, so nonenal odor can linger on skin and in fabrics even with the very best of hygiene and cleaning habits. We all know what happens when we use water to rinse away oil - absolutely nothing. But as we mature, our body loses its ability to fight oxidation, and one of the results is the organic compound nonenal, and it has a distinctive smell. When we are young and supple, our body naturally fights oxidation of fatty acids on our skin. Most sebaceous glands live on or near hair follicles all over the body, and their job is to produce sebum (fatty acids), that help keep our skin happy and moisturized. The source of aging odor is not sweat, but fatty acids. However you describe aging odor, one thing is universally understood-it exists, and it is a smell that lingers in the air, in furniture, in sheets, and in clothes. Apocrine sweat stinks because it’s full of proteins and fat, and bacteria are particularly fond of that.Īging odor, on the other hand, is more likely to occur behind our necks and ears and on our trunks - and it has been described as being a bit more musty, grassy, mushroomy, and some even say cucumbery. Eccrine glands produce salty and odorless sweat, and those can be found all over the body.Īpocrine glands are found in our armpits, groin, feet, and around our nipples, and are responsible for the smelly smells of everyday living - y’all know what I’m talking about. We have two types of sweat glands - eccrine and apocrine. as the odor in our underarms, but the same reaction occurs below the belt, on our feet, under skin folds, etc.… Regular body odor is a reaction between bacteria living on our skin and bodily fluids - we tend to think of B.O. We should probably first refresh our understanding of how regular body odor forms. Why does our body odor change as we age? And what makes aging odor so distinctive from regular body odor? Understanding the causes and solutions for elder odor is essential in promoting respectful and dignified care for our senior friends and loved ones. What might surprise you is that both men and women can start dealing with senior smell in their 40's! So that’s why we prefer to call it aging odor - because people in their 40’s aren’t considered seniors or elderly. The Japanese have actually given the smell a name (which seems infinitely more polite than calling it old people smell), and it is kareishu. And that includes some interesting changes, including how we smell.Įlder odor, old people smell, or aging odor - it’s not your imagination, it’s a normal part of aging and poor senior care and hygiene has nothing to do with it. Unless something miraculous happens in the world of science, or someone figures out Paul Rudd’s secrets, we all are going to face aging at some point.
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