"As we age, several things happen simultaneously in our skin. Antioxidant defenses in the skin decline, the composition of our sebum changes, and our cumulative UV exposure and environmental stress increase oxidative damage in the skin. As these things are weakening the skin, 2-nonenal has an opportunity to make its presence known."
"That aging odor is caused by increased production of this aldehyde in older people, which is the source of a distinctive, dusty granny smell. Not all aldehydes smell the same, by the way, and another example is cinnamaldehyde, the organic compound that gives cinnamon its characteristic flavor and aroma."
A distinctive smell associated with aging, often described as stale oil and musty cardboard, results from a biological phenomenon affecting everyone as they age. The culprit is 2-nonenal, an organic compound called an aldehyde that increases in production after age 40. As people age, their skin undergoes simultaneous changes: antioxidant defenses decline, sebum composition changes, and cumulative UV exposure and environmental stress increase oxidative damage. These weakening skin conditions create an opportunity for 2-nonenal to proliferate and become noticeable. This aging odor is a measurable, documented biological process rather than a social stereotype.
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