NationStates Jolt Archive

I showered... I swear.

Okay... so I have a friend with an amazing sense of smell. He can tell with eyes closed the ethnicity of a person by the smell of their skin.

Seriously.... he can even often tell if a caucasian is from Europe or the US or other.

Have any of you noticed a common smell that emanates from certain ethnicities?

I have in a minimal sense I guess. My friend Mark from England always had a wierd smell about him. I just thought it was him (bad BO) until I went to England, then I noticed his particular smell everywhere.

When I would go to my asian friends homes, they always had a fishyish (not really sure now to describe it) smell and I thought it was because of what they cooked in their homes, but when I got with a couple different asian girls, being close to them I could smell that fishish smell directly on their skin (faintly).

Similarly most black people have like a baby powder smell to them. Black people actually have the strongest skin scent generally from my own experience as I can usually smell them before I see them.

I haven't noticed a particular mexican smell, although my friend with the super nose says that they do have their own unique smell as well.

I think most people belonging to a certain ethnicity don't notice their own smells as I don't notice most white peoples smells unless they have a cologne or perfume on. My wife never noticed an asian smell at her home or on any other asian. My friend friend from England obviously never smelled himself (or the same smell that permeates his home) or I would think that he would use deoderantor something because frankly, his smell was hard to handle.

What say you? Do you think that the smell comes from our diets or what?

Very likely. Americans are said to smell like butter in Japan.

Well, black people I can understand as their skin has oil creation problems, hence the hair. And they probably have a baby powder smell because of the lotion they continuously use.

Very likely. Americans are said to smell like butter in Japan.

interesting, because we are so fat? :p

http://www.the-nextlevel.com/board/images/smilies/custom/doubt.gif

Maybe I should start sniffing people...

Well, black people I can understand as their skin has oil creation problems, hence the hair.

What kind of oil creation problems? I don't get it, obviously :p

http://www.the-nextlevel.com/board/images/smilies/custom/doubt.gif

Maybe I should start sniffing people...


What ethnicity are you? Do you live in a diverse community? Friends of different ethnic origins?

Well, black people I can understand as their skin has oil creation problems, hence the hair.

That sentence makes no sense.

And neither does this thread. Ethnicity smell? Nonsense.

I smell like Old Bay Seasoning.

I smell of alcoholism. *twitchy eyes*

Very likely. Americans are said to smell like butter in Japan.

Koreans saythe same about westerners....something about being milk/dairy products users...

This thread is odd.

*probably smells of tea and olive oil...*

I smell of alcoholism. *twitchy eyes*
So you're Irish?

*rimshot*

Someone once told me I smell like a windswept beach. I have no idea what he was talking about, as I've never been to a windswept beach.
Maybe he was on something.

Though, the concept about Diffrenct scents from diffrent parts of the world. It makes sense.

*Walks up to people and starts sniffing* That'd probably get me thrown in jail.

i smell like a peach, i'm all orange and hairy.

That sentence makes no sense.

And neither does this thread. Ethnicity smell? Nonsense.

that's what i was thinking. the only credence i can give to this is if it was demonstrable that different levels of melanin gave off wildly different smells when in contact with urea or sebum or whatever else gets secreted from the skin. or perhaps the different kerotins making different smells. still seems pretty unlikely.

This is definitely an example of "you are what you eat." I can't say that I've done extensive research into it myself, but studies have shown that your diet has a definite impact on how you smell. So it follows that cultures which have a strong tradition in food tend to carry with them a particular smell.

And exactly how would one go about in fluffing these... mancakes?

And exactly how would one go about in fluffing these... mancakes?

oh, i'm sure you could use your imagination on that one ;)

That sentence makes no sense.

And neither does this thread. Ethnicity smell? Nonsense.

A wookie living on Endor?

So you've never heard of such things? I hadn't googled it before but now I did and it's not so uncommon actually.

http://msgboard.snopes.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=104;t=000706;p=1

also this: http://alcor.concordia.ca/~senses/Consert-Odor.htm - The Anthropology of Odor

For example, it is commonly supposed that different races each have a different smell, and even that "the `other' race stinks" - but there is no empirical evidence to support this belief.

Koreans saythe same about westerners....something about being milk/dairy products users...

I wonder what I smell like to others. I have a very worldly diet.

This thread is odd.

*probably smells of tea and olive oil...*

odd and makes no sense apparently.

Come on people; have none of you experienced this yourselves?

that's what i was thinking. the only credence i can give to this is if it was demonstrable that different levels of melanin gave off wildly different smells when in contact with urea or sebum or whatever else gets secreted from the skin. or perhaps the different kerotins making different smells. still seems pretty unlikely.

to me it woudl seem that diet would do it but then again maybe its liek a combo of body chemistry as well as diet and perhaps not showering or being a profuse sweater.


This is definitely an example of "you are what you eat." I can't say that I've done extensive research into it myself, but studies have shown that your diet has a definite impact on how you smell. So it follows that cultures which have a strong tradition in food tend to carry with them a particular smell.

yeah, especially foods like garlic!

And exactly how would one go about in fluffing these... mancakes?


*embarassed*

Similarly most black people have like a baby powder smell to them. Black people actually have the strongest skin scent generally from my own experience as I can usually smell them before I see them.


*clutches sides*

Would you be interested in some white, hooded jackets? 50% off, just cuz I like you.

I kid you, I know you're not being racist.

*clutches sides*

Would you be interested in some white, hooded jackets? 50% off, just cuz I like you.

I kid you, I know you're not being racist.


hehe, i was actually waiting for someone to call me racist so I could be all witty with a "nuh uhhhhhhhhhh" comeback

My skin has a very neutral smell to it, as I eat a rather well-balanced diet, I'm not sweaty, I don't have much body fat, and I shower every day. I'm sure it wasn't quite so wonderful when I was about 14, as I was bulbous, and I ate some really bad (read: fatty and unhealthy) foods.

However, much like the thread creator's friend, I can identify people by their scent. It seems that it's largely to do with diet and body chemistry (as was said earlier), and that would explain it.

I can tell if somebody eats really crappy food by the way they smell, regardless of whether or not they bathed recently. The worst I have in my memory is the type of person who eats a lot of "soul food". It's worse than that smoky beef tacos aroma on people who sweat profusely and eat a lot of spicy foods.