[MargaretR]

This thread set me off googling, so I will tell you what I found.

Your personal smell, and how you perceive the smells of others, is a complicated combination of genetics, diet, medication and environmental factors (includes self neglect).

I have heard that oriental races perceive 'westerners' as 'smelling sour', due to our heavy consumption of dairy products. So as well as 'you are what you eat', you also 'smell of what you eat'. This is strongly evident when a person eats garlic.

Genetic factors cause some people to sweat more than others and some don't sweat at all.

An 'old person smell' can be due to self neglect, caused by difficulties in bathing, but can be made more pungent by the medications that the old get inundated with.

I think society places too much emphasis on 'smelling nice' by promoting deodorants, air fresheners, and perfumes. They contain toxins which when absorbed can cause you to need them more.

So as not to offend some people it is wise to aim to be totally odour free, since what you consider to be fragrant may be totally obnoxious to others.