Do people of different ethnic groups smell different to you?

Question

This is something I've wondered about for a long time. It's often seemed to me that people of a particular ethnic group had a particular scent to them; and while sometimes I can understand where it comes from (say, exotic spices from the cuisine of their homeland, or maybe chemicals used to straighten curly hair), but with some groups it defies easy explanation. I find myself wondering if the level of skin pigment or whatever could have a noticeable effect on the smell of their skin...

Am I the only one who's experienced this? And can any non-Caucasians out there tell me -- do white people also have a particular scent to them?

Serious answers only, please -- let's not turn this into an opportunity to insult or bash people of a particular race.

I tend to assume that it has to do with deodorants or detergents as well -- but in a country with SO many choices and brands available to us, why would it seem to be so consistent along racial/cultural lines? Is it just clever marketing that's caused (as a completely fake example) redneck southern whites to buy Ivory soap because it's the "purest" and "whitest" soap on the market? Is it merely selective memory on my part? It's hard to be objective, with only my personal experience to measure it by.

Answer 1

I have a good sense of smell. I have noticed this personally since I was a kid, and I've wondered the same things. I could tell if my old boyfriend had been in a particular room by the way it smelled, and I don't mean this in a gross sense (his hygiene was fine). I've also noticed a difference in skin smell with another racial group, but I won't elaborate. It's a very subtle difference, and it's not unpleasant, but I think it exists.

If dogs can smell cancer and individual people, why would other genetic differences not be similarly detected, at least by other animals?

Answer 2

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RE:
Do people of different ethnic groups smell different to you?
This is something I've wondered about for a long time. It's often seemed to me that people of a particular ethnic group had a particular scent to them; and while sometimes I can understand where it comes from (say, exotic spices from the cuisine of their homeland, or maybe chemicals used...

Answer 3

I definitely think that different ethnicities (not nationalities. That statement suggest that an American may smell different than an Aussie) have different scents. I don't think those distinctions are always as obvious, though. I know that I would without a doubt know if I were around a white man showering versus a black man, however. Who knows, why.

Answer 4

It will be very interesting research problem to investigate. Different ethnic groups have distinctly different colored skins, but within the same ethnic group the shade of the skin of every individual varies depending on the genetic material, the individual inherits from his paternal and maternal ancestors. I feel the ethnic smell is yet to be discovered. If at all it is there, it has to be resolved from the normal body odors. Experiments will have to be planned and cooperation of many individuals from different ethnic groups will be expected. Some university can take up this project in their curriculum.

Answer 5

If you blindfold me and I step off of an airplane, I can usually tell you where I am by the different smells, of the cities and countries.
But when it comes to ethnic people, I tend to ignore rude opinions and ignore them. I would probably move away from that smell, but I would be to polite to make an issue out of it.

Answer 6

yes and no everyone smells different and their are alot of factors to consider which can affect bodily odour such as food intake, emotional state, physical health, mental state, and climate to name a few, i have worked with indians when they first came over to my island and the smell from them was awfull and taxi driverrs in hong kong stank as badly I personally don't think that a ethnic group smells differently to another ethnic group but the food we eat does play a big role in this and the social habits of hygene also do, but i think if you put one person in every group in to a building fed them the same food they washed the same amount and hap cleen clothes/linnen every other day they would all smell different but not as any particular group which they belong

Answer 7

When I was in Japan,everyone kept coming up to me and sniffing me.They hung about,talking and generally seemed surprised.When I finally got someone to explain what was going on,he told me I didn't smell bad.I said I hope not!He explained further that white people tended to smell badly because they ate so much meat.So I guess we do have a smell.I'm a vegetarian by the way!

Answer 8

Differen't ethnicities have different cultures, thus different hygienic practices and different smells. Some smells also come from what people are accustomed to eating.

I haven't noticed a smell from whites. My husband is white and he and his family don't smell any different than I do. We're all Americans. I think it has more to do with culture than race.

Answer 9

Sometimes. Sort of. Black people from up north smell tangy and slightly metallic. Black people from down south smell soft and a bit sweet. Black people from west of the Mississippi smell totally different from everybody. Some rural white people have this weird sour milk smell. Northern urban white people smell woody. Southern urban white people smell sharp (not in a bad way). East coast hispanic people smell sort of herbal (like plants, not weed). West coast hispanic people smell more bread-y.

Answer 10

People have told me that black women here smell of the fruits we eat like mango, pineapple, jack fruit and the like. I have noticed that most modern perfumes/scents have a smell that is in that direction. One person told me we smell of Taco shells.