If you're over 40, you've likely been targeted by ads for persimmon soap. Don’t believe the hype!

What is “Old Person Smell” (2-Nonenol)

Persimmon soap is purported to be necessary to remove the oils that cause "old person smell," technically called 2-Nonenol. The simple truth is that our soaps remove oils effectively, even  2-Nonenol. 

There is a barrage of advertising aimed to make people worried about their smell. One ad said “you wouldn't wash bacon grease with just water.” Of course not! But soap does cut grease. 

It's true that you likely wouldn't smell it on yourself but others might. The rest is pure hype.

Though the scent is natural and not a sign of poor hygiene, the  2-Nonenol scent is described as unpleasant, greasy, musty, and grassy. As early as 40 years of age, the skin produces more omega-7 fatty acids, which oxidize and turn rancid, causing the malodor. 2-Nonenol increases with age. Hormonal changes, medications, and diet can affect the smell.

How to remove 2-Nonenol Naturally

To remove the oil, use any of our body soaps. When bathing, be sure to wash thoroughly with a washcloth or luffa. Give extra attention to your chest, neck, and behind your ears, where more sebum is produced. 

Sebum is the natural, waxy oil produced by sebaceous glands in the skin to lubricate and protect skin and hair. 

You might think of 2-Nonenol as perspiration. Our gentle soaps wash away sweat and bacteria, but you’ll still perspire. Bacteria will grow. You may need to shower more often. 

How Soap Removes Grease and Bacteria

Soap acts as a surfactant, which reduces the surface tension of water and allows it to mix with oil. For instance, if your hands are greasy, running them under water by itself will not wash away the oil. Mixing with soap allows the fats to be washed away.

Soap molecules surround the grease particles, forming tiny bubbles, and prevent the oils from reattaching to your skin or clothes. Rinsing with water removes the grease.

Soap disrupts the fatty, lipid-based membrane protecting bacteria and many viruses, including coronavirus. The germs are lifted and washed away.  

Compare quality

We see many complaints about persimmon soaps sold online being drying, besides being expensive. Though they tout botanical ingredients, they also contain solvents and bonding agents such as alcohol and butylene glycol, and chelating agents such as tetrasodium etidronate, trisodium hedta, or etidronic acid. 

The Herbaria Difference

Read the ingredients on any of our products. We’re all natural. If you have used Herbaria soaps, you will know that none of our soaps are drying. You’ll find most soaps are not the quality of our handcrafted bars. 

Which Herbaria bar is best?

We’d suggest starting with our most popular bar, Lavender Oatmeal.

• The all-vegetable base we use is moisturizing. It's not detergent.
• When soap is formed, glycerin is produced, a humectant. It gathers moisture from the air.
• We “superfat” the bar with shea butter. This added emollient is great for skin and contributes to the bar’s silky lather. 
• Lavender essential oil not only gives a beloved scent but is also a beneficial antioxidant. The essential oil offers anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and regenerative properties. Suitable for both oily and dry skin types, it helps soothe irritation, reduce redness, and balance sebum production.
• Oatmeal does more than exfoliate. It has colloidal properties that bind protein to cells, improving skin health.

Laundering 

Clothes pick up body oils. When washing clothes or linens with our Burano Laundry Soap, we suggest adding half a cup of vinegar or lemon juice, plus half a cup of baking soda to your wash. That will help break down lingering oils in fabrics and keep everything smelling fresh.

As Skin Ages

As we age, our skin goes through structural, functional, and visible changes driven by natural biological processes and outside influences like sun exposure.

• The epidermis, the skin’s outer layer, becomes thinner and more fragile. The protective layer of fat beneath the skin decreases, making the skin look more translucent and crepe-like. Collagen production lessens, which provides the skin’s strength and elasticity. Gravity causes skin to sag, leading to jowls and droopy eyelids
• It's harder for skin to retain its moisture, often causing dryness and itching, due to less active sweat and sebaceous glands. See our best moisturizers.
• Skin bruises easily because blood vessels have become thinner and more fragile.
• Age spots, also called liver spots, form due to an overproduction of melanin, pigmentation cells. The cells cluster into harmless, flat, brown patches. They’re usually triggered by years of sun exposure. 
• Skin takes longer to heal. New skin cells take longer to form.  Wounds can take four times longer to heal. 
• Loss of the insulating fat layer in older skin makes it harder to stay warm in the cold or cool in the heat.
• The ability to feel touch, pressure, and temperature diminishes due to a decreased number of nerve endings.

We want to hear from you

We always welcome your comments and suggestions. Let us know how our products work for you.