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Aurantia
June 9th, 2010, 11:18 AM
Okay, time to fess up! ;)

In my hair journal -- which I admittedly did not expect anyone but myself to even glance at -- I made mentioned of the fact that I love the way my sebum smells. Earthy, a little musty, and distinctively me.

It's not a topic I've really brought up to a lot of people and so I always assumed that this was just a weird thing individual to moi. Imagine my surprise when I was rewarded with a comment by a fine lady that related that she, too enjoyed sniffing her sebum.

So who else out there enjoys their own natural oil scent? :) How would you describe your scent?

Capybara
June 9th, 2010, 11:24 AM
Mine smells really sweet - like, processed candy sweet. I'm not sure if that's a good thing :confused:, but I actually like it too :p

Strange, because I don't eat candy ..

Katrina
June 9th, 2010, 11:29 AM
I dislike it.

clairenewcastle
June 9th, 2010, 11:30 AM
There's nothing weird about it at all. It's just a natural body scent, one of the more attractive ones I may add!

I was glad to see you mentioning how moisturing hair sebum is in your blog, for I've very greasy hair but like to stretch washes.
Initially I saw the process of leaving the sebum in my hair in the same way most people do - ugh! - but once I discovered just how much it moisturises my hair I felt a lot easier.

So many people on this forum oil their hair with coconut oil/jojoba oil etc - what is the difference between doing that and using your own natural oil? I've done both and found that my natural oils work better and wash out easier.

As for my scent......depends on what I'm eating I guess. Chocolate?

chopandchange
June 9th, 2010, 11:30 AM
Do you mean the smell of greasy hair?

Personally, I find it disgusting. I don't know how I could go about smelling my own grease, because I can't make my nose reach the top of my head, so I don't know what my own greasy hair smells like. But I highly dislike the smell of dirty hair on other people. I associate it with someone who is rather lacking in personal hygiene.

No offence to anyone who doesn't wash their hair and does WO or whatever. I've tried WO, and it wasn't for me.

Jessikinz
June 9th, 2010, 11:41 AM
Mine doesn't really have a smell. But then again I don't smell my hair, so it could have a scent.

teela1978
June 9th, 2010, 11:46 AM
My sebum doesn't really smell much. My scalp can stink pretty bad if I've been sweating, but I think that's more of a bacterial growth issue than a stinky sebum issue.

missmandy
June 9th, 2010, 11:46 AM
I don't know what mine smells like, cause I can't exactly sniff the top of my head, but to me, other people's scalps smell like vomit... *shrug*

ratgirldjh
June 9th, 2010, 11:50 AM
Mine smells kind of sweet and earthy too. I like it but my bf doesn't - when i am doing WO for a long time - he says my hair smells like a hippie or a cat. Funny because I am an old hippie :D

zenobia
June 9th, 2010, 11:52 AM
I dislike it too. I don't know if I've ever smelled my own, but I don't particularly like anyone else's.

Clarisse
June 9th, 2010, 11:58 AM
I don't really have a relationship to my sebum. It smells okay, kind of cozy in some way, but at the same time the smell reminds me that I have to wash my hair again soon.

Aurantia
June 9th, 2010, 12:04 PM
Capybara, that's crazy. I wish I could smell your head! lol

clairenewcastle, I've always liked natural body smells (I don't have a higher tolerance for B.O., that's an entirely different category). DBF is much more fastidious than myself and cannot understand why I love his 'manly' scent -- especially after he's been out sweating and biking all day.

I think a common question is, "What did people do before soap and shampoo?" with the inevitable follow up, "What did it smell like?". The trend of love apples, for instance, was out there for me -- a lover would hold a slice of apple under their armpit for several days and then give it to their partner so that they would have the scent to carry around with them. Can you imagine if people did that now? :puke:

But along with the WO hair wash, I've been doing a WO body wash for a good three weeks. Wow. My body, after a shower with water and a terrycloth scrub, feels cleaner than any ritual I've had with soap -- every inch of it -- and the adjustment period was a week. My skin is radiant and less dry every day. I've noticed now that when I sweat, I don't need deodorant.

Maybe love apples of olden days were not actually horrid, rotting arm pit fruit. :poot:

And if my metro, cologne wearing DBF loves the smell of me I consider myself golden. ;)

chopandchange, that's a loaded question lol. I've been doing the WO wash, and I have to say that my hair smells very different from when I would shampoo with sulfate and then, say, skip a day of washing and go to the gym. That stunk.

I would not equate healthy, undestroyed sebum with "greasy hair" because the latter implies an uncleanliness, neglect and general unhealthiness that is not innate in hair coated with sebum.

What you are describing -- a smell emanating off of a person that is so strong you don't have to nuzzle your nose in their tresses to catch the scent -- I find pretty gross too.

Aurantia
June 9th, 2010, 12:08 PM
I don't know what mine smells like, cause I can't exactly sniff the top of my head, but to me, other people's scalps smell like vomit... *shrug*

This is another interesting phenomenon because I have to agree. I love the smell of my DBF, but I often cannot stand the smell of other people's. Love my own, though. So weird.

ratgirldjh, *lol* I haven't gotten that comment yet, but I'm braced and ready for it. If it happens I don't know if I'll stick to my routine or sigh and clarify. ;)

ETA: Clarisse, Yes! I didn't either until taking on WO. My smell was tolerable before this but I certainly didn't enjoy it. Now, however, it is definitely "cozy". :)

Aurantia
June 9th, 2010, 12:14 PM
Initially I saw the process of leaving the sebum in my hair in the same way most people do - ugh! - but once I discovered just how much it moisturises my hair I felt a lot easier.

So many people on this forum oil their hair with coconut oil/jojoba oil etc - what is the difference between doing that and using your own natural oil? I've done both and found that my natural oils work better and wash out easier.

Every revelation I've had thus far you've described perfectly! It really is the most wonderful, healthy hair product out there. My hair is incredible with a sebum treatment; nothing else feels like it.



As for my scent......depends on what I'm eating I guess. Chocolate?

Chuckle.

EvaSimone
June 9th, 2010, 12:22 PM
No, I think it smells really gross. :puke:

RoseRedDead
June 9th, 2010, 12:22 PM
I like mine. As other posters have mentioned, I think it smells earthy and sweet. Smells good to me!

As for others, it depends on the person.

spidermom
June 9th, 2010, 12:27 PM
Nope, I don't like it at all. I've smelled my fingers after massage my oily scalp, and peee-yuuu! Ick! Time to wash.

I don't like the smell of other people's, either. My grandmother would only wash her hair with water from the rain barrel, and if there wasn't any water, she didn't wash her hair. I remember sitting at the table with her and being sickened by the smell, not wanting to eat.

Alaia
June 9th, 2010, 12:32 PM
I don't mind it to begin with, but as time goes on it gets a bit too strong for me.

I can't remember what it used to smell like, but since DH has been around it's started smelling like vetivert mixed with ylang ylang. Weird.

Bianca
June 9th, 2010, 01:33 PM
I dont like it :shake:

Holly9192
June 9th, 2010, 01:43 PM
I don't particularly mind it, it doesn't gross me out but it doesn't exactly smell "good" like a new victoria's secret garden scent. :shrug:

GoddesJourney
June 9th, 2010, 01:47 PM
Nope, I don't like it. One day's worth is nice, but after that, nope.

hendrix.co
June 9th, 2010, 02:09 PM
I like mine and only mine.:p

jera
June 9th, 2010, 02:19 PM
I don't like the smell of dirty hair. I'm frequently aroun people, strangers and family, who have unpleasant smelling hair. I always wear extra essential oil on my wrists when I know I'm going to be around them cuz they're so stinky. :(

I love long hair but I like it to smell really clean. ;)

yvsa
June 9th, 2010, 02:23 PM
No, I don't like it.

ancilla
June 9th, 2010, 02:35 PM
I don't really mind mine at all, I am glad I didn't inherit my mother and brother's 'head' scent though... its rather pungent. :p

ladylovecraft
June 9th, 2010, 02:36 PM
I sort of like it, but that's probably most likely because I know I'm doing a good thing for my hair to have it present. :D

XcaliburGirl
June 9th, 2010, 02:40 PM
Not fond of it. It's not exactly a horrible smell, but I associate it with my hair feeling greasy and my head itching.

Anje
June 9th, 2010, 02:59 PM
I don't care for it, when I smell my fingers post-scalp massage. It's kinda earthy, but mine also has a bitter quality that I don't like. (Maybe if it smelled sweet?) DH wasn't a fan either, when I did WO, though a good rinse would get rid of the smell.

I will confess that I rather like the texture on my fingers, though. Strange as that seems....

MonikaHa
June 9th, 2010, 03:14 PM
I do not like mine. This is mainly the reason why I stopped WO. It was good when the weather was cool, but now the heat plus humidity made me STINK. I could smell my head, I felt I was in a cloud of sebum, and I did not like it.

MissManda
June 9th, 2010, 03:17 PM
I don't mind my own scent. It's just a natural body smell and it just reminds me that my hair needs to be washed soon. My smell is very soft and earthy with just a touch of sweetness. DBF's smell is similar and I don't mind his smell either.

As for other people, I am not a fan of it, especially if I can smell the person from a distance. Some people literally smell like grease and I definitely don't like that!

I much prefer the scent of sebum to very chemical-y smells, however (perfume, laundry soap, some shampoos, etc.) because those just give me a headache.

BrightEyes
June 9th, 2010, 03:28 PM
No I don't like it, on myself or on other people. When I was in beauty school and pregnant, I had some clients who had the greasiest hair ever. It stunk so bad, I almost puked all over them!:puke:

Speckla
June 9th, 2010, 03:41 PM
Mine smells like ear wax...bleck...

TammySue
June 9th, 2010, 03:48 PM
Egads, what a question! :bigeyes: Not sure if it was sebum I was smelling, but do not like the scent when my scalp is dirty. :no:

EdG
June 9th, 2010, 03:52 PM
Warning: TMI ahead! :tmi:

I find that sebum has a range of odors.

At its mildest, sebum smells like candle wax. It's sort of a mild, pleasant scent. I don't mind that odor at all. :)

Slightly stronger, sebum begins to smell like yeast. I'm reminded of baking bread. It's not unpleasant, but perhaps not a smell that one would want all the time.

At its worst, sebum can smell like cheese :cheese:. A sharp cheese too. I wash my hair before it gets to that point. I don't want to smell like cheese. :tmi:
Ed

pennylane
June 9th, 2010, 04:03 PM
I dislike it too. I don't know if I've ever smelled my own, but I don't particularly like anyone else's.


Same here. :confused:

It's just that i can not stomach other peoples hair when it stinks. I am very sensitive to weird/ dirty/ bad smells.

Of course this is only my personal opinion because everybody's nose is different. :)

halo_tightens
June 9th, 2010, 04:13 PM
No, I don't like it all all.

The very gross TMI reason is below-- you've been warned!!
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I once had a lot of sebum on my fingers after messing around with my hair and scalp for a while, and then I started doing something else, so I was distracted. I ended up popping a finger into my mouth for some reason or another, and I could taste the sebum. It was disgusting; I almost threw up. Now the smell brings that awful taste to mind, and I just can't stand it.

I've had similar experiences with other bodily substances in the past (except for urine/feces- gross!) and did not feel that way. It's only my scalp's sebum that repulses me. Strangely, it doesn't seem to taste/smell like the rest of me. It seems foreign. Yuk.

May
June 9th, 2010, 04:18 PM
No I can't say that I do lol. It's just another bodily secretion like earwax IMHO. :disgust:

*Aoife*
June 10th, 2010, 03:32 PM
I can smell mine when my hair is greasy or when I've finished a scalp massage. I don't like it. I don't know what it smells like, I just can't put my finger on it.

ali beast
June 10th, 2010, 06:20 PM
I think mine smells remini-scent (har har) of maple syrup. I like it! But I like it better when my hair smells like flowers or fruit or what have you :)

christine1989
June 10th, 2010, 06:25 PM
I wash my hair everyday so I haven't gotten the oppertunity to smell it very often. I can never get past the greasy way my hair feels when it hasn't been washed.

JenniferNoel
June 10th, 2010, 06:28 PM
The smell of sebum is so nasty actually hurts between my eyes when I smell it, really sharp, it's spooky. I don't like it.

Pumpkin
June 10th, 2010, 06:39 PM
No...too nasty. :no:

Katurday
June 10th, 2010, 08:02 PM
Mine smells like candle wax. Its alright, but I wouldn't go back for another sniff.

eezepeeze
June 10th, 2010, 09:45 PM
I don't like it at all, actually. As soon as my hair starts to NOT smell like shampoo (or clean) I soak it in coconut oil and wash it the next morning. I am very sensitive to scents. I prefer to smell like soap and perfume.

I always wash my hands after a scalp massage because I don't like the feel of it on my fingers. I really don't like anything oily anywhere on my body, ever. I'm just that way, I guess.

I know a lot of people on here are really for the benefits of sebum on the hair, but I really don't like to feel anything greasy in my hair, except for the coconut oil. For some reason that doesn't bother me. Not sure why. :o

This is an interesting topic, like our secret hair rituals unmasked. :cheese:

Alexannee10
June 10th, 2010, 10:04 PM
I do love sebum sent too :)

Nera
June 10th, 2010, 11:02 PM
I like it.

But I don't smell it very often, because I don't produce a lot of sebum. But I like it.

patchoulilove
June 10th, 2010, 11:23 PM
I have double standards since I like the way DBF smells if he hasn't washed his hair that day, but I guess I get self conscious about my own? I don't know. I think it's fine when it's only been a day or two - probably because it's difficult to notice(?), but if I start to get the greases then, no. :p

Tiina
June 10th, 2010, 11:34 PM
I'm surprised at how different smells everyone here is describing (cheese? candy? :bigeyes: )

My hair/sebum doesn't smell much at all even tho I do WO. It has a very faint scent reminiscent of earth after a rainfall but it is hardly noticeable. I've asked some friends and my DH about it and no one has noticed any smell at all.

I think it may be because I live in a rather remote valley in the mountains where the air and water are very clean. Maybe the particles and pollution in the environment get stuck in hair, making it smell nasty and sebum itself is not at fault?

catysue
June 11th, 2010, 12:08 AM
I don't really know what mine smells like - I wash my hair often and I'm not entirely sure how I would go about smelling it anyway - but dbf only washes his hair about once a week and I looooooooove the way his hair smells after it hasn't been washed for a while. It's musky and earthy and slightly sweet. I don't think it smells unclean or dirty... just natural and good and like the way I think people should smell.

Loreley
June 11th, 2010, 12:26 AM
I don't like it. I prefer the smell of my conditioner in my hair. :)

voluspa
June 11th, 2010, 12:36 AM
No. Sebum is a really gag-worthy word anyway so I'm not open to how it smells. It's a little hobo to me.

cardamom
June 11th, 2010, 01:07 AM
I don't like it, and for reasons unknown I dislike the word sebum too.My hair and body should be clean and mildly fragrant.I don't mind having a teaspoon less of beauty using shampoos,soaps and conditioners:)

Tressie
June 11th, 2010, 01:45 AM
I don't mind the scent of my sebum, or what I think it smells like, but I want my hair to smell clean. If I think my hair is getting a little funky smelling....it's WASH TIME!! (o;

Fethenwen
June 11th, 2010, 02:17 AM
I dislike the word sebum, but I like the way mine smells. At least when I do WO, my hair smells a bit like a cat :3

Dreams_in_Pink
June 11th, 2010, 04:12 AM
I don't think sebum smells anything. I once smelled a greasy part of my hair and didn't notice any smell at all.

BUT, my scalp does smell when not washed. I don't like it :(

Calista
June 11th, 2010, 04:26 AM
I don´t mind the smell if it´s within reason. Generally I´m not fond of being able to smell people a mile ahead, but other than that I like natural body scents much better than a ton of artificialness.

Somebody wondered why different people described different smells. I guess how your sebum smells has a lot to do with genetics, diet (as a general rule, meat makes you stinky), and hair/body care. My skin and scalp scents became much less offensive when I switched to natural soap for my hair and body.

rapunzhell13
June 11th, 2010, 04:48 AM
I like mine and I like DBF's. You're not alone, OP. :flower:

Siava
June 11th, 2010, 04:55 AM
I don't like the smell of my sebum and I really don't like the smell of my daughter's. Funny though, I dig the smell of my boyfriend's. His smells sweet and clean. Mine and the kiddo's smells musty, hers moreso than mine.

ilovelonghair
June 11th, 2010, 07:20 AM
I don't know what mine smells like, cause I can't exactly sniff the top of my head, but to me, other people's scalps smell like vomit... *shrug*

Yes I can sometimes smell it from a distance from other people. I had a friend who had the smelliest hair ever (I could smell it from a couple of meters distance). But he only washed his hair with water and sometimes with an aggressive shampoo, so I think it was not the best routine for his hair. Nowadays he must have changed it because I can't smell anything anymore.
So funny: my mother was curious so she walked past him and sniffed his hair secretly and later she told me she couldn't smell it!
But I am ultra sensitive to smells.
My own doesn't smell, unless of course I let my hair go really disgusting, which I don't :)

Chestershire
June 11th, 2010, 11:42 AM
emmm.. it has a smell? :p
Anyway, i can't describe it now, because i'm a hayfever sufferer

adiapalic
June 11th, 2010, 12:15 PM
I like the way my hair sebum smells too. :flower:

freznow
June 11th, 2010, 12:16 PM
Generally I like the way my sebum smells (but not my sister's or most other people's) but it depends. Like, I LOVE the way my skin smells when I've been sitting out in the sun for a while. And sometimes it depends on what I eat - it'll smell buttery if I've eaten popcorn lately, and that's not very fun. But generally it smells somewhat waxy, somewhat earthy, somewhat catlike, which is nice. Wouldn't want to smell it all the time, I'd think, but after a massage it's kinda nice.

KahlanAmnell
June 11th, 2010, 01:52 PM
The scent of my own just makes me want to wash my hair. LOL I do like the smell of my husband's hair though, it has a light scent.

Marjolein
June 11th, 2010, 03:43 PM
I don't really know what my scent is, but I do know that my sebum tends to pick up cooking odors. I love to eat onions and garlic, but not to smell like them!!

Henrietta
June 11th, 2010, 04:42 PM
I was surprised too when I discovered I am not the only one who likes their sebum scent:)

Do you remember the scent of your skin after a whole lazy day in the sun, near the lake, river or just in the gerden? That's how my sebum smells like. And that's why I like it:) Sun, grass and earth.


Generally I like the way my sebum smells (but not my sister's or most other people's) but it depends. Like, I LOVE the way my skin smells when I've been sitting out in the sun for a while. And sometimes it depends on what I eat - it'll smell buttery if I've eaten popcorn lately, and that's not very fun. But generally it smells somewhat waxy, somewhat earthy, somewhat catlike, which is nice. Wouldn't want to smell it all the time, I'd think, but after a massage it's kinda nice.- exactly.

masa_inn
June 11th, 2010, 04:46 PM
cannot stand it shudder:

EtherealOde
June 11th, 2010, 07:29 PM
I am not sure how I feel here. The few times I have smelled other people's sebum has been because they were lacking in personal hygiene. Greasy, lank hair and other signs that they just didn't care about bathing or any other cleaning rituals. Those people had rather rancid smelling sebum. An otherwise clean person who kept their hair clean through LHC methods such as WO or possibly even SO might not be the same. I admit to not understanding how one can keep their hair clean and free from unpleasant odors with SO and never even rinsing their hair, but I will accept that it must be possible. Before I went to CO cleansing, I wouldn't have thought it was possible to keep my hair clean and fresh smelling without shampoo, and now I know better.

McFearless
June 11th, 2010, 08:20 PM
I really hate the smell.

Aurantia
June 12th, 2010, 02:20 AM
Generally I like the way my sebum smells (but not my sister's or most other people's) but it depends. Like, I LOVE the way my skin smells when I've been sitting out in the sun for a while. And sometimes it depends on what I eat - it'll smell buttery if I've eaten popcorn lately, and that's not very fun. But generally it smells somewhat waxy, somewhat earthy, somewhat catlike, which is nice. Wouldn't want to smell it all the time, I'd think, but after a massage it's kinda nice.


I was surprised too when I discovered I am not the only one who likes their sebum scent:)

Do you remember the scent of your skin after a whole lazy day in the sun, near the lake, river or just in the gerden? That's how my sebum smells like. And that's why I like it:) Sun, grass and earth.

- exactly.

YES!!! It is a different note, but has the same tone as that wonderful, warm sandy sharp smell from playing in the sun. Not at all sweet, the way that some have described theirs, but still a very inviting and addictive scent: like the sun-skin smell but an octave lower. I have no idea if that made any sense.

I find this thread absolutely fascinating -- thank you every one for contributing! It's amazing that so many people have such varying experiences, and that each head seems to produce such a different smell -- the mom that liked her DH but did not like her daughter's for instance: wow. That's proof of varying scents if I have ever heard one. :)


I can't imagine mine smelling like candy, but my hair when sebum coated also smells drastically different from people who simply have dirty hair. There is a huge difference between clean, well-preened sebum and grease plus dirt.