The sense of smell is often overlooked compared to sight, hearing, taste, and touch. Yet, it plays an important role in how we experience the world. Smells can alert us to danger, trigger memories and emotions, and influence our appetite. But not everyone experiences smells in the same way. Some people seem to have a particularly acute sense of smell – these people are sometimes referred to as “supersmellers.”
What is a supersmeller?
A supersmeller is someone who has an extremely sensitive sense of smell. They are able to detect, recognize and differentiate between odors at much lower concentrations than the average person. Supersmellers may be able to identify common odors like coffee or perfumed at levels 100x lower than normal. Some key signs of a supersmeller include:
- Being able to detect faint odors that most people can’t smell
- Finding certain normal odors overpowering
- Easily distinguishing between similar smells
- Identifying dozens or even hundreds of smells in environments most people would find odorless
Supersmellers make up around 1-2% of the population. The condition appears to be partly genetic, but environmental factors likely play a role too.
What causes someone to become a supersmeller?
Researchers believe there are a few key factors that contribute to someone developing an enhanced sense of smell:
- Genetics – Studies on identical twins show smell detection abilities are more similar in twins compared to non-twin siblings. Certain gene variants may increase odor sensitivity.
- Hormones – Hormonal changes during puberty, pregnancy or menopause can enhance smell perception.
- Damage – In some cases, injury to the olfactory system paradoxically increases sensitivity due to overcompensation.
- Environment – Exposure to certain chemicals may boost olfactory receptors. Training and practice smelling can also improve ability.
- Anatomy – Having more microscopic smell receptors or differences in brain olfaction regions may play a role.
However, exactly why some people develop an extraordinarily acute sense of smell is still not fully understood. It likely involves a combination of the above factors.
Are there advantages to being a supersmeller?
In some ways, having an extremely sensitive nose can be beneficial:
- Supersmellers may derive more pleasure from aromas – enjoying smells most people overlook.
- They can detect threats others miss – like gas leaks, smoke or spoiled food.
- Their talent allows them to work in perfume creation, wine-making, food quality control and other smell-intensive fields.
- Memories and emotions triggered by smells may be richer.
However, there are also some distinct disadvantages to having such an acute sense of smell.
What are the disadvantages of being a supersmeller?
Having heightened smell can also be a curse:
- Many everyday odors become overpowering – like food cooking, car exhaust or body odor.
- Unpleasant smells that most people adapt to quickly (such as garbage) may remain unbearable.
- Getting bombarded with intense sensory information can cause anxiety or migraines.
- Unwanted smells linger for longer periods.
- Emotional responses to smells become amplified.
- There is no way to “turn off” the sensitivity, so there is no relief.
For these reasons, life as a supersmeller can be challenging. Smells that other people barely notice can make it hard for supersmellers to get through daily activities or go out in public.
How is a supersmeller’s experience of aromas different?
To understand how smells differently for supersmellers compared to regular smellers, let’s look at an example scent – coffee:
| Characteristic | Regular Smeller | Supersmeller |
|---|---|---|
| Detection threshold | Can smell coffee brewing in the kitchen from adjacent room | Can smell coffee beans from 5+ meters away |
| Intensity | Finds the smell of fresh brewed coffee pleasant | Finds the smell of coffee overwhelming and intense |
| Distinguishing notes | Smells coffee as having a rich, warm smell | Can distinguish subtle notes like berry, caramel, chocolate |
| Lingering effect | The smell dissipates after a few minutes | The smell lingers for 15+ minutes even after source removed |
| Triggers | Feels relaxed, uplifted | Powerful nostalgia, cravings, excitement triggered |
As you can see, supersmellers experience aromas with far greater sensitivity, detail and emotional intensity compared to the average person.
How is a supersmeller’s sense of smell tested?
Researchers use smell testing to identify and study supersmellers. Some common smell test methods include:
- Odor detection threshold – Finding the minimum concentration of a smell compound needed for detection.
- Odor identification – Correctly naming common “scratch and sniff” odors.
- Odor discrimination – Telling the difference between similar smells at low concentrations.
- Odor memory – Recognizing previously smelled odors after delays.
Based on these tests, supersmellers are identified as those who score in the top 1% compared to the general population. Brain imaging scans are also used to study their olfactory pathways.
Famous supersmellers
While supersmellers are rare, some famous historical figures are believed to have had extraordinarily keen senses of smell:
- Napoleon Bonaparte – Could reportedly smell his enemies before seeing them.
- Queen Elizabeth I – Insisted her room smell a certain way at all times.
- Marilyn Monroe – Had scent preferences for perfume, soap, towels in her contracts.
- Helen Keller – Despite deafblindness, she was able to identify people by their smells.
Modern-day supersmellers also work in fragrance, flavoring and sensory analysis jobs where their talent is a huge asset.
Are there ways to train your nose?
It’s unlikely someone born with an average sense of smell can achieve true supersmeller status. However, with practice you can improve your everyday smelling ability through nostril training exercises like:
- Focus on slow, deliberate sniffing when smelling foods, wines, fragrances.
- Describe smells to yourself in detail trying to pick out subtle notes.
- Test yourself by smelling essential oils and naming them.
- Switch which nostril you predominantly breathe through.
- Pay close attention when you notice a new smell in an environment.
Retraining your nose takes time and dedication, but following techniques like above can help hone your natural olfactory skills over time.
Supersmeller takeaways
To wrap up, here are some key points to remember about supersmellers:
- Supersmellers have extraordinary olfactory abilities due to genetic and environmental factors.
- They can detect faint odors imperceptible to most, but are also overloaded by intense smells.
- Being a supersmeller has advantages like increased pleasure from aromas, but also disadvantages like sensitivity to unpleasant odors.
- Their experience of smells is exponentially more detailed, powerful and lingering.
- Smell tests help identify supersmellers, who score in the top percentile compared to regular smellers.
- Although rare, famous figures like Napoleon were believed to be supersmellers.
- With practice, you can improve your own sense of smell even if you aren’t a supersmeller.
Conclusion
Supersmellers have an incredibly activated sense of smell far beyond most people. For them, the world is experienced in a far more olfactory-dominated way. While there are upsides, the intensity of aromas can also be a challenge for supersmellers in daily life. But their unique talents allow them to thrive in odor-related fields, and give insight into the mysteries of our smell science. So while you may need to stand a few steps back from a supersmeller wearing perfume, their extraordinary ability is quite fascinating.