Do pheromone perfumes actually work? Here's what we find about this trending ТikТok scent - make you more attractive or we are just obsessed with pheromone perfume.
As the famous designer Christian Dior once said, “A woman's scent tells more about her than her handwriting.”
Perfumes and fragrances have been a part of human culture for a long time, not only as a way of taking care of ourselves but also as a way of showing who we are, expressing our personality, and finding love. People like to smell good, whether they use pricey brand perfume or burn incense. Those of us looking for a partner may employ a delicious smell to attract them.
Perfumes might have a romantic effect - but it probably doesn't have much to do with pheromones. While there might not be any clear proof that pheromone perfumes actually work, and most people might just be feeling a placebo effect, the power of fragrance in helping you fall in love isn't totally impossible.
What Are Pheromones, Exactly?
Imagine you and your bestie are shopping at Trader Joe's for all the pumpkin spice goodies, and you smell someone who smells amazing. You both look around, instantly curious about that person for no reason other than the fact that their smell is captivating. Pheromones are like that, but the smell isn't a specific perfume or cologne; it's a person's natural smell. Pheromones are chemicals that come out of the body through smell and act as a way of talking among animals — leading to a certain natural behavior. Check our blog 7 Scents to boost your mood and when you should wear them and find out how perfume can influence your mood.
"The pheromones used in perfumes are not real, and we don't have any scientific evidence that humans react to them the same way as animals," say the experts.
When it's time to find a mate, many different kinds of animals, give off a special smell that can attract a partner. Almost every kind of animal — squid, mice, fish, rabbits, rats, and bees, to name a few — has been shown to have pheromone molecules — but not humans yet. Pheromone research has not been very good and has many problems that make the results doubtful at best. The pheromone perfume oil says it mixes with your natural smell, making people around you react to your smell — but that's not exactly what the science says. Learn what the experts say in our blog 10 Tips for Find Your Signature Scent - the Perfume Ultimate Guide
What are pheromone perfumes made of?
Pheromone perfumes are made of a mix of chemicals that try to copy human pheromones. These products have different things in them, some of which are normal in regular perfumes, while others are special to pheromone perfumes:
- Androstenone is a natural pheromone secretion that comes out of human sweat and is thought to make women like you more;
- Androstadienone is another natural pheromone that comes out of human sweat that is thought to make women like you more;
- Copulinais a chemical that women make when they are ready to have a baby that is thought to make men like you more;
- Common things include essential oils, alcohol, water, and smells, each in different amounts. depending on whether it is perfume or cologne;
It is good to know that pheromone perfumes do not have real human pheromones. Instead, they have chemicals that try to act like human pheromones in the body. This is a completely fake process.
Do humans give off pheromones?
Humans have a lot of glands that make us smell in our armpits, nipples, and private parts. But what's not clear is whether those smells have pheromones. One old study from 2004 says it might be possible. The researcher found that things like androstenone, which works as a pheromone for pigs, are also in human sweat and pee.
So, we know that humans give off body smell and that human bodies make things that pigs find sexy. But whether humans find androstenone, or other things we make, sexy is the main question that hasn't been answered yet.
If you want to inspire yourself with elegant scent, read our blog Top 10 Best Fragrances of All Time
How Did The Pheromone Perfume Oil Trend Start?
People got curious about the Pure Instinct Pheromone Perfume Oil on TikTok in October 2020, but creators started to try it out themselves around January 2021. They'd put on the perfume oil at the gym to get asked out and at their office to get a raise, and one person even said the product helped them get a job offer.
As the trend got popular, thousands of viewers commented. “I wore this yesterday and the guy at the bakery flirted hard! He finds me irresistible” one person said. Another said, “Bro I wore this around my girlfriend today and she COULD NOT stay away from me.” On the fragrance notes, Erin tells as she applies the roll-on, “It’s fruity, musky, there’s definitely a musk”. Some commenters were annoyed by the trend: “For the last time people, pheromones are not proven to be there or noticed by humans, and if they were, you wouldn't find them in some random perfume,” said one. “Doesn't work for me, smell like cucumber, but wasps now find me very attractive,” said another unhappy TikTok user.
Some commenters also saw that creators who were saying good things about the product had partnered with the company or put a link to buy it in their bio, making some money from the sale. Even though many people love it, it's fair to say the pheromone perfume is also making some people unsure.
How can I tell if a perfume with pheromones is good or bad?
There are some ways you can find out if a pheromone perfume is good or bad:
- Check pheromone amount - Make sure it has enough pheromones to work. Low-quality pheromone perfumes may not have enough to make a difference.
- Look at the ingredients - Pheromone Perfume: should have good ingredients that are proven by science. A good pheromone perfume will have specific ingredients and pheromone amounts that have been tested in scientific studies.
- Look at customer reviews and comments to see if pheromone perfume works. Look for reviews from people who have used pheromone perfume and have had similar results to what you want.
- Look for maker information - Learn about the product, the brand, how they make it, and what people think of them. A good maker will have a lot of proof to show that their products work.
- Try the perfume - The best way to see if it works is to try it yourself. Buy a sample or a small size of the perfume and try it on your skin. See if you get a good response from the people around you and if you feel more sexier or confident when you wear it.
Remember: the smell of your perfume will change a little when you wear it on your skin. Keep this in mind when you go to try it on.
What happens when you wear pheromone perfume?
If human pheromones are real — and that's a big "if" — then it's possible that spraying yourself with a pheromone perfume may actually make you more attractive, according to some research.
For example, a small 2008 study looked at how the hormone androstadienone affects women's feelings of attraction. The study set up a speed dating test in which some women had androstadienone put on their upper lips, while others had a non-hormone thing.
The results showed that the women with androstadienone liked the men they met more, while the women without it liked them less. This result shows a slightly different thing — in this case, pheromones made the wearer like others more, rather than making other people like them more.
However, other experts have said that more research is still needed to know if human pheromones make you more attractive and there is not much proof in the form of careful studies that this is true. In fact, many studies that support human pheromones are small and may not be right.
Human attraction is also more complicated than other animals — we don't need a certain hormone or chemical thing to feel desire, want sex, or become attracted to another person. This means that even if pheromone perfumes work, they may not be enough to change how someone feels about you.
Conclusion
So far, we don't have much proof that putting on a pheromone perfume can make you more attractive to others. Humans may make and notice pheromones, but we need more research before we can know exactly how this works.
We suggest just buying any perfume that you like — and if your partner likes it, too, that's a plus.