Fragrances are a sure-shot way to feel more confident and attractive. Lately, a new range of fragrances called pheromone perfumes has been making the rounds in the market. These fragrances claim to contain pheromones and are intended to make you more sexually attractive and increase your chemistry with your partner. We found this a tad hard to believe so we decided to do some research and came up with some insightful evidence. Here’s what we found out.
What are pheromones?
Pheromones are natural hormones secreted by animals and plants. They use these hormones to send signals and communicate with other animals. Pheromones are targeted towards changing the behavioral responses of other animals belonging to the same species. Animals use pheromones to mark their territory by leaving their scent, find prey, identify other animals by sniffing, and attract mates.
Generally, animals produce pheromones through scent glands, emitting them through their breath, sweat, and urine. Research suggests that other animals have receptors in their nostrils that help them pick up the scent of pheromones, but we still aren’t sure whether humans completely use it or not.
Pheromones and fragrances
Pheromones in fragrances are essentially based on the idea of attracting sexual partners through the use of scents. Many major companies including Gucci have been invested in this, creating pheromone perfumes. Pheromone perfumes are believed to consist of extracts of naturally produced plant and animal pheromones in them to make you more sexually appealing to someone else. Research is also being conducted on synthetically creating pheromones for fragrances.
Scents like that of musk, beavers, civets, and ambergris are the most commonly used animal pheromones. In the case of human pheromones as the ingredient, these perfumes mainly consist of Epi-androsterone, Alpha-androstano, Androstadienone, and Androstenone. Simply put, these are the chemicals secreted by the male sweat glands and the vaginal walls.
Are humans able to sense pheromones?
Research reveals that the human body produces similar pheromones as a pig does, which suggests the possibility that humans secrete substances that can sexually stimulate pigs. But how much does this apply on a human-to-human level? This remains a debated topic, because of the lack of conclusive evidence.
Studies point out that humans differentiate between other individuals based on olfactory cues. This means that we identify each other via our noses and that we use scents the same way pheromones are supposed to work in plants and animals. This broadens the possibility of human pheromones.
What is their response viz-a-viz sexual attraction?
This is where science is stuck. There isn’t enough evidence to prove that humans indeed use pheromones for sexual stimulation. Many scientists are of the opinion that humans do not need any secretion to be sexually attracted to another human. Based on these conclusions, it is safe to say that whether pheromones help you in attracting sexual partners is a question mark to date.
Our Conclusion
In that case, it can be automatically concluded that pheromone perfumes may not decidedly make you more sexually attractive or enhance your chemistry. It’s still a myth that needs more scientific research and evidence. However, perfumes are a completely personal choice. So if you wish to wear pheromone fragrances and if they make you feel good, we’d say, go for it!
References
https://nhpbs.org/natureworks/nwep3d.htm
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2090123211000397