Pheromones: The Truth, The Myths And Why You Should Care About Both

What Are Pheromones?

So, let’s dive right into it. After doing some research on what pheromones technically are, probably the best and easiest way to define them is they are chemicals that animals and plants alike produce as a form of unspoken communication. Now, peep the fact that I said animals and not mammals because, interestingly enough, scientists can’t seem to agree on whether or not pheromones are as prevalent in human beings.

Here’s why. Something that animals (including insects) produce is a tissue known as the vomeronasal organ (VNO). It’s the sensory organ in the naval cavity that is able to detect pheromones. Now although we have VNO just like animals do, what science is still trying to determine is if it functions in the same way for us (if it fully functions at all).

Although this continues to be an ongoing debate, if pheromones were to actually impact us on some level, what can be agree on by the experts is that it’s probably through sweat; more specifically, a man’s sweat has a way of raising women’s stress and sex levels (which might explain why some folks find themselves all hot ‘n bothered by others while they are working out in the gym).

That’s because there’s a chemical in it called androstadienone (the female side to this is called estratetraenol) that isn’t just “activated” when a man perspires, it’s also located in his saliva, semen; plus, it’s put into many perfumes and colognes. Why? Because it’s been proven that androstadienone helps to alter a woman’s mood and oftentimes boost her libido as well (some studies even reveal that the more a woman smells this chemical, the more masculine she wants a man’s face to be. Wild, right?).

Meanwhile, there are some researchers who claim that there is no hard evidence that androstadienone — whether in a man’s bodily fluids or in smell good products — affects us one way or another. What do I think? Well, the thing that I personally think contradicts the skeptics is how it is a proven fact that the keener one’s sense of smell is, the greater their sexual experiences tend to be. Know what else? One article I read said that “…men can process the scent of sexually aroused women and that exposure to these sexual chemosignals affect the subsequent perceptions and sexual motivation of men…” Hmph. What this means to me is the sense of smell is clearly valid and relevant when it comes to attraction and sexual arousal (bookmark that).

So, why so much pseudo pushback on pheromones then? Well, since they don’t only signal sexual attraction but also mate selection and danger signaling, some believe that since we are able to use words to communicate, pheromones may not be exactly necessary. Perhaps. Still, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t potentially relevant, though.

Let me keep building a case for that.

Could Pheromones Be Why People Experience “Love at First Sight”?

So, if smell can significantly impact you, let’s say that pheromones are a very real and valid thing among the human species — how much does it influence you when it comes to initial and immediate attraction? Good question. While doing research on pheromones, something else that I discovered is the male steroid hormone androsterone is considered by many to be a pheromone and, when it’s produced in abundance, it causes women to find men immensely attractive.

Here’s the thing about that, though: reportedly, only about 10 percent of men produce enough of it to affect women on any real significant level. Still, several articles stated that it shouldn’t be overlooked that sometimes, when there is, what feels like an instant connection with someone, their scent could be playing a bigger role than you might want to think.

Same thing goes for topical pheromones, which are synthetic chemicals that are used to mimic “real” pheromones. One study stated that when men used them, they had a 52 percent chance of keeping women engaged in conversations (upon first meeting them) while 74 percent of women had a more active dating life if they applied them.

So, does all of this mean that love at first sight can happen if you smell a certain way? Personally, I think that love is too sacred of a word to apply it in this sense. What I will cosign on, though, is strong attraction at first sight is real — and science says that smell influences it in a very mighty way.

How Pheromones Impact Sexual Intimacy

Now let’s semi-briefly get to something that some of you may want to know most about: If pheromones are a real thing, how well do they work in the bedroom? Well…believe it or not, the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of this question is something folks were going on and on about on social media a couple of years ago: vabbing.

If you’ve never heard of it before (or you have yet you’ve never deep dived into what it was all about) — chile, vabbing is when you put some of your vaginal juices onto parts of your body like your neck or behind your ears in the attempts to make a man more drawn to you.

Now before some of you turn your noses all the way up, the method behind the madness is vaginal secretions contain their own chemicals; they’re called copulins which are fatty acids that some men are naturally attracted to. Another interesting fact about copulins is they are at their most potent during the first half of a woman’s menstrual cycle (the couple of weeks prior to ovulation).

Know what else is said to be a pheromone of sorts? Pubic hair. Makes sense when you stop to think about the fact that hair tends to trap odor and, well, since men carry androstadienones and women are full of copulins — hmm…maybe that’s why some folks enjoy performing oral sex as much as receiving it. The scent has them wanting to stay in its atmosphere for as long as possible!

And then if you add to this the fact that science also says that the more aroused a woman is, the more she creates a very distinct scent that inspires a man to give her even more sexual pleasure? I mean, how could we all not come to the conclusion that pheromones have at least a little bit of validity? Goodness.

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I’m pretty sure that you can tell by the tone of this content that I absolutely believe that pheromones are a real thing both in and for humans. Then again, I’m also Team Aphrodisiac (check out “8 Natural Aphrodisiac Scents, Where They Go & How To Make Them Last,” “Eat Your Way To Better Sex With Aphrodisiacs” and “This Is How Color Psychology Can Significantly Improve Your Sex Life”) and some researchers are iffy about those too, chile.

My bottom line? Attraction and sexual intimacy tend to involve all five senses — and so, there being a natural scent within us that attracts people to us (and vice versa)? Hmph. That makes all of the sense in the world to me.

So yeah, I’m Team Pheromone too. How ‘bout you?

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