Perfume with pheromones: myths and reality

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

“Elena has never enjoyed much success with men before. Everything changed overnight. She was the star of the party, men curled around her and ate her with their eyes, tried to talk to her and showered with compliments. " At the end of the story, it turns out that perfume with pheromones contributed to Elena's happiness. On the website of every online perfume store with a "hormone supplement" you can find a bunch of such advertising stories.

Many rumors, misunderstandings and deliberate deception circulate around perfumes with substances that attract the opposite sex. Let's try to figure out where the truth is.

"Pheromones" are substances that living things secrete as a "chemical means of communication." In the animal kingdom, with their help, they not only attract, but also transmit danger signals or tell each other where the food is.

For example, bees and ants communicate through smells. Insects generally use chemical signals very often, and this is well understood. But when it comes to more complex creatures, things get much more hazy.

The power of smell

Colony animals are often influenced by chemical signals. For example, in flocks where there is a main female, subordinate females are often deprived of the right to have their own offspring. And this is achieved not only by the "authority" of the elder, but also by chemicals that suppress the hormonal cycle of animals. This happens, for example, in the colonies of some African rodents. Only the "ruling elite" is fruitful in them, while the "workers" individuals remain sterile. When the main female grows old and can no longer restrain the sexual activity of the others with her scent, another individual is found, which begins to reproduce and rule the colony. If there are several such females, then the colony may divide.

Animals also use pheromones as natural "spirits." A female scent can tell a male that she is healthy, fertile and ready to conceive. This mechanism works very clearly in pigs. The boar perfectly senses the moment when sows are ready to mate by their smell. And sows demonstrate a desire to mate by behavior as soon as they smell a boar.

Keep in mind: if men do react to female chemical signals, then don't expect these signals to simply attract the attention of men or make you more beautiful and attractive in their eyes. The female pheromones merely stimulate the male “basic instinct”.

Mysterious organ of Jacobson

The so-called vomeronasal organ, or Jacobson's organ, is responsible for the recognition of pheromones. It was discovered in humans relatively recently; it was previously believed that only some animals have this organ. It is located in the nose and is a special type of odor receptor. The result of their work is not perceived as a scent, but enters the brain through a separate channel. In other words, you may not smell, but the information transmitted by the pheromones is in full swing. To what extent this organ is developed in people, to what extent its development differs in different people, how the signals of this organ affect behavior - all these important questions have not been properly studied. Of course, there are studies on the effect of smells (both perceptible and imperceptible) on human behavior, but they are rather scattered.

Despite some incompleteness of knowledge about these substances and the mechanisms of their perception, something can still be said for sure.

Humans are unambiguously responsive to sexual pheromones. For example, Swedish scientists once asked the participants in an experiment to evaluate the smell created on the basis of a formula for male hormones. The scent was liked by most of the women participating in the experiment, and not a single heterosexual man liked it. But a few homosexual men also found the male "ambergris" very pleasant.

There have been many more similar studies confirming the existence of the "scents of love".

By the way, if pheromones have a smell, then most of all it resembles the smell of musk.

What are they selling?

As soon as such substances were isolated in their pure form, perfume companies around the world immediately seized on them as a promising development. A variety of crooks have also picked up the trend, and spam that offers pure pheromones and pheromone perfumes at a "fair price" is periodically dumped into e-mail inboxes. If desired, you can buy these substances directly from manufacturers. For example, Pharmacom, a renowned chemical supplier, offers a full complement of human pheromones on its website.

It is not so easy to give unambiguous advice on buying perfumes with pheromones. The most intriguing thing about this question is this: it is not known for certain how many pheromones are contained in the fragrant liquid. Perhaps only two molecules of the substance that excites men will float in the bottle that you buy. If they are there at all. Even the most famous and large perfumery companies cannot say for sure whether they use natural or synthetic attractants, or just write the word "pheromones" in the name. The composition of perfumery is traditionally kept secret.

By the way, the psychological side is also ambiguous - the stimulation of the already quite strong sexual attraction of men can have an excessive effect, because pheromones do not affect romantic feelings, but, we repeat, the carnal instincts.

Experiment "Cleo"

Natural economy

The main sources of odors in humans are the sebaceous and sweat glands located at the base of the hair on the head, in the armpits, in the genital area. Bacteria that decompose some hormones and fats help us to smell with pheromones. Therefore, before meeting with a loved one, it is better not to use antibacterial agents. It is best to wash your body with warm water and mild soap. Remember that hairsprays, gels and foams on your hair will reduce the pheromone odor from your scalp. Pheromones are easily destroyed and do not have time to fly away from you. Therefore, it is better that the "object" is near. And he deliberately sniffed at you: then the sensitivity of his receptors will sharpen. You can draw attention to your pheromones with perfume.

Scientific facts - facts, but how does it all work in life? Having asked such a question, the editors bought a bottle of perfume with pheromones. The tiny bubble bore the promising name Desire, and the fragrance was fresh, a la Dolce & Gabbana's famous Light Blue. Three girls, correspondents of "Cleo", took turns taking the liquid with pheromones on dates with their boyfriends and used it during walks with friends. And this is the conclusion they came to one after the other: no effect. Generally.

Marina came home from work very tired. Before her boyfriend stopped by, she only had enough to take a shower and thoroughly perfume this Desire. The plans were to watch the comedy on DVD together. The young man appeared no less tired. And - Marina says that the case in their relationship is unique - there was no sex that evening! They just rolled around, hugging, and quickly fell asleep.

Natasha walked after work with her friend in the park, then they went to the cinema and went to visit him. The evening was gentle and romantic, but Natalia did not find a single difference from the usual behavior of her boyfriend.

Olya is married. Applying a mysterious perfume with pheromones, she expected her husband to become more passionate. Alas, the scent did not work properly on him either. “It looks like there are actually no pheromones in this bottle,” Olya summed up her report. More than likely.