Pheromones are naturally occurring chemicals that are produced by the body in reaction to stimuli that, when secreted, can affect the behavior of others around them. For this reason, people hope that wearing cologne with pheromones will get them more dates. However, if you do a quick Internet search for “pheromones” you will see pages of results that mostly feature products promising to enhance your sex life by using their colognes.
The problem with most of these sexual health products is there has been little scientific investigation done into how effective artificial pheromones are especially when suspended in an alcohol format like cologne. A lot of the “research” promoted on these sites is what is termed as “junk science,” as the investigations are not considered to be of a scientific quality or, the “research” promoted is actually just a person’s unfounded opinion.
There is real research into the effectiveness of pheromones and whether or not they can be suspended in cologne successfully, but the research can be tedious to read. Your best bet is to read the following answers to some simple questions about whether or not wearing cologne with pheromones is going to get you more dates.
How do Pheromones Work?
In 1959, Peter Karlson and Martin Lüscher named the hormone secretions that caused a reaction in others, “pheromones.” What they discovered is that almost every living biological form had a hormonal secretion that influenced social behavior of other members of their species (Pheromones: A new term for a class of biologically active substances – Karlson P., Lüscher M. 1959).
These pheromones were a form of biological communication that served to inform other members of the species of danger and of reproductive availability. Many chemists began to on investigate these secretions and to try to find out a way to monetize the discovery by developing products that held promise of influencing others, such as the wearing of cologne to get you more dates. Since then there have been numerous studies that have clarified how pheromones work. Pheromones have not been proven to change or affect the behavior of others, but they have been shown to raise other members of the species awareness of the presence of the pheromone in the individual.
Within the last few years there has been additional research to suggest that there is no evidence to prove that the human species emits any pheromone that will influence the behavior of those around them (Bear, Mark F.; Barry W. Connors, Michael A. Paradiso. Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain. 2006). Therefore, as of this writing, it is safe to say that pheromones do exist and act as a signal to other members of the species but that they do not influence behavior.
So, why do products say that pheromones will influence behavior?
There are no regulations governing how pheromones are created artificially and then added to products. This means that people can add chemical pheromones to everything from cologne to sunscreen to lipstick without worry. As long as they very carefully include a comment in their ad copy that the results reported are not typical then they are not engaging in false advertising.
Are products with pheromones a scam?
You may be surprised by the answer to this question – no, products with pheromones are not a scam. However, what they advertise as how the product will work is way off the mark. Wearing cologne with pheromones will not get you more dates, but wearing cologne with pheromones will begin the process in your body that will send out the signals that will most likely result in more dates. It may seem like a very subtle distinction but it is an important one. Pheromones do not work by themselves, but in conjunction with other senses and processes in the human body.
Smell is one of the strongest senses that we have. If you buy a cologne that smells awful, no matter how much pheromone is in the product, you will repel your potential dates rather than attract them. You have to find the right balance between the smell, the pheromone and the additional contents of the fluid (such as alcohol) to trigger the hormonal process that will begin to increase attraction. Too high an alcohol content in a cologne will cause it to evaporate off your skin quickly and there will be no chance for the effect to build.
The final word on pheromones
Wearing cologne with pheromones will help you get more dates but not because of the pheromones alone. The more you can engage the senses of another person, the more they will notice you and pay attention to you. That is the first step in getting that phone number. There is no research that support that pheromones alone will influence someone’s behavior, but there is a lot of research that confirms that the more senses engaged, the more memorable a person becomes to another. Wear cologne as a part of your effort to make an impression, but don’t forget all the other senses.
