‘Pheromone maxxing’ sees teen boys and young men decide to skip showering and deodorant before a date, in an apparent effort to amplify their natural scent.
That’s not all, though, as apparently, some of the more hardcore followers of the trend are even drinking their own urine to ‘sweat out toxins’. Yes, really.
Why on Earth would anyone choose to do this, you might be asking? Well, ‘pheromone maxxers’ are citing science – but it’s not completely correct.
Those following the trend are claiming that by giving off their natural scent, it’s making them more attractive and biologically ‘irresistible’ to women, as per Vice.
Do humans have pheromones?
While research has shown that scent can play a big role in attraction, scientists haven’t yet proven that human pheromones even exist.
For context, pheromones are chemical compounds that act as a form of communication between members of a species.
Scientific studies argue that many animals use pheromones to signal sexual readiness, but as we say, whether humans do the same thing is still up for debate.
The outlet reports that in a 2025 review in Physiology & Behavior, scientists took a detailed look at androstadienone, which is a steroid in male sweat, and still came up with the answer that the classification ‘remains inconclusive’.
It’s a complex question, but there is currently no definitive scientific proof that human pheromones even exist, never mind send off ‘sexy’ signals, so definitely not enough of a reason to skip the shower.
Dr Gayatri Bhatia, Associate Professor, Psychiatry, Amrita Hospital, echoes this, telling Firstpost: “Human attraction is based on sensory cues, personality, familiarity, context and reciprocal behaviour.
“Biology matters but there is no science behind the notion that an unwashed body is a dating advantage.”
The trend has raised a number of concerns, aside from everyone stinking, with The Independent even linking it to the ‘manosphere’.
In their piece about ‘pheromone maxxing,’ they pointed out that it’s ‘unsettling’ as men are ‘hoping to devise ways they can trick us into falling in love, using their pheromones’.
One X user wrote: “That’s disgusting. Take a shower, filthy animals.”
A second penned: “Take a shower. Put on deodorant. Brush your teeth. Maybe a light touch of cologne or aftershave. Go have a date. This is not hard, people.”
While a third chimed in with: “Dating advice has officially gone too far. Whatever happened to taking a shower, putting on clean clothes and just saying hello?”
And fourth reasoned: “I think if anything you should wash your stink off, so the pheromones can actually come through.”
The male version of ‘vabbing’?
However, it’s not just men who have tried using their natural scent to lure in partners, as the ‘vabbing’ trend is another smell-related dating tactic that pops up every now and then.
The trend sees women use the fluid produced inside their vagina as a perfume, dabbing the liquid where their fragrance would traditionally be applied or sprayed, such as the neck and wrists.
However, health experts have issued warnings against it, as it comes with risks and, as to be expected, like ‘pheromone-maxxing’, hygiene issues.
So, guys, next time you go on a date, we promise that some body wash will do way more for you than sweaty armpits!