Fragrance has a magical quality, but surely it's a stretch to say that pheromone perfumes can make strangers fall in love with you? Interestingly, the answer isn't black and white.
If I went back to my teenage days at an all-girls school, when my only exchange would be a quick waft past the boys from the grammar next door, I’d be praying for this sentiment to be true. Because of course, circa 2003, there was nothing better to do on weekends than make a beeline for Superdrug and test the line-up of Charlie fragrances, in the hope that one of those boys might take a liking to Charlie So Kiss Me or one of the So…? Miniatures I’d stuff in my blazer pocket.
No, it never happened (I did get a boyfriend but it wasn’t down solely to smelling nice – but maybe it helped?). However, the idea that perfumes can intoxicate someone so much that they’d become instantly attracted to you hasn’t gone away. In fact, right now, according to TikTok, it’s never been bigger and it’s all down to this peculiar breed of fragrances known as pheromone perfumes.
Empowerment is about choosing how we smell.
TikTok's viral pheromone perfume craze
Videos related to #pheromoneperfume on TikTok have racked up a whacking 107.7 million views with thousands of content creators hailing these fragrances as “sexiness in a bottle.” In one viral video, TikToker @erinduganjurchak tries out the trending Pure Instinct Roll-On, a “pheromone-infused essential oil perfume”, available at Amazon. In the video Erin says, “Have you ever heard of pheromone perfume? It's supposed to mix with your own body's pH and just make you irresistible.”
TikTok content
On the fragrance notes, Erin tells her followers as she applies the roll-on, “It’s fruity, there’s definitely a musk” and goes on to talk about the product’s varying Amazon reviews where buyers have said “It’s raining men!” to “My husband says I smell like a cucumber.”
There wasn’t much of a reaction from Erin’s husband in the video but her comments section quickly amassed. One wrote: "Girl beware!! I put it on and then I had to work (I'm a nurse) and omg it was raining men of all ages 😂😂.” Another said, "This stuff works! I am a cosmetologist and the days I wear it my tips are way better than when I don't." One TikToker said: “In my early 20s, my bestie and myself would put it on before going out. We wouldn’t pay for drinks all night 🙌🏼.” However, the magical powers of this pheromone perfume didn’t work on everyone. “My ex asked me why I smelled like an old lady!!! 😳 🥺” said one TikToker, while another added: “Wear it everyday. still don’t have a man.”
What are pheromones?
So what exactly are pheromones? They refer to a chemical substance secreted by your own body via sweat and are thought to signal our readiness to mate. Think of them as airborne aphrodisiacs, but the sort that leave a barely detectable vapour trail so it's not like you're consciously huffing on your own body odour all day.
Unsurprisingly, perfume brands have jumped on the idea of creating synthetic versions of pheromones, which are added to perfume to enhance your nature scent. One of the most popular of these is ISO E SUPER, an ingredient that is thought to amplify your own pheromones and smells softly of wood or musk. It's a core tenet of many skin scents, including Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 and Commodity Paper Personal Eau de Parfum.
Musks also create a pheromonal effect and often hover in the base notes, ensuring they are a scent that lingers the longest on your skin.
Do pheromone perfumes actually work?
So, is there any truth in pheromone perfumes in helping people fall in love with you? The jury is still out among scientists – a sentiment echoed by Nic Mastenbroek, expert perfumer at Ruth Mastenbroek Perfumer London.
“Pheromones have been added to perfumes to trigger attraction," he says. “They are processed by the olfactive part of the brain that can stimulate sexual arousal, however, evidence on the topic is mixed. While there appears to be some supporting evidence for particular pheromones being used in perfume to increase attraction, other studies say that the impact of perfume on attraction is situation dependent.”
While there might not be any concrete evidence for pheromone perfumes actually working, and more likely most people are seeing a placebo effect, the idea of a perfume helping you fall in love isn’t completely off the cards.
“I think a scent can play a role in creating your own ‘personal brand’ – it can be one of the first things that people notice about you," he adds. “We all like certain types of fragrances so it’s completely reasonable to be attracted to someone wearing an awesome fragrance that we love. It may be that the scent smells familiar, so we feel safer around that person, or it could be something in the fragrance that just gets the juices flowing.”
Your signature spritz, as written in the stars 💫
The latter may be down to ingredients known for their seductive and ‘aphrodisiac’-like effects. “Jasmine has been used for centuries for its sensual, intimate and even seductive properties," Nic explains. "Sandalwood, historically used in more masculine scents, is woody and musky. Similarly amber, which could be described as having a warmer woody profile than sandalwood, has been known to be used for its effect on intimacy. Sweet and fruity notes can introduce a gourmand/edible aspect that is totally linked to attraction – think strawberries and whipped cream.”
