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What is that smell? -

It is highly likely that you have smelt someone before and just not been able to get enough. It's not perfume or cologne–it's their bodily secretions... Yum!

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What are they? - Pheromones are chemicals that are secreted by humans. They stimulate desire, hormonal changes, and sometimes even fertility.

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Where do they come from? - Pheromones are secreted through your sweat glands, saliva, and urine. Ironically, they are all the things most people find quite gross!

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Men and pheromones - The super-smelling men of the world release a chemical called androsterone. About 10% of men release a lot of it and they are usually regarded as the sexiest men around.

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Men and pheromones - With chemical attraction, it makes no difference whether the guy is conventionally good-looking or not, because pheromones change the way you perceive someone’s attractiveness.

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Androsterone - The pheromone androsterone is most noticeable in a man’s urine, hair, and skin. However, it is not just men. Women also release the chemical, but four times less of it.

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It's private - Androsterone can also be found in your private parts. It is released as smegma, which is the strange substance sometimes found in the creases of your downstairs areas (again, for both men and women).

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Men and women - Women play a different chemical game. While they produce a bit of androsterone, copulin is their main play. The amount of copulin women release is in sync with their menstrual cycle.

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Chemical release -

People who release more pheromones, generally crave more sexual interaction and are more sexually attractive to others. It is also said that those who are more pheromone full are more sexually confident.

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The flip side - Not every pheromone is universally magnetic. You can feel instantly repelled by people, and this could be a chemical repulsion because you are averse to their pheromone scent.

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Evolution -

By making you attracted to some and repelled by others, the body is guiding you towards people who match your genetics for reproduction. Human survival depends on diversifying and strengthening the gene pool.

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Sexuality -

Although it is not absolutely certain, scientists hypothesize that there is a link between individuals’ sexuality and which pheromones affect them.

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Sexuality - In 2005, a study gave a pool of men samples of sweat from men and women. The analysts found that heterosexual men preferred the women’s sweat, and homosexual men preferred that of men.

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Not just sex - Pheromones also help the mother and child relationship. Scientists have carried out a study where newborn babies were placed in the middle of two breast pads, one of a stranger and the other of the mother.

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Mother and child - Almost all the time, the newborn would roll over to the side of the mother’s breast pad. The study indicated that, solely through smell, the child could identify its own mother.

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Poop - There was another study that found mothers able to distinguish their baby’s poop when given several choices. The mothers always found their own child’s feces to smell less disgusting.

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Unique smell - While the chemicals released are always the same, the scent produced is unique for each person. Everyone smells different, but relatives smell more similar to each other, whether you like it or not.

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Setting the mood - Pheromones have an incredible effect on people’s moods. A woman who does not have a child is made to feel happier by the pheromones released by breastfeeding women near her. Talk about evolution!

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Survival - Another pheromone survival trick is fear. The pheromones released in a scared person’s sweat make those around them feel anxious.

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Relax -

When men secrete androstadiene, a hormone that comes from testosterone, women feel naturally more relaxed.

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Cry baby - When men are exposed to women’s tears, a study found them to be more relaxed and not as sexually aroused.

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Commercial use - It is no surprise that the cosmetic industry is trying to make use of these special scents. A study from the University of Chicago found that when men wore certain pheromones, they experienced a 40% increase in female responsiveness during conversations.

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Commercial use - On the other side, women who wore these pheromones found that they were asked on dates more often and engaged in more foreplay before sex.

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Odorless - What is really cool about pheromones is that they don’t actually have an odor. The chemicals are interpreted by our neurons and we assign them a scent.

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Want some more? - Although there are pheromone substitutes out there, nothing beats your unique scent. There are several ways to increase the number of pheromones you release.

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Exercise - Due to the fact that pheromones live in your sweat, by sweating more often you will secrete more. Also, when your pores are purged of toxins through sweating, your pheromones will be more pungent.

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Supplements - Here you have to watch out. There are lots of supplements out there that claim to enhance your sex life by boosting your pheromone production. The reality is that there is no magic pill.

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Supplements - Having said this, there are two that have been recorded to slightly enhance your pheromone production. Zinc and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) can help a little.

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The future -

Research into the power of pheromones is underway. They have incredible potential to reduce stress and improve your sex life. However, confidence and romantic success come from more than just smells.

Sources: (The Guardian) (BetterHelp)

See also: What makes you attractive to others

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