Do Pheromones for Men to Attract Women Work?

If you do much reading or studying about sexual attraction, then you have doubtlessly come across some information about pheromones in men. Some hail pheromones as the ‘silver bullet’ for attraction… while others say that they are little more than a minor factor.

We all know that scent plays a vital role in attracting people to one-another. We all know that when we are attracted to someone, we usually notice how pleasant their skin and hair smells.

But is there more to this than just their shampoo and soap usage? Is it possible that there is something being secreted by our skin that is literally attracting other people to us? And if so, is it possible to ramp up the production of these ‘pheromones’ in an attempt to gain even more attention from other attractive potential partners?

These are all very good questions. And in this article, we are going to explore the answers.

What Are Pheromones?

The term ‘Pheromone’ didn’t actually make its way onto the scene until around 1959. Leading scientists believe that human communication is actually influenced quite a bit by ‘chemosignals,’ but also maintain that the science behind it is not necessarily as simple as a lot of people believe it to be.

We know that all kinds of creatures use pheromones to communicate via chemical signal. But we also know that humans are a lot more complicated than insects and other mammals.

There are many varied factors that dictate attraction in humans. How someone looks, how much money they make, the shape of their body, their natural scent, their ideas, their physical attractiveness, their interests, their personality, their age, their political/religious beliefs… all of these and more can factor into our mating choices.

Our sense of smell doubtlessly plays a vital role in attraction and romance. But it is also true that measuring and/or detecting the actual influence of these chemicals is complicated.

According to the dictionary definition, a pheromone is ‘a chemical substance produced and released into the environment by an animal, especially a mammal or an insect, affecting the behavior or physiology of others of its species.’

Pheromones are actually quite similar to hormones, except that they work outside of the body instead of inside.

How Do Pheromones Work?

Pheromones have been investigated by researchers for decades now. In fact, the first scientist to even suggest the idea of pheromones (which at the time were called anthropines) was a German doctor named Gustav Jager.

In 1878, he published a book titled ‘The Discovery of the Soul,’ and postulated that skin anthropines operated as ‘lust compounds.’

As it turns out, his theories were ahead of their time. It certainly does seem like pheromones are a real thing.

Unfortunately, however, the jury is still out on exactly how they work.

As a general rule, pheromones induce activity in other individuals. Sexual arousal is just one example of this. We know that pheromones have all kinds of affects on other humans… but figuring out exactly what chemicals are responsible for which behaviors is actually quite a challenge.

For example… it is believed that pheromones are responsible for the ‘synching up’ of women’s periods when they live in close proximity to one-another.

There was even one study that seemed to prove that exposure to male sex pheromones caused women to drink more alcohol!

The first pheromone discovered by humans was believed to have been identified in 1959. It is called bombykol, which is secreted by female moths to attract males. The astonishing thing about this compound is that it can travel enormous distances at low concentrations, which makes it surprisingly effective as a chemical messenger.

But researchers have also learned that mammals are much more complicated than insects… which is why pheromonal influence is more difficult to study in humans.

The roles that pheromones play in humans are further-complicated by the fact that we seem to have an under-developed ‘chemical messenger receiver’ when compared to most other mammals in the animal kingdom. It is believed that most animals detect pheromones through a special organ in the nose called the vomeronasal organ.

This organ connects directly to the hypothalamus in the brain.

Humans have a vomeronasal organ present in their anatomy, even as a fetus. The only problem, however, is that the organ atrophies before the baby is born… so humans are born with vomeronasal ‘pits’ that do not seem to function.

Therefore… if humans do indeed have the ability to pick up pheromones, they probably do so through the olfactory system.

But even beyond that, let’s also keep in mind that most researchers agree that an actual sex pheromone in humans has not been discovered yet.

This statement is corroborated by many researchers and publications. Smithsonianmag.com says that ‘Researchers (as well as fragrance companies) have been hoping to find a human sex pheromone for decades, but so far the search has failed.’

Medicalnewstoday.com says that ‘Some chemicals have been investigated for pheromone actions in humans, but evidence is weak.’

And Charles Wysocki, an olfactory neuroscientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, was quoted in Scientificamerican.com saying that “There’s no good literature in the biomedical field to support that sexual-attractant pheromones exist… But that is not to say they aren’t out there.”

But even with the serious lack of evidence directly supporting the idea that we have discovered sex pheromones for men, people have been using any and all information available to do the best they can… because there is some evidence that loosely suggests that there are a few pheromones that actually do make women more attracted to men.

His pheromones drive me crazy 🙃

— Sarah (@sarahfbabyy) April 2, 2019

So in this article, we are also going to talk about those as well. But first, we need to talk a little bit about the science of pheromones… and that starts with classifying the different types.

Different Types of Pheromones

There are four main types of pheromones. These include…

Releaser pheromones are generally those linked to sexual attraction, and elicit a more immediate response.

Primer pheromones generally take longer to elicit a response. These are the types of pheromones that influence things like physiology, menstrual cycles in females, puberty, hormone levels, etc.

Signaler pheromones are those that provide information. Mother animals, for example, use these types of pheromones to identify their own young. Signaler pheromones give out an actual ‘genetic odor print,’ which is quite unique to each living creature.

And finally, Modulator pheromones can either synchronize or alter body functions. These types of pheromones are usually found in sweat.

But now, let’s move on to the specific type of pheromone responsible for making women more attracted to men. As stated before, there is no definitive proof that any such pheromone has even been found… though there is some evidence that pheromones like androstadienone are the pheromones we’re looking for.

Rather large quantities of this pheromone are excreted in male axillary sweat, and studies say that it is ‘perhaps the most widely studied putative human pheromone.’

Some studies have even shown that this hormone may actually increase the attractiveness of men in the eyes of potential female companions… though, there has been little evidence to support this, and a lot more needs to be done before this ‘suspicion’ can be regarded as fact.

Still, that doesn’t stop many different fragrance companies from attempting to back-engineer the ‘science of pheromones and attraction’ by putting androstadienone in different types of body sprays and fragrances.

And that is not the only one in use. Researchers and fragrance companies have also been looking closely at pheromones like:

But before we get into that, let’s talk a bit more about the science.

Studies About the Effectiveness of Pheromones

One of the most frequently cited studies on the subject of human pheromones was conducted in 2008, and is called Evidence that androstadienone, a putative human chemosignal, modulates women’s attributions of men’s attractiveness.

During the study, the effects of androstadienone were tested at a speed-dating event… with rather surprising results. During the event, men and women interacted ‘in a series of brief dyadic encounters.’ And as it turns out, men were rated as ‘more attractive’ when assessed by women who had been exposed to the pheromone.

The only problem is that the literature on this is limited. Plus, pheromones are difficult to test, as many studies have not completely ruled out other factors that could be contributing to the results.

But still, with that being said, many people have planted their flag on the hill of the belief that androstadienone (and other similar pheromones) are the long-sought sex pheromones for men… the chemical messengers responsible for making men seem more attractive (via scent, anyway) to potential female partners.

For the purposes of this article, please keep in mind that the science supporting androstadienone and other related pheromones is limited. But with that being said, also keep in mind that there is still comparatively more proof supporting the fact that THESE ARE the ‘male sex pheromones’ than there is supporting any other pheromones known to us at this time.

Where does that leave us?

Our official position (here at Male Ambition) on this issue is that we acknowledge that androstadienone has not been scientifically proven to be a human sex hormone. There was even one study done where the compound itself was found NOT to increase human attractiveness when used in a scent test.

The study was called Putative sex-specific human pheromones do not affect gender perception, attractiveness ratings or unfaithfulness judgements of opposite sex faces, and studied the two substances that were most believed by scientists to be the male and female sex pheromones (androstadienone and estratetaenol, respectively).

But the results of this test seemed to indicate that the pheromones (at least by themselves) played little to no role in attraction, as evidenced by this statement in the discussion section of the study text.

“It is possible that AND and EST have functions, pheromonal or otherwise, unrelated to mate assessment, and it is likely there are other chemicals secreted by humans that are currently unknown but that may function as pheromones.”

But, with that being said, there is still at least a bit of a chance that androstadienone, when paired with other pheromones and scents from the body, does contribute to male attractiveness.

Just to a far lesser degree than anyone would have guessed.

How to Increase Pheromones for Men

As it turns out, humans have what is called an ‘odorprint.’ In other words, each one of us has an important set of immune system genes imbuing each one of us with a ‘natural smell’ that is quite different and distinct from the natural smell of any other human.

With the exception of identical twins, no two humans have the same odorprint.

We know, through research, that human females do prefer the smell of sweaty T-shirts worn by men with suitably different MHC genes (in other words, women are attracted more to men with a distinctly different odorprint from the one that they have).

This does not come as a surprise, since genetic diversity would strengthen blood lines and create stronger, healthier, more adaptable offspring.

The issue here is that it is actually quite challenging to identify the specific odorants that play into this, since an odorprint is actually made up of hundreds of different odorants.

With all of that being said, androstadienone is usually the chemical referenced when people talk about ‘raising pheromone levels.’ And usually, when people are talking about increasing pheromone levels, they are talking about using a special spray or fragrance that contains certain levels of that (or a related) chemical.

This would, in theory, make any man wearing such cologne more attractive to potential mates. The main issue is that the jury is still out on whether or not androstadienone actually works like many of these fragrance companies say it does.

But there is also testosterone to consider. In a study that was published back in 2013, women in the heightened stages of fertility tended to prefer the smell of men who had higher levels of testosterone.

Interestingly, in this study, researchers suspected that the pheromone androstenol may have been at play… which is different from androstadienone.

Androstenol is ‘the scent produced by fresh male sweat, and is actually a steroidal pheromone.’

Androstadienone, in comparison, is ‘an endogenous steroid that is synthesized from androstadienol.’ This is the pheromone that is commonly sold in male fragrances, and is the pheromone most ‘proported’ to increase sexual attraction.

These egg pheromones are no joke 😂 #TheMagicians pic.twitter.com/ygWShu7qJm

— The Magicians (@MagiciansSYFY) March 14, 2019

So, where does all of this leave us?

If you want to increase your pheromones, there are two statements that you need to accept as part of the process.

It may not be an exact science… but it is possible to try to increase your pheromones and their effect on potential partners by doing what you can to…

It may not be a perfect plan, but many men swear by it!

So now, we will discuss exactly how you can do this. We’ve been looking into different fragrances and tips for raising pheromone levels naturally, and have come up with some pretty good information on the topic.

On one hand, we wish that there was more solid science about these issues to use as a basis for our recommendations. But then again, the fact that so many people are skeptical of pheromones and their role in attraction could also be seen as an advantage for men who wish to make use of them.

Secret weapons are sometimes the most powerful weapons! If every man was using these tips to try to increase his ‘pheromonal attraction,’ the techniques may be far less effective because so many more women would be exposed to them!

So, in a sense, the ‘mystery’ surrounding pheromones could actually work very well in our favor.

So now, let’s talk about our best odds for increasing our own pheromone levels, both naturally and through cologne!

How to Release Pheromones Naturally

If you wish to use all available information to your advantage, it would seem that your best bet for naturally releasing more pheromones is to produce more testosterone. As it turns out, women seem to be able to sense higher T levels in men, and a big part of this seems to be communicated through the olfactory system.

So if you’re looking to attract more attention from the ladies (and smell sexier), then this is undoubtedly an avenue to consider!

Here are some tips that you can use to help raise your natural T levels on a day-to-day basis.

Exercise More: Getting more exercise boosts testosterone levels. Focus on weight-training the largest muscle groups… as these tend to release the most testosterone when stimulated.

Eat More Zinc: Zinc is a mineral that has been proven over and over again to increase natural T levels. The best natural sources of Zinc come from foods like shellfish, oysters, chicken, peanuts, wheat germ, wheat bran, eggs, and milk. But if you really want to ramp things up, you should also take it in supplements.

Consuming about 11mg of zinc on a daily basis can have a significant impact on T levels in as few as six months!

Sleep More: Getting better sleep (and more of it) will certainly affect T levels. According to studies, testosterone levels tend to drop after just one week of sleep deprivation. Losing sleep is bad for you all the way around… so go to bed a bit earlier and catch some extra Z’s if you’re serious about being seen as more attractive by the ladies!

Bathe A Bit Less: You obviously want to stay clean and smelling good. If you don’t, your ‘negative’ body odor will certainly cancel out any natural, good smelling pheromones your body may be excreting. But, with that being said, it is also important not to ‘overwash.’ If you wash too much, you will wash off all of your natural pheromones, and that could end up keeping you from smelling as ‘naturally good’ as possible!

What is Pheromone Cologne?

Pheromone cologne is a little bit different from the ‘natural’ pheromones that humans secrete on a day-to-day-basis. There is also a lot of doubt as to whether they actually work or not. Some of them have been tested, and have actually passed the tests pretty well… while other tests have yielded ‘less than conclusive’ results.

At the core, a pheromone cologne is simply a cologne that contains some kind of pheromone mixture. It is designed to be spritzed upon the skin to make the person smell more appealing to potential mates.

Many people who use pheromone cologne swear by its effectiveness… saying that it leads to more dates, more flirting, and an increase in sexual attention from the opposite gender.

But at the same time, hard science on the subject is difficult to come by. There are pheromone colognes designed for both men and women, though they are very different… as they contain different chemicals intended to appeal to the different genders respectively.

Pheromone colognes for men tend to include substances like androsterone, androstadienone, and adnrostenol. But, alas… the giant question still looms.

Do they actually work?

Does Pheromone Cologne Actually Work?

This is a huge question, for a number of different reasons.

If pheromone cologne actually worked, it could be a serious asset for men who are trying to give themselves an edge in their dating game.

Here at Male Ambition, we try to give our readers real, scientifically-validated information that they can use to become the best men possible.

On one hand, there isn’t a lot of die-hard science to back up the idea of a pheromone cologne. But then again, on the other… they do seem to be very compelling products. Some of them have even been extensively tested, and seem to work quite well for the people who use them.

But then again, we come to this question: Why, then, are these products working?

Are they working because their makers have truly harnessed the power of human sex pheromones for men, or is it a placebo affect?

It has been suggested that wearing cologne labeled as pheromone cologne could induce a placebo-caused confidence that could actually result in better, more flirtatious interactions with women all on its own.

A ground breaking @JCU discovery has found wild dogs and even aggressive humans may be tamed through the use of pheromones. #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/tPdjYhRELt

— 7NEWS Townsville (@7NewsTownsville) March 30, 2019

We have done a lot of reading, studying, and researching to find the truth. We’ve read a lot of reviews, and have looked at a lot of different products.

And at the end of the day, this is what we have come to decide.

1. There is no hard scientific evidence proving that pheromone colognes work. Even the most ‘tested’ colognes have not undergone such stringent testing that you can completely rule out external factors and variables.
2. With that being said, there is pretty compelling evidence (even if it is not definitive) that these products are doing something. Even if they are not working the way we think they are, they do seem to be having positive results for the people who wear them.

Men who wear pheromone cologne do tend to notice benefits. They report more flirtatious behavior, say that women approach them more often, report getting more smiles and attention while they are out and about… etc.

And that leaves us believing that pheromone cologne may actually be worth a try… even if the science is not 100% verified and tested.

With that being said, we have also scoured the internet looking for the products that seem to have the best track records. Here is what we found.

Foods That Increase Pheromones

We talked briefly about the importance of Zinc in raising T levels and pheromone levels… but that is not the only food that will help.

Keep in mind that research has not gotten to the point where it can guarantee that certain foods will raise certain pheromone levels. Science is not even completely sure that they have even found the male sex pheromones!

But, with that being said, there are still some foods that seem to increase attractiveness and libido… and it is very possible that these foods actually do affect the body’s natural pheromone production levels.

Here are some of the best foods to eat if you want to try to keep your natural pheromone levels at their highest possible peak.

Interesting fact; truffle oil also contains the pheromone androstenol, but there is a certain percentage of the population who finds it foul-smelling. As it turns out, you may want to be careful with this particular sex pheromone! Too much could have the opposite effect and drive people away from you!

How to Make Pheromone Cologne at Home

You can actually create your own pheromone cologne from home if you don’t mind doing a bit of mixing. But be warned! This process can be delicate, and if you put too much of the wrong thing into your cologne, you may end up with a mixture that actually pushes people away instead of bringing them closer!

Our sense of smell is a very fine-tuned instrument. And for this reason, it can be a challenge to come up with a cologne that is actually pleasurable to smell and inhale.

With that being said, however, some men actually prefer mixing their own cologne… partly because it gives them complete control over their own unique cologne/olfactory style, and partly because it is much less expensive to use pheromones long-term when you are mixing them yourself.

As a general rule, there are three ingredients that people use when mixing their own pheromone colognes.

When I first started researching this, I was actually really confused about where to find concentrated pheromones. But after a bit of digging, I found a website that sells them. If you go to www.love-scent.com, you can order a 4-pack of bottles of Androstadienone, Androstenol, Androstenone, and Androsterone for about $100.

Keep in mind, though, that buying concentrates like this is usually only recommended for experienced mixers!

It is very important to understand that mixing cologne is a very delicate process, with the potential for an olfactory disaster if you end up mixing them wrong!

If you don’t want to run the risk of mixing some really weird smells together, you may want to start off by just purchasing some cologne and taking your time practicing on mixing smells on the side until you get the hang of it.

There are a lot of good YouTube videos online about mixing your own pheromone cologne. One great video we found was this one:

Does NoFap Increase Pheromones?

A lot of men are becoming aware of a movement called NoFap. NoFap is a movement in which men are trying to abstain from what they call PMO, which basically means ‘porn, masturbation, and orgasm.’ In other words… NoFap is a movement in which men are trying to stop masturbating to pornography. Sometimes, the movement is even intended to stop men from masturbating altogether.

There are a lot of alleged benefits to NoFap, most of them centering around freedom from porn addiction and the ‘rebalancing’ of brain chemicals, allowing men to better enjoy real sex with real women.

But does NoFap have any effect on our pheromones?

This is a much more difficult question to answer, mostly because scientists still do not completely understand how pheromones work in humans to begin with.

But there are a few things we can pay attention to.

First off, masturbation and ejaculation haven’t been shown to have any long-term negative effects on testosterone levels.

In fact, there was one study where it was shown that a lack of sexual activity can actually lead to a reversible, yet noticeable drop in T levels. But this study was conducted to study erectile dysfunction. To contrast this, there was another study, published in 2001, where it was shown that refraining from masturbation for three weeks can actually lead to a mild increase in testosterone levels.

We still do not necessarily know the link between pheromones and testosterone where male attraction is concerned. But we do know that women tend to prefer the natural scent of males with higher testosterone levels.

So what does all of this mean for pheromones, NoFap, and masturbation?

Well, there is a lot of information here. In fact, yourbrainonporn.com has done an outstanding job of compiling a list of studies done on the subject. Granted, their main focus is on sexual health and performance… not pheromone production.

But at the end of the day, it would seem that there is little solid evidence supporting the fact that NoFap has anything to do with pheromone levels.

NoFap does boast a range of benefits, but they seem to have more to do with brain chemistry than T levels or pheromone production.

What About Pheromone Soap?

There are a few different soaps out there that contain alleged ‘male sex pheromones.’ But when we start to look at these types of products, we really run into the exact same thing we run into with cologne.

There is little evidence to support them scientifically. Some people report having a good experience with them. But at the same time, it is almost impossible to determine whether this could, in theory, be chalked up to a placebo effect.

In Conclusion

As men, we all want to be more successful. We want to make more money, attract beautiful women, and live our best lives.

Here at Male Ambition, we always want to help men become the very best that they can possibly be!

But we also know that science is important. Without science, we would always be chasing rumors and ghosts.

There are a lot of rumors about pheromones being tossed around on the internet. But hopefully, our article has given you real, verified, scientific knowledge that you can use to attract beautiful women and level-up your dating game!

We know that there is limited information about pheromones online. But we also want to do our best to help our readers find the best pheromones for men.

So use this information as you wish. But don’t forget that living your best life takes effort, above all else. Dressing well, conducting yourself as a true alpha male, and attracting quality women are all parts to the grand puzzle of what it means to be a man and live your best life.

So keep grinding and winning, gentlemen!

Josh Sigafus

Joshua Sigafus is an experienced writer trying to make the world a better place. You can reach out to him on Facebook.