An unusual strategy to attract women has been adopted by young people from Generation Z, born between 1995 and 2010. The tactic involves “skipping the shower” on some days, with the aim of enhancing their natural body odor. This practice, called “pheromone-maxxing” or “maximizing pheromones”, gained notoriety through videos and posts on TikTok.
Pheromones correspond to chemical signals emitted by living beings of the same species, capable of provoking behavioral or physiological reactions. These compounds present in body odor can theoretically communicate data about an individual’s emotional state, health, age and genetic diversity. However, while the link between pheromones and mating is recognized in several animal species, science has not yet established a proven correlation between pheromones and romantic attraction in humans.
Other supporters of this idea adopt less extreme methods. They maintain daily body hygiene but avoid washing their hair, and many decide not to apply deodorants or perfumes.
One TikTok user recounted their experience, stating, “I stopped washing my hair entirely and now, without irony, I get more compliments from women about how it smells and how it looks.” He added that “Maximizing pheromones is the key” to success.
Another participant on the digital platform shared: “I stopped wearing perfume and I’ve been getting more compliments on my disgusting onion smell than ever before.”
In one video, a third person argued, “The reason you can’t pick up hot women is because you wear perfume and deodorant.”
But does this tactic really work? Although scientific studies indicate that smell can influence attraction between people, experts such as psychologists and dermatologists are categorical in stating that there is no evidence that the absence of bathing or hygiene increases attractiveness to potential partners.
Shereen Teymour, a dermatologist in New York, explained that “this practice of maximizing pheromones takes a kernel of scientific truth: the fact that humans produce individual chemical odors and that smell can influence how we perceive other people. And stretches it to a conclusion that science does not support.”
The expert also clarified: “Not taking a shower is not maximizing pheromones. Most of the time, it is maximizing bacteria.”
Although often referred to as “love chemicals,” pheromones are the subject of much misconception about their true nature and relevance.
Attraction to a partner’s scent is a genuine phenomenon, but it is not always directly linked to pheromones. The feeling of liking another person’s aroma can derive from the association of that particular smell with them, developing a preference for that specific fragrance.
Despite this, advertising for “perfumes with pheromones”, which are guaranteed to amplify the effect of these substances, continues to generate millions of views on social media. Although certain more intense odors may be attractive to a partner with whom one is already intimate – such as scents linked to exercise or sexual activity – it is uncommon for this type of attraction to occur with someone unknown.
