Pheromones: Myth or Fact?

At my parties my  customers are always saying the funniest things about our products, giving me new stuff to say during my demo.  A comment made on Wednesday inspired today's posting about Pheromones. We have a product, Basic Instinct, that enhances ones pheromones, it smells different on everyone.  After putting it on one of the guests she exclaimed, "I smell like I drank a strawberry milkshake and threw up!"  Needless to say I cracked up laughing with other guests at the party.

So, what are pheromones?

Pheromones, or our sexual scent, can be defined as chemicals that have a biological or behavioral effect in  their own right, as opposed to scents that trigger responses because of a learned association, like when you salivate after smelling your favorite food. There are specific compounds within our body odors that can
potentially affect the physiology and behavior of others. Pheromones contain information about gender and the relatedness of individuals.

There are several types of pheromones produced by humans.  Many of you may have heard of the McClintock Effect, also known as menstrual synchrony or the dormitory effect, is a theory that proposes that the menstrual cycle of women who live together (such as in homes, dormitories, barracks, prison etc...) tend to become synchronized over time.  Psychologist Martha McClintock first studied and published her theory in the early 1970's and there has been debate since on how valid it is.

Most people are familar with pheromones as their "sex attractant".  Animals use pheromones to  find there mate and we humans do as well, and here you though it was your fabulous personality that attracted people to you. There are a complex numbers of factors that are involved in human sexual attraction, but it is obvious that our “sexual scent,” or our pheromones, play an important role. We, as humans, have a highly developed intellect and a rich compliment of emotions, ambitions, motivations and desires. Pheromones may affect our attitudes and nudge us towards a type of sexual behavior in concert with our higher intellect.

Some researchers found that male underarm extracts can affect the cycles of a specific reproductive hormone in women. Those extracts also affected the mood of women, making them calmer and more relaxed.  So the next time you are feeling stressed go smell a man's underarms.

What about the effects of female pheromones on men? In a 2001 study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas, men described the smell of a woman's T-shirt as more "sexy" or "pleasant" during the fertile stage of her menstrual cycle than the shirt of the same woman during her infertile stage (read more).

In 2005, 20/20 conducted their own study on pheromones.   They sent two sets of 20-something male and female twins to a speed-dating event and gave them each a scent, one twin in each set received pheromones, the other a placebo.  The twins did not know who had the real pheromones.

Each set went on 10 speed dates, each lasting five minutes. The daters then filled out forms stating which of the people they would like to see again. At the end of the night the results were in, nine men wanted to see the female twin wearing the pheromones compared to five who wanted to see the twin without pheromones.   As for the guys, 10 women were interested in the male twin wearing pheromones, six women were interested in the twin without pheromones (read more).

Another study published in the journal Physiology and Behavior, found 74% of women who wore their regular perfume with the added pheromone saw a significant increase in three or more of the following types of intimate behaviors with men:

• Frequency of kissing
• Heavy petting and affection
• Sexual intercourse
• Sleeping next to their partner
• Formal dates with men

Only 23% of women who had a placebo added to their perfume reported an increase in these factors. Researchers say those results show it was the pheromones that made the women more sexually attractive to men (read more).

So, how do you use pheromones in your daily routine? Pure Romance offers an extensive collection of products containing pheromones, which is the key to unlocking our “sexual scent.” These products react to your very own body chemistry and can enhance your mood – helping you feel more confident, sexy and daring. Pheromones can be used on a man or a woman and the smell varies just as much as our own sexual preference varies – meaning that no two person’s “sexual scents” are identical. You can use pheromones alone or with other perfumes, colognes, lotions or scented soaps to heighten your “scent.” By using pheromones you are getting down to our humanistic impulses – pure, natural attraction!

Ready to get some pheromones?  Browse Pure Romance's collection of pheromones products here.   If you have questions, feel free to comment or email and I'll answer them.

Have your own pheromone story? I would love to hear it!

Want to win a bottle of Basic Instinct? Leave a comment and follow me and be entered in a drawing to win a  bottle.  Winner will be announced January 31.