Fragrance as a status symbol? Rather not. Fragrance as a sexual attractant? Much more likely. And so research and marketing of pheromones, the odorless sex attractants, is being carried out on a broad front. But it seems to be astrological here. While some claim their existence, others provide evidence to the contrary. So are pheromones just a matter of faith?

Smells promote well-being and can evoke desire

How nice it is to cuddle up to your loved one and inhale their very personal scent! This creates feelings of safety, trust and security. After all, we are very close to the other person and can feel their body heat. This situation is reminiscent of the first months of life, when babies recognize their mother primarily by her smell. Little people experience the greatest delight when they are pressed against their mother's body and caressed. They need this skin contact like flowers need sunlight. When breastfeeding, they experience a pleasure that can even be observed on their genitals. Incidentally, this is no cause for concern, but a completely natural reaction. And under no circumstances should it be compared with the feelings of adults.

But it is therefore not surprising if lust comes into play later on when smelling, sniffing and the associated closeness. Lust that is, however, much more targeted than in infancy. It triggers in us the desire for intimacy and sexual contact. And so smells can be the best and most reliable sources of arousal. And it is precisely these olfactory sources of arousal that pheromones are designed to enhance

Pheromones in the animal world

Pheromones are scent molecules with different functions, which are clearly detectable at least in certain parts of the animal world:

- Goldfish use them to warn their conspecifics of enemies.
- They help silk spiders to find a partner.
- Pheromones calm excited dogs.

In humans, they are considered sexual attractants that increase a person's attractiveness, appeal and trustworthiness.

So if our own scent is not enough, we should simply apply a few spritzes of a pheromone-containing perfume. And there you have it. At least that's what the manufacturers of these substances promise. But it's not quite that simple.

To be or not to be, that is the question here

The existence of the pheromones androstenone, androstenol, androstadienone and estratetramol has not been clearly proven. Hanns Hatt, a cell physiologist at the Ruhr University in Bochum, deals with this evidence by profession. And yet, in an interview with Der Welt, he said that he believes that human pheromones also exist and that they play a role. He just couldn't prove it definitively. The matter is too complicated for that.

Zoologist Tristram Wyatt from the University of Oxford commented on pheromones in the journal "Proceedings of the Royal Society B" as follows: "Because humans are mammals, it is possible, perhaps even probable, that we have pheromones." Hmm, possible? Probably? That's just an assumption, an inference. So no trace of proof.

And now researchers from the University of Western Australia have come to the conclusion that the effectiveness of the two pheromones estratetramol and androstadienone on women and men cannot be proven, even if older studies claim the opposite.

Not everything can be explained scientifically

In this day and age, we should take with a grain of salt what is associated with sales intentions. However, not everything between heaven and earth can be explained scientifically. And so, as we all know, faith moves mountains. Perhaps this belief in the effect of pheromones alone makes them particularly attractive. Because when we are convinced that we are irresistible,

- we appear more self-confident,
- change our posture
- and are more open in our dealings with other people.

This change in behavior ultimately leads to us being more successful in making contact.

When a man like Steve McQueen explained his beguiling effect on women with his perfume, I think this is rather coquetry and a clear understatement. I would argue that he won women over with his charisma, his presence and not least his fame. But if they help us to be more self-confident, then bring on the pheromones! At least they don't do any harm. And in case of doubt, we just smell like ourselves. And, as we have seen, this can also be quite beneficial to lust.

Anja Drews - qualified sex educator for ORION

Sources: welt.de, spektrum.de & spiegel.de