Can Pheromones Make Us More Sexually Attractive?
If these pheromones turn on areas of the brain that control mood, hormones and sexual behavior, one might then ask: “Can these chemicals make us more attractive?” The answer is: Maybe. Researchers at the University of Chicago and University of Utah have found that the same sex hormone-like chemicals used in the Swedish study can in fact have a pheromone effect by producing changes in mood, heart rate, breathing, and body temperature. However, there is currently no indication these chemicals can actually increase sexual arousal or attraction. Many perfume companies have tried to capitalize on the potential sex-specific effects of these chemicals by adding them to their fragrances. But most of these companies add hormones from animals such as pigs and deer, so they probably don’t work. Pheromones are generally species-specific, so a perfume enhanced with pig pheromones is really only useful for other pigs. The promotions of one company that adds human hormones to its fragrances claim the
