Aroma, Pheromones, and Female Sexual Arousal

Does aroma lead to romantic love? Can pheromones make a man irresistible? Sex is humans is seldom simple, but there is real evidence that the way to a woman’s heart is through her sense of scent, but female sexual arousal is not activated in the way most men expect.

In ancient times women were plied with gifts of sandalwood to get them in touch with their physical side. For centuries men have brought roses to open their loves and themselves to emotion. Cultures around the world have used bouquets of jasmine to inspire tranquility.

What about the conventional wisdom that a man’s sweat turns a woman on? The scientific evidence is that a single component in male perspiration, androstadienone, really does cause a physical reaction in women. The complication is that smelling male sweat causes an increase in women’s cortisol levels. Cortisol is the fight-or-flight hormone, not a pure sexual stimulation hormone.

Moreover, this kind of hormonal stimulation in women has a greater effect on mood than behavior. Whether stimulation of fight-or-flight leads to sex is a matter far more complicated than a simple turn-on or turn-off, but, on the whole, sweaty men are not walking aphrodisiacs for the human female. And laboratory testing confirms that the hormone reactions triggered by male sweat definitely do not transform a couch potato into an Adonis. Facial preference, measured in female test volunteers, is not changed by androstadienone.

What about women’s sexual activation by pheromone sprays? In a study of post-menopausal women at Harvard’s Brigham’s and Women’s Hospital, scientists found that pheromone colognes actually do work, provided they are used for about six weeks. A dash of pheromone in anticipation of a hot date just is not going to be successful.

Women of reproductive age are at their most receptive to sex pheromones at the middle of their reproductive cycle, 14 days before or after their periods. This is also the time when they are most likely to conceive. Pre-menopausal women are most receptive to hormones placed, or smelled, at their upper lip.

Certain aromas are definite sexual turnoffs in women. Almost any “man smells” discourage sexual arousal. Studies by Dr. Alan Hirsch found that women were turned off by stereotypically male odors, especially men's colognes and the scent of barbecued meat. The scent of cherries also reduced vaginal blood flow.

Finally, if the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, might the way to a woman’s heart be through her stomach, too? Dr. Hirsch’s study found that women are far less aroused by food scents. However, a combination of the scent of a licorice-flavored candy called Good & Plenty plus cucumber increased vaginal blood flow the most. While men tend to respond to single scents, women also responded strongly to a combination of the scents of Good & Plenty and banana nut bread.

Guys, unless you can come up with an excuse to send a gift basket of cucumbers, banana bread, and Good & Plenty bars every day, your best bet is to use pheromone sprays and learn to become a really good kisser. Aromas and pheromones, however, are no substitute for old-fashioned romance.