‘Please smell good’: Pheromone maxxing is the new dating trend, but Torontonians aren’t here for it

You’ve showered and put on your favourite perfume to feel your absolute best, only for your date to stink and proudly announce they’re “pheromone maxxing.” Do you call them out, stick it out, or ditch them?

The viral phenomenon of pheromone maxxing is taking over social media. Gaining popularity among predominantly young men, Toronto-based matchmaker and life coach Shannon Tebb describes the trend as releasing “specific pheromones to raise your attractiveness by not showering or avoiding deodorant as a way to attract someone.” 

But she explained it’s only a term that originated on the internet, and that there’s no scientific evidence that humans even emit pheromones that would lead to attraction, stating it’s mostly documented in animals.

So, for this edition of This is Dating Now, we asked Torontonians if they support the “pheromone maxxing” trend, or rebuke that energy.

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​‘Please smell good’: Torontonians share their thoughts on the trend

​Toronto resident Maia M. immediately expressed her shock at the trend and emphasized that everyone should practice good hygiene.

“We should stop doing that and shower,” she told Now Toronto. “I don’t know how this is a thing or when it became a thing, but if I’m showing up to a date, please smell good.”

Maia shared that if her date stunk, she wouldn’t stick around for long.

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“I would probably find a way to get out of the date. I feel too mean saying that to someone’s face, but I would try to end the date early. Maybe one drink,” she said.

Toronto resident Shannon M. agrees with Maia, calling the trend “wild.”

“That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard in my life,” she said.

She’s been married for 14 years and said she doesn’t mind a natural odour as long as it isn’t intolerable.

“I feel like I do love his pheromone smell, but sometimes it can be a little pungent. So I’m like, yeah, ‘bro, you need to shower,’” Shannon shared.

Toronto resident Christopher V. also recommends showering.

“If you want to impress your date, you want to smell clean, you want to smell nice,” he said.

But if his date smelled bad, he wouldn’t tell them, but would probably not ask them on another date, Christopher shared.

While Toronto resident Andrew S. is more straightforward and said he might “politely say something” if his date smelled bad.

Natural scent vs. perfume/cologne: Here’s what these Torontonians prefer and an expert’s advice

​Maia M. says she showers before a date and then uses luxury fragrance Maison Margiela, so in return, she expects her date to also smell good.

“I like smells. I know some people are weird about that, but wear perfume or cologne on a first date,” she said.

Meanwhile, Shannon M. agrees on showering, saying smelling good is always a priority.

“I would never not consider showering. In fact, right now I’m thinking, ‘Do I smell bad from a stressful meeting? Do I need to go home and shower?’” she said.

Shannon shared that she prefers a good natural smell.

“I don’t like cologne or perfume personally,” she added.

Christopher says he likes wearing cologne, and wears one spray per side of his neck.

“One here, one over here, then you’re good to go,” he said.

But Andrew swears by deodorant only.

“Just a little deodorant. I don’t like to overdo it. Even for a girl, a little perfume is nice, but don’t put on too much,” he said.

Tebb said it depends on personal preference, but being clean is important.

“You can shower and still smell fresh, and you don’t have to put on a ton of cologne, but if you’re not showering for days, not washing your hair, that’s going to repel people,” she said.

Tebb highlighted that poor hygiene can also indicate laziness.

“If you’re not taking care of your physical appearance and overall hygiene, then how do you live your everyday life? Those are indicators that you’re not taking care of yourself, that you might not have a clean home, and you might be more of a lazy partner,” she said.

“If you can’t take care of yourself, how can you take care of somebody else and have a family?” Tebb questioned.

Wearing perfume or cologne can be your “signature scent,” but whether you choose to wear perfume or not, it’s important to leave a positive lasting impression rather than a stinky one, Tebb explained.

“If you’re not smelling clean and fresh, how would somebody find that desirable? If anything, you’re going to kind of repel somebody,” she said.

‘Personal hygiene definitely applies to attraction’: A dating expert’s advice in dating

​Whether you choose to wear your natural scent or cologne/perfume, Tebb recommends being clean overall.

“Personal hygiene definitely applies to attraction,” she said. “You could look at someone far away; they could be dressed beautifully, but when you get close to them, they could have poor hygiene like bad breath or not smelling as fresh as they could, and that could turn you off.”

So, Tebb suggests shifting the focus from social media trends like pheromone maxxing onto taking care of yourself to be a better dater.

“When you’re trying to attract somebody, put your best foot forward, and that includes showering and staying on top of your hygiene,” she said.