Experts issue warning as 'pheromone-maxxing' trend is becoming more popular

A doctor has issued a warning after a 'pheromone-maxxing' trend has gone viral, urging that the 'science doesn't support' it.

If you have browsed at all on social media in the last several months, chances are you've come across the endless array of 'maxxing' trends taking over your 'For You Page'.

The latest of which is 'pheromone-maxxing', and experts have issued a warning against it for numerous reasons.

"Pheromone-maxxing takes a kernel of legitimate science - the fact that humans produce individual chemical odors and that smell can influence how we perceive other people - and stretches it into a conclusion the science doesn’t support," warns Dr. Shereen Teymour, a board-certified dermatologist in New York, speaking with USA Today.

For those that don't know, pheromones are essentially chemical signals released between individuals of the same species, and they can trigger certain psychological or even behavioral responses from another.

For example, there are sex pheromones, which attract mates or signal reproductive readiness, and alarm pheromones, which warn of danger or predators, among many more.

But some users online are now claiming that a human's natural odor can play a role in how attracted people are to them.

'Pheromone-maxxing' has taken TikTok by storm. (Getty Stock Images)

"I stopped using cologne, and I've been getting more compliments on my disgusting onion smell than ever," one wrote.

Writing on TikTok, another user added: "The reason you can’t pull baddies is because you wear cologne and deodorant."

A third noted: "Stopped washing my hair at all and now I unironically get more compliments on how it smells and looks - Pheromone maxxing is key."

But Dr. Teymour has warned that not showering isn't actually the solution to finding a partner.

Instead, he dubbed the trend 'bacteria-maxxing'.

Also speaking with the outlet, Pamela Dalton, a psychologist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, added: "Human chemical communication does not really influence behavior in the same way that pheromones in other species do."

Adverts for 'pheromone perfumes' have been circulating. (Getty Stock Images)

And she suggests that while some strong smells could be considered attractive between partners, it's actually rare for this phenomenon to occur between strangers.

But the trend really has taken the internet by storm, with adverts for 'pheromone perfumes', which pledge to intensify a person's natural scent, gaining millions of views (and possibly converting to sales!).

Many, however, aren't onboard with the movement, as one on Reddit wrote: "maxxing in any form makes you incredibly unattractive to everyone."

Another added: "Honestly, make some soap and market it as pheromone maxing. Win win for everyone."

As a third wrote: "I personally like 'natural scent' as opposed to cologne, but for heaven’s sake take a shower."