Why are men not showering before dates now?

A dating trend is gaining traction among young men as a potential way to make their dates fall for them. Read on to find out how.Young men are now skipping shower and a deodrant before date night (Photo: Unsplash)Reading the headline alone calls for an “Eww, David.” We know.People do get a little anxious and prepare for date nights: where to go, what to say, what to wear, and, for most, how to smell good. But the latest trend, driven largely by social media platforms like TikTok, is encouraging people to skip the cologne—and even avoid showering just before a date.Yup, it's gross out loud. Yup it's giving the ick.The trend has is called “pheromone-maxxing”, the latest offshoot of the internet’s obsession with “maxxing” - from fibre-maxxing and sleep-maxxing to looks-maxxing and countless other ways of optimising the self.What’s pheromone-maxxing? We all try to smell good on a date night, right? In fact, a nice fragrance can sometimes be as attractive as the person wearing it. Well, that’s the starting point for pheromone-maxxing: the attractive smell.Pheromones are chemical substances released outside the body by an animal to trigger a specific behaviour (attraction being one of them) or response in another member of the same species. The theory behind the trend is that if humans also produce chemical signals linked to attraction, washing them away with soap, deodorant and an enthusiastic shower could be sabotaging your romantic prospects.Some men taking the trend seriously have reportedly been skipping showers and deodorant, wearing unwashed clothes and embracing their “natural musk”. Earlier, people ensured they did not smell bad, but now, is that the point? (Representative Image: Unsplash) According to a report by VICE, some people pheromone-maxxed to such an extent, that they also embraced everything from re-wearing unwashed clothes to drinking their own urine, all in the name of supposedly helping the body release toxins through sweat (We see the scrunched noses!).But here’s the important scientific footnote.Reportedly, human pheromones remain unproven. When it comes to humans, there is still no conclusive evidence of a chemical signal that can trigger attraction.That said, research has found that sweat and other bodily secretions can influence physiological or psychological responses. The famous 1995 “sweaty T-shirt” experiment, for instance, suggested that people might respond differently to the natural scents of potential partners. However, subsequent research has produced mixed results, and scientists are yet to identify a specific human chemical that can reliably make someone more attracted to another person.And what you must remember is that there is a difference between having a distinctive natural scent and deliberately marinating yourself in it. The body odour is influenced by factors including genetics, diet and environment; it is not necessarily some secret biological love potion waiting to be unlocked by skipping soap.So, if your dating strategy currently involves choosing between taking a shower and “trusting the pheromones,” perhaps take the shower. Dating or not, it’s best not to skip it anyway.- EndsPublished By: Jigyasa SahayPublished On: Sep 1, 2026 08:00 IST