Why do many Gen Z men wear unwashed clothes before dates? Science behind the ‘pheromone maxxing’ phenomenon explained

The idea of not showering before your dates can seem outrageous. But that’s what the Gen Z men are doing. According to a Times of India report, many men are engaging in a trend called pheromone maxxing. "Pheromone maxxing" is precisely what it sounds like: some Gen Z guys are attempting to improve their dating lives by forgoing the shower rather than dressing up. The primary idea behind the trend is to use "natural scent" instead of soap, deodorant, or even clean clothes. You're supposed to be completely irresistible on a date because all those stored-up pheromones will do the flirting for you.

What Is Pheromone Maxxing?

According to a Times of India report, pheromone maxxing simply means to rely on your own natural smell rather than artificial perfumes. Pheromones are real, but they are used mostly by animals. Ants utilise pheromones to build highways. Moths also use it to find their mates. While body odour does play a role in attracting a partner when it comes to human mating dances, researchers haven’t really reached a consensus as to how important it is in dating.


As per a study conducted by Oxford zoologist Tristam Wyatt, there is no hard evidence for the existence of human pheromones, including steroid molecules that have been marketed as pheromones.

In 1995, a group of researchers let various women sniff shirts worn by different men. It was found that women preferred men whose scent indicated that their MHC complex or immune system genes were different from their own. However, a 2020 report found these claims to be mostly unsubstantial, as there was no evidence that body odour played a definite role in mate selection.

Ultimately, while smelling good won’t guarantee you a great date, having a bad body odour can be a turnoff certainly. Neglecting to wash up can affect your skin and hygiene negatively too, which can create a negative impression on a first date.