Men, Please Shower! Science (And Women) Do NOT Support Pheromone-Maxxing

0:00This is an I Heart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. We manage work, kids, appointments, bills, basically we keep everything moving. So if someone steals our identity, the last thing we need is another full-time job filling out forms and chasing down accounts. I mean, it can take months to restore ID theft on your own. So what can you do? You get Life Lock. Life Lock's Restoration Specialists will do the hard work for you. Because Life Lock truly protects your time, your name, and your identity. Get Life Lock at LifeLock.com and use promo code Amy for up to 30% off your first year. That's LifeLock.com code Amy. This message is sponsored by Regeneron and Santa Fe. Janokramer does not have direct experience with the product advertised. As the mother of a child who has eczema, I know how hard it is to watch your child struggle. It's frustrating trying everything from home remedies to topical prescription creams.

1:00But when you're a mom, you never stop trying. If you feel like your child's moderate to severe eczema is an under control with topical prescription therapies, it could be time to ask their doctor about duPixant duPillium Ab. DuPixant works inside the body helping to block a key source of inflammation that can cause eczema flare-ups on the outside. DuPixant helps your child stay ahead of their eczema symptoms with clear skin and less itch. And it's not a steroid or immunosuppressant. DuPixant can be used for children as young as six months. Severe allergic reactions, including skin reactions, can occur. Get help right away for face, mouth, tongue, or throat swelling, weaseng or trouble breathing. Tell your doctor right away of new or worsening eye problems like eye pain or vision changes, skin symptoms, joint aches, and pain, or a parasitic infection. Don't change or stop other treatments without talking to your doctor. DuPixant.com to learn more.

2:23SoCal for over 150 years. We make it easy. Toyota, let's go places. These days, there are more people than ever telling you how to manage your health. Your social media feed is packed with wellness trends telling you to cold plunge, protein max, and so much more. But what's actually real? What's exaggerated? What's just wrong? Health versus hype from the American Medical Association breaks it all down. Emmy nominated host Trace Dominguez talks to health influencers, real people, and most importantly, doctors, to separate fact from fiction. Because when it comes to your health, who you listen to matters.

3:23Listen to health versus hype wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, the folks, it is Sunday, September 6th, and I am going to try to keep an open mind on this one. But Roboc has told me that there is a way to a woman's heart. There is a way to make yourself fell as irresistible to women. The key? Don't wash your ass as often. Welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ, colloquials, colloquials way of saying it. Don't wash ass. People aren't taking, I say people, men think the key to making themselves irresistible to women could be showering less is what you're telling me. Well, I want to clear this up. I am not telling you that it is a joke. That's what you're telling me. I'm not telling you that that makes men sexier. I'm telling you that men think that makes men sexier. What do you think about that on the surface? Before you even get into, before you even dive into it, it is okay to say that sound silly. And it sounds like something only a man would say or think. Because there's no woman. I don't know a woman.

4:25I don't know a friend, a family member who is female, who thinks it's hot when a man has body odor. Okay. Then why is this a thing? Then why would a guy think that? Why would a guy think his body odor makes him more attractive, sexually attractive, right? Yes. Yes, because this man is being told by other men on social media that you have pheromones that attract the opposite sex. And that yes, it might fly in the face of reason, but the reality is it's our animal instinct and it's within us all. And if you just let your pheromones fly freely, you'll get all the ladies. Okay. Is there some science? Do you have something in there that's going to back this up? No. I have science. Wait, that does back in the book. Then there are fools. Oh, I thought it was the opposite. So why are they saying this? Okay, all I can tell you is that Gen Z men on TikTok. You say Gen Z men. Yes. Please tell me who are they again. Which one is that? It's like, it's, so, is that even now?

5:26Yes, even now. Okay, so the group above Sabine is, she only missed it by like a week. She's Gen A, I think. Gen Alpha. Thank you. But like, she's on the border. She's on the cusp. All right, Gen Z, that is. Gen Z is below millennial. So yes, it's the 20 something through something. All right. So once we're all dating, think they know it all. I don't know. We were all there at one point. We need to listen to them. Maybe they're onto something. So Gen Z men specifically on TikTok have been bragging about skipping showers for going deodorant, not washing their hair. And they're calling it Pharamone Maxing. That is the trend's name. The hashtag is everywhere. If you look up Google Pharamone Maxing, you will see a million articles. This is about young men letting their body odor build up to create what they call a biological superpower. They say it makes them irresistible to women, potential power partners, maybe not just women, maybe other men as well.

6:27And I just all I can think of is the Verrazano Bridge on Marathon Day. Wait, that's what we're waiting a minute, baby. Wait, wait, wait, wait, I don't understand. You don't shut like is there like for how long or is there just indefinite or what are we doing? I don't understand. But Pharamone Max, what should I start doing today? You should stop showering. Okay, I just went for a run. Yeah. Three miles. I'm not supposed to shout. Now you're ahead of the curve. Now you're hotter than most. Don't put deodorant on. Just go about your day. I got shit to do today. But no, but can you talk about what the Verrazano Bridge smells like on the foundation? Okay, yes. That's what we're talking about. Yes. Look, a lot of people, we're not in this group, but we'll, hey, I'm about to run a marathon anyway, why shower? So a lot of people will show up to a run. And in particular, at the marathon, this is really bad New York City marathon when you start. And we start with more elite folks because we get this privilege. So these are serious runners that we're in a group with. They're elite. And I also would say that there are a lot of them are from different countries. Yes, man.

7:27And fine. Okay. But it is one of the worst things I've ever smelled in my life. And I smell it once a year when I run this marathon. Folks, it is, it's be all beyond be all. And it's terrible. And that's how you start to write. You're actually pissed when you start because they're shoving and pushing and everybody's doing this thing and you have this odor on top of it. So if you're telling me, baby, those dudes are the sexiest men alive. Yes. That's what they're saying. And when you, when you, when some of those men and they are men who smell touch you with their sweat, I can still smell their stink on my arm. Like it is so repulsive to me. And that's all I can think of when I was reading these stories. So it can't be that nobody is going out there and intentionally trying to smell like that. Wait a minute, baby. Wait, wait, I don't understand. Yes. I told you a story that this reminded me of. When I was in high school, I was in my English class. And I can't remember which, which author it was. Maybe it was Henry James, but it was one of these older authors. And I remember my English teacher telling us that he wrote a letter to his wife saying,

8:31I'm coming home, baby. And it's going to take me three weeks, whatever passage he had to take on whatever ship don't shower. And we were all grossed out. And she's like, some people actually like natural scent. And it was a thing. And especially back in the day, he literally told his wife not to shower for three weeks. What was the day? How back in the day was this? I mean, this is like the 1800s, like that kind of a thing. Before ASAP. Before. Before deodorant. Before what they knew how people could actually smell it. They washed themselves daily and used wonderful scents. Okay. Okay, baby. Back to this. They made me men errand. They stink. Right? Or are they saying that that older than I am calling stinch is actually attractive and pleasant? Natural musk is what they call it. Okay. Here are some of the TikTok posts to give you some examples. Stop washing my hair at all. And now I unironically get more compliments on how it smells and looks from women. That was one post. Another post. I stopped using cologne and I've been getting so many more compliments on my disgusting

9:35onion smell than ever before. The recent comments? Yeah. Compliments. Okay. On my disgusting onion smell. The reason you can't pull baddies is because you wear cologne and deodorant. Honestly, when they, he said disgusting onion smell, I, you know that smell, that body odor smell. How could he, he's saying he gets compliments on how he smells. This is what he's putting out on TikTok. Then they actually have like tutorials on how to go three days without washing before a date to build a halo effect of pheromones. So I guess the idea is you go three days before your date without showering and then you'll have pheromones just oozing out of your pores and you'll get all the ladies. I would love to have a hidden camera on these men as they go on dates and I'd like to actually see what these women say and think and what their facial expressions are. So is this one of those things, man? To each his or her own. Maybe this is attractive to somebody. But it's being, that sounds okay, fine. If somebody likes a nasty onion smell and I'll leave it at that.

10:37Okay, but let's talk about the science. You asked about the science and this is where I'm just not buying any of this. What are we doing? What are pheromones? Pheromones are chemical signals released between individuals of the same species that can trigger behavioral or physiological responses, meaning you're sexually attracted to someone. These chemicals are linked to mating in animal species. Here's the deal. Human beings do not have a functional, I'm going to try to get this right, vomeronasal organ. A vomeronasal organ is found in animals and that is the organ that's used to detect pheromones. We lack the physical anatomy to process or even smell or pick up on pheromones. We're not animals, we're human beings. We don't have the organ that we need to detect pheromones. It's impossible for it to actually attract another human being.

11:43Human pheromones, by the way, have been studied for 60 years. This is something that scientists have truly looked into. The only thing... Scientists, guys, they were always trying to find a way to get women. Exactly. Nothing man would study. There is something in male sweats specifically called Andro stadiononeau. It's just me, we wouldn't know if you missed pronouncement. It's a testosterone derivative that is found in male sweats specifically. The National Institutes of Health, they actually put an upper lip application of a pharmacological dose of this testosterone derivative on women. The result was that it did improve their mood and heightened their focus. Women? Yep. They said the only thing they could say is a positive mood is known to facilitate a woman's sexual response. Basically, if a woman's at a better mood, she's more likely to have sex with you. Then they were like... Again, men know this.

12:46They said, even though they were able... That was the only thing they were able to like... Peace together from this derivative in male sweat. They said, despite that, psychologists and dermatologists say still there is no evidence whatsoever that skipping a shower is going to make you any more desirable to potential partners. Here's something from a board certified New York City dermatologist. Okay, can't get better than that. Let me hear it. Pheremone Maxing takes a kernel of legitimate science. The fact that humans produce individual chemical odors and that smell can influence how we perceive other people, but now stretching it into a conclusion that the science just does not support. That somehow smelling all of your natural sweat is not going to make a woman more attractive. I can speak from personal experience. I would run for the hills if I smelled body odor on anyone I was thinking about dating. Is this just guys looking for an excuse?

13:48To not shower? Maybe. That's actually totally like probably one of the best reasons I've ever heard. So I want to take them at their word, but you think a guy... These guys are for real on TikTok. I'm pulling women left and right as soon as I stop putting shampoo in my hair and body wash on my body. I am pulling. You can't get it. What was the line in there? You can't pull a baddie. What? It says the reason you can't pull baddies is because you wear a cologne and deodorant. Okay. Does he include a picture? I'm scratching sniff please. I'll themself. All right. So this all may sound funny and like you said, do what you want to each their own, but when we come back, we're going to tell you why Pheremone Maxing can actually be detrimental to your health and even dangerous. We manage work, kids, appointments, bills, basically we keep everything moving. So if someone steals our identity, the last thing we need is another full-time job filling

14:53out forms and chasing down accounts. I mean, it can take months to restore ID theft on your own. So what can you do? You get life lock. Life locks restoration specialists will do the hard work for you because life lock truly protects your time, your name and your identity. Get life lock at lifelock.com and use promo code Amy for up to 30% off your first year. That's lifelock.com code Amy. This message is sponsored by Regeneron and Santa Fe. Janokramer does not have direct experience with the product advertised. As the mother of a child who has eczema, I know how hard it is to watch your child struggle. It's frustrating trying everything from home remedies to topical prescription creams, but when you're a mom, you never stop trying. If you feel like your child's moderate to severe eczema is an under control with topical prescription therapies, it could be time to ask their doctor about duPixen duPilliumab. DuPixen works inside the body helping to block a key source of inflammation that can cause

15:54eczema flare-ups on the outside. DuPixen helps your child stay ahead of their eczema symptoms with clear skin and less itch, and it's not a steroid or immunosuppressant. DuPixen can be used for children as young as six months. Severe allergic reactions, including skin reactions can occur. Get help right away for face, mouth, tongue, or throat swelling, weezing or trouble breathing. Tell your doctor right away of new or worsening eye problems like eye pain or vision changes, skin symptoms, joint aches, and pain, or a parasitic infection. Don't change or stop other treatments without talking to your doctor. Visit duPixen.com to learn more. Hey, TJ, I have something that might get your attention. Well, just saying that, obviously, you got my attention. All right, Hero Bread has a new collab, a twist of anti-ans Hero Bread pretzel bites with 16 grams of protein to serve it. Up, anti-ans, pretzel bites, 16 grams of protein. Okay, yes, you have my attention now. And that's not all heroes break this bagels, have up to 19 grams of protein, and they also

16:59make sliced bread, tortillas, buns, and noodles. So, let me get to the right. Hero has found a way to rethink a lot of the carbs people were already in love with. That's right, exactly protein, fiber, and zero to five grams of net carbs without giving up the foods you actually want to eat. It's like a pretty easy swap. It is. So check it out at h-e-r-o dot-c-o that's hero dot-c-o and use code Amy for 10% off your order. All figures per serving of Hero Bread. See nutrition info on hero dot-co. This is Tamara Judge and Teddy Melon Camp from Two Teas in a Pod. There's a moment before anyone says it out loud. The room just feels different. I've been thinking about that lately. And for me, that's what pura is really about. Not just adding fragrance to a space, but shaping how a room feels is second you walk into it. Pura is a smart home fragrance diffuser, but the smart part isn't really about the tech. It's about what it does to a room.

18:01I can choose from hundreds of premium fragrances from brands I already love than set the scent, intensity, and schedule right from my phone. The space responds to me, not the other way around. And honestly, the diffuser itself looks like something you'd intentionally put on a shelf. It's a modern design object that happens to change the atmosphere of your home. If you're thoughtful about how your space feels, take a look at pura. Choose your sense of place at pura.com. That's pura.com. These days, there are more people than ever telling you how to manage your health. And we've all gone down an internet rabbit hole exploring the latest health trends. Your social media feed is packed with wellness advice telling you to cold plunge, protein max, detox, track your sleep. But what's actually real? What's exaggerated? What's just wrong? That's exactly what health versus hype from the American Medical Association and I Heart Media's Ruby Studio is here to find out.

19:02Each episode, Emmy nominated science communicator Trace Dominguez, who's racked up billions of views across PBS, Discovery Channel, and YouTube, talks to health influencers, real people, and most importantly, doctors to separate fact from fiction. Because when it comes to your health, who you listen to matters? Listen to health versus hype on the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, welcome back. Am I the only one when you tease right before break whose response was no shit? When you say, well, I can be dangerous. And what, what was your tease? Why I can be dangerous and why I can be? I'm not saying it can be detrimental to your health and dangerous. Yeah, okay, no kidding. Tell me why, not washing my butt for a week might not be good for my health. Yeah, here's the deal. I didn't, I guess I knew this, but not really. Did you know that actually fresh sweat is odorless?

20:03Your sweat when it comes out your body is odorless. Body odor happens when your natural skin bacteria breaks down your sweat. So your body has a process to cool off. And that is when you start to smell because it's your own body's bacteria that breaks down the sweat. Yeah, okay. So, pheromone maxing is actually bacteria maxing. Because when you don't wash the bacteria that is now all over your skin to break down the sweat, you now have bacteria all over your body. Okay. This trend should go away just on that. Everybody write that line, post it with the hashtag pheromone maxing and this trend should end. Vacteria maxing. That's what it is. That's what it is. Disgusting. Okay, and I think. How do you get in the bed, the same sheets every night? And you think about robs, bacteria, it haven't showered for three days. Let's cuddle. Ew. Let's get in this bed.

21:03What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? I don't know. I don't know. Yeah. Here we go. It goes like that. That just scüches. Does that really mean something? It uhhh Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Like you have that ear, you have that ear band, you'll hear that. Yeah. I did it. I don't know. Oh yeah. But then here we go. So it's like, I got my ear won to you, though. This happening. The head's like a double lock of a stag smell. Like a door, there is that. I don't know. painful. Not only is it disgusting to look at, it's painful. This is why people please shower. Yes, sir. And men, please understand, I believe that I can speak for all women when I say,

22:06we don't like how you smell when you smell. We don't like body odor. I don't like ax body spray either. Like powerful pungent odors period are not something that women like. A fresh, clean bar of soap smell with a spray of whatever clean, cologne fine. That's amazing. But can we say to each of her own mean, have you ever actually met someone who might even be in so in love with her guy? I just love how he smells when he comes back from a run kind of a thing. Have you ever known? No, now, everyone has their own unique smell. And I love that smell. But not when you haven't accompanied the smell with a shower. Your smell comes through even after your shower. See, that's the thing. They everyone has, you have a unique scent. You have that. I noticed that I smell that when you're funky, that is not the same thing. It's not, that's not who you are. That's not your scent. That's a universal disgusting. Oh my god, what did you eat last night? There's garlic coming out of your pores. It's disgusting. I mean, look, you, you can,

23:09I have, I have been in the gym. The best way I can kind of think about how this must smell or what they think they're actually achieving with whatever smell they want. If you have worked out in a gym in a foreign country where they eat very different foods than we possibly, and then you work out next to someone who clearly has not showered on a treadmill in a enclosed room. It is one of the most disgusting experiences I've ever had. And that's what I think of when that in the Arizona bridge, when I think about what these men are doing. And I, you know, look, if there's a woman out there who's listening, I would be so interested in what it is about a smell of filth that turns you on. But yes, I like someone's smell. But we, we turn. But why do we turn our back things? I mean, is this just silly or just funny or kind of a thing? Is this real or? But it seems like there are loyal followers of things that are simply clearly demonstrably wrong. Yeah. Like we can tell

24:09you this is unhealthy to do. 99.9% of women out there will tell you they don't like this. And yet you're saying, nope, I got baddies, baby. This is what you got to do. It feels like this is the manosphere thing. Like they've got like that, you know, oh, you've got low T and like, oh, my, I've got special superpowers in my sweat. Like it's this like delusional feeling like everything I do is better and and grander because I'm a man. That's what it feels like and men stink. You know what? I've been freaking out lately. I ran out of cologne. I'm like, oh, god, we got to I need a new scent. I'm I'm freaking out because I don't have it. The odorant's working just fine. But still I'm missing something. You need a little extra thing. No, this, this one's, you brought a lot of stuff to me that can be an open mind about I just don't understand. This one I don't understand. I'm trying to leave room. But hey, this is when we promote these as right people are giving their experience. People are following that and all of those guys listening to the other

25:11guy that said, if you want baddies, right? They're listening to him. They're not listening to you who just gave fact based on people with doctrine in front of their name years of study. Not just anecdotal because I went out and some girl says she liked my hair and I washed it in three days. No, Rose, listen to that. This is dangerous. There's no, in fact, we do not possess the capacity as human beings to actually be turned on by somebody else's scent. We do not. No, no, we do not. It may be we might be a little bit more of a positive mood according to that one N.I.H. study. But you know what? There are a lot of other ways you can put us in a positive mood. Yeah, I hear flowers. I was like, bring some flowers. Politeness. I hear compliments. Yeah, I hear those things. I'm going to cut. I've turned on right now. By the way, I love your open mind, but I'm really happy as closed off with Pharemone Maxing as it should be. We just came back from a run. I'm uncomfortable because I haven't chat with you. Same. Okay. All right. And with that, everyone, we always appreciate you listening to us. And please listen to me, fellas. And with that,

26:15I made me row back alongside DJ Holmes. We'll talk soon. We managed work, kids, appointments, bills. Basically, we keep everything moving. So if someone steals our identity, the last thing we need is another full-time job, filling out forms and chasing down accounts. I mean, it can take months to restore ID theft on your own. So what can you do? You get life lock. Life locks, restoration specialists will do the hard work for you because life lock truly protects your time, your name and your identity. Get life lock at lifelock.com and use promo code Amy for up to 30% off your first year. That's life lock.com code Amy. DJ Hero Bread has a new collab. I think people are going to want to hear about just a twist of anti-ans hero bread pretzel bites. That's the one 16 grams of protein is serving and heroes breakfast bagels have up to 19 grams of

27:18protein too. All right, hero. You have our attention. Go to H E R O dot CEO that's hero dot CEO and use code Amy for 10% off all figures per serving of hero bread. See nutrition info on hero dot co. This is Tamara judge and Teddy Melon camp from two teas in a pod. There's a moment before anyone says it out loud. The room just feels different. I've been thinking about that lately and for me, that's what pura is really about. Not just adding fragrance to a space, but shaping how room feels the second you walk into it. Pura is a smart home fragrance diffuser, but the smart part isn't really about the tech. It's about what it does to a room. I can choose from hundreds of premium fragrances from brands. I already love then set the scent, intensity and schedule right from my phone. The space responds to me, not the other way around. And honestly, the diffuser itself looks like something you'd intentionally put on a shelf. It's a modern design object that happens

28:20to change the atmosphere of your home. If you're thoughtful about how your space feels, take a look at pura. Choose your sense of place at pura dot com. That's pura dot com. Go for it because I've got oxyclean to get the stains out. It's not clean unless it's oxyclean. If you're a custodial supervisor at a local high school, you know that cleanliness is key. And that the best place to get cleaning supplies is from Granger. Granger helps you stay fully stocked on the products you trust from paper towels and disinfectants to floor scrubbers. Plus, you can rely on Granger for easy reordering so you never run out of what you need.

29:23Call 1-800-Granger. Click Granger dot com or just stop by. Granger for the ones who get it done. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.