Imagine a cologne that doesn"t just make you smell good, it makes you look good, too. That is what pheromone cologne manufacturers would have you believe. A typical product has a selling line like, "Would you like to turn beautiful single women on instantly?" Who would say no? Mixed with alluring fragrances, pheromone colognes reportedly work on the principal that humans can detect and be influenced by pheromones, but what are they?

Technically, pheromones are chemicals produced by animals that affect the behavior of other animals. This isn"t a purely sexual affair as many would have you believe. There are pheromones for everything from marking territories to leading the way to food. Most of the attention, however, is on the well documented fact that many insects and animals find and respond to their potential mates based on pheromones.

Human pheromones don"t really have a strong scent. The myth that by applying deodorant, you are covering up your natural pheromones doesn"t hold much water. Most people would definitely prefer the smell of deodorant over strong body odor. Technically, pheromones are odorless; they are more or less "detected" by an organ in your nose called the vomeronasal organ. This organ, though more developed in other mammals, sends signals to the brain when pheromones are detected that may say things like, "Whoa, healthy genes at 8 o"clock, let"s get his number." At least that"s what buyers of these products hope.

Pheromones are actually regulated as fragrances so there is no limit to the amount of pheromone in pheromone cologne. Some of the more popular pheromone cologne products out there are Athena Pheromone, Pherone Formulas, Pherplay, and Pherlife. Not just for men, there are also pheromone perfumes targeted towards women who want to use the power of pheromones to attract men. Remember that results can vary and make sure to check customer feedback on these products before buying.