As long as there are members of the opposite sex looking for an effortless way of attracting one another, pheromone-infused product may continue as a mainstay for many manufacturers and distributors.
“A lot of people don’t really grasp what a pheromone product does for the individual. Some think that if you wear it everyone will be attracted to you and immediately want to have sex,” Classic Erotica account executive Tera Grengs said. “Well, that’s not exactly the case. I find that pheromones make people relax and open up to others. This means people want to talk to you more and just want to be near you. In a world of packed night clubs and one-time meetings from Internet dating, it really helps to have that something ‘special’ to give you the upper hand.”
When a savvy copywriter sets themselves to the task of spinning a tale of magical attributes that attract the opposite sex, all kinds of great words fill the pages. - Bloom
As a leading source for pheromone bath and bodycare products, 80 percent of Classic Erotica’s range of product offerings contain pheromones, and include products such as Silky Sheets Pheromone Bed Sprays, Passion Pillows Pheromone Pillow Mists, Simply Sensual Luxe Mane Attraction Shampoo with Pheromones and Crazy Girl Pheromone Sexy Body Washes, among several others.
Pheromones are natural sex-signaling chemicals said to elicit sexual response and heighten arousal in both males and females. Many times, human pheromones are reproduced in laboratories.
“Many experts say pheromones, specifically alphaandrostenol, make the wearer seem more approachable and friendlier,” Topco Sales’s Erica Heathman said. “It has been called the ‘ice-breaker’ pheromone because users often say it opens up communication with a potential partner.”
Topco Sales uses alpha-androstenol in the Lure line of cosmetics and in several of the Adam & Eve pheromone-infused products.
“In the past few years this market has been growing,” Honey’s Place senior account manager Laura Sweet said. “The marketplace has been requesting it and the manufacturers have heard the request. It seems that each manufacturer, whether a lube company or a toy manufacturer, they all have some form of pheromone product to offer. The products themselves are all designed and packaged to be sold in any type of market.”
According to Sweet, with heightened attraction being the focus of pheromones, an interested shopper’s instinct calls for a visit to the local adult boutique, however pheromone products also may be found in spas and tanning salons. Additionally, pheromone products have unisex appeal, attracting both male and female shoppers.
“They are marketed towards men and women,” Sweet said. “Some are for both. I think anyone who is looking for a heightened attraction level would try them and use them at least once.”
CalExotics director of marketing Al Bloom said the popularity of pheromone has remained steady throughout the years.
“In general, it is a huge market, and has been for many years,” Bloom said. “My experience with pheromones pre-dates my tenure at California Exotic Novelties. There’s an old saying that ‘hope springs eternal,’ and the pheromone promise of a sexual attractant conjures up all kinds of imagined scenarios. Look in the back of many mainstream publications, and you will find several ads that spin a tale of the power of nature’s own natural attractant, pheromones.”
Grengs said that pheromone products also are particularly popular among Latin communities.
“Even mainstream companies are beginning to see the seductive side of pheromones,” she said. “Pheromone by Marilyn Miglin Eau De Parfum was launched in 1980 and is still selling today. Classic Erotica’s newest pheromone line is Simply Sensual and because of the beautiful packaging, high-end ingredients and extra pheromone boost, these products are really branching out into the more mainstream lingerie shops and spas.”
According to Bloom, since there is no particular ingredient or product identifier that may lend credibility to a pheromone product, a major role in the success of a pheromone product is the copywriting promoting its proposed effects.
“When a savvy copywriter sets themselves to the task of spinning a tale of magical attributes that attract the opposite sex, all kinds of great words fill the pages,” Bloom said. “Adult companies have been selling products with pheromones for years — either synthetic, or the pig variety. Most are synthetic, but the story goes that when in the air, the opposite sex is magically attracted to the source.
“Since words like ‘sexual attractant’ are part of the pheromone mystique, it has actually been more adult industry friendly, only to the extent that couched promises in a well written tale have always been the backbone of ads in the back of adult newsstand magazines.”
Among Honey’s Place bestselling pheromone products are System Jo’s Sensual Body Spray, deodorant and shave creams, Sweet said, as well as CalExotics’ latest and Topco’s greatest.
“Topco Sales has had Lure for Him and Lure for Her, which are colognes, on the market for years and has always sold well,” Sweet said. “And CalExotics has just recently released their Tantric Massage Candles, Body Mist & Spray on Massage Oil all enriched with pheromones. They are doing great for us!”
Topco’s Erica Heathman said that the Lure collection also has proved successful in many mainstream outlets.
“Lure for Him does very well, as does other female pheromone-infused products designed to attract the ladies,” Heathman said. “Topco Sales also manufactures a Unisex Lure fragrance designed to attract same-sex attention.”
Trigg Laboratories’ Wet Pheromone is a pheromoneinfused lubricant that was introduced in July 2000, and is perhaps the only one on the market.
“As far as we know, it is the only pheromone lubricant,” said Jennifer Martsolf, Trigg vice president of marketing said. “With a subtle, alluring scent, this silky, water-based formula works with your body to enhance your natural pheromones. Water-based Wet Pheromone Lubricant is meant for him and for her both. The alluring scent has the added bonus of imprinting the experience.
“Our sense of smell links strongly to memory and that powerful connection allows you to relive those favorite sensual experiences each time you smell the lubricant again,” Martsolf said. “We recommend dabbing a little on as cologne before you go out at night to signal your partner that you are in the mood.”
CalExotics has been selling Pheromone Mist, Pheromone Massage Oil, and Pheromone Lotions for more than 10 years, and thus inspired the addition of the Tantric line, Bloom said.
“These items have quietly been selling well, and that’s why we decided to add to the line in 2011,” Bloom said. “Our new Tantric Soy Massage Candles with Pheromones, Tantric Enriched Body Mist with Pheromones, and the Tantric Enriched Massage Oil with Pheromones were just introduced, and the response has been most gratifying. Pheromones, blended with wonderful scents like lavender, green tea, and pomegranate ginger are just wonderful additions to a night of passions. Real or perceived, the addition of nature’s own attractant is a powerful aphrodisiac, and the market is very receptive to mood enhancing products. We know from experience, so we have added nine new items based on history.”
