There’s a new scent wafting through the dating scene and it’s not Chanel No 5. It’s far more personalized.
Women are whispering about a trend called ‘vabbing,’ short for ‘vaginal dabbing.’
Yes, I’m sorry to say, you read that right.
Like a perfume, single ladies are applying a little bit of their own bodily fluid behind the ears or on their wrists before hitting the town. And they’re convinced it makes them irresistible to men.
Sounds bonkers, right?
I first heard about it from a friend who messaged me: ‘Have you seen this vabbing thing? People swear they’re getting free drinks from it.’
I thought she was joking, but no. Women are sharing their ‘success stories’ online, claiming that ‘biofluids’ act as a natural pheromone perfume designed to lure a partner.
My only thought was, ‘Eww!’
Like a perfume, single ladies are applying a little bit of their own bodily fluid behind the ears or on their wrists before hitting the town. And they’re convinced it makes them irresistible to men
I first heard about it from a friend who messaged me: ‘Have you seen this vabbing thing? People swear they’re getting free drinks from it’
I’d like to think that the fairer sex is generally more intelligent than this, so what’s got women acting so filthy?
The theory goes that wild animals release chemical signals called pheromones to attract mates, so the same must apply to human beings.
These ‘vabbers’ believe they can bottle their natural scent and tap in to some primal magic that men can’t resist.
Some researchers think scent plays a subtle role in attraction. There’s even talk of ‘copulins’ – natural acids in a lady’s intimate secretions – said to influence male hormones and make us seem more attractive.
The problem, of course, is that these pheromones haven’t been proven to exist in humans.
Scientists have spent years trying isolate human pheromones. The results are mixed at best. But even if they do exist, there’s zero evidence that wiping them on your pulse points has any effect.
Still, the idea seems to have appeal. Online marketplaces like Amazon are awash with listings for ‘copulin concentrates’ – though, the women of TikTok seem to have taken the DIY route.
Beyond being downright bizarre, doctors warn that vabbing is unhygienic.
Applying these fluids to other parts of the body can transfer bacteria and cause infections. Dr Paraskevi Dimitriadi, a London-based gynecologist, has publicly cautioned that it could even lead to pelvic inflammatory disease if done improperly.
She also points out that if someone has thrush or bacterial vaginosis, the smell will be anything but seductive.
Geez, I hope you’re not eating while reading this.
Medical experts also warn about spreading sexually transmitted infections through skin contact. That alone should be enough to make anyone question why they’d want to smear their own bodily fluids around before a date.
The theory goes that wild animals release chemical signals called pheromones to attract mates, so the same must apply to human beings
For those unconvinced to give up vabbing for good, might I suggest trying a pheromone perfume? These commercially available sprays, sticks and oils that contain synthetic pheromones are a far better – and cleaner – way to experiment.
They might not make anyone fall at your feet, but they won’t land you in the clinic either.
Of course, this isn’t the first dating fad to make us cringe.
We’ve reached a point where dating advice sounds like witchcraft. Every few months, it seems there’s a new ‘hack’ circulating to help women find love: Manifest your soulmate. Text him at 11:11. Now this?
Modern-day romance just reeks of desperation. It’s exhausting. But the truth is that attraction has never been something you can engineer. The real secret has always been confidence.
After all, a few experts say that this pheromone trend acts like a cheeky placebo. If someone believes their scent will attract a hot date, it bolsters their self-confidence.
But please, for the love of hygiene and humanity, let’s put the lid back on this trend and stick to perfume that comes from a bottle – not your body.
