What is pheromone-maxxing? The no-shower trend, explained.

Getting ready for a date usually comes with a fairly predictable checklist: Take a shower, apply deodorant, and find a shirt that has recently been through the washing machine.

But one corner of the internet would like men to reconsider all three.

Meet "pheromone-maxxing," the latest "maxxing" trend circulating among some young men online.

The idea is to skip showers , avoid deodorant, or wear dirty clothes in hopes of amplifying their natural pheromones and making themselves more attractive to potential partners.

Pheromones are chemical signals released by an organism that can affect the behavior or physiology of another member of the same species.

They are well documented in many animals, but scientists have not conclusively identified a human sex pheromone.

Still, pheromone-maxxers believe their natural scent will increase the pheromones they emit and, in turn, make them more attractive.

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It is certainly one way to make a first impression.

But the pitch takes a real phenomenon — the role scent can play in attraction — and stretches it much further than the science currently supports.

Pheromone-maxxing has emerged alongside the broader rise of looksmaxxing , an online culture in which boys and young men try to optimize their appearance through skincare, exercise, cosmetic procedures, and sometimes risky DIY practices, all in pursuit of becoming more attractive.