What pheromones are in pheromone perfumes?
Eight ingredients account for almost every pheromone perfume on the market. Five are pheromone candidates. Two are ordinary fragrance materials. One is a hormone that does not cross skin. Every one of them gets marketed the same way, so the table below separates them.
5 pheromone candidates · 2 fragrance materials · 1 hormone
The eight ingredients, compared
| Ingredient | Type | Formula | Molar mass | CAS | Sold as | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allopregnanolone | Other | mixture | — | — | — | Weak |
| Alpha-Androstadienol | Other | mixture | — | — | — | Weak |
| Androstadienol | Other | mixture | — | — | — | Weak |
| Androstanone | Other | mixture | — | — | — | Anecdotal |
| Androstatrione | Other | mixture | — | — | — | Anecdotal |
| Androstenetrione | Other | mixture | — | — | — | Weak |
| Androsterone | Other | mixture | — | — | — | Anecdotal |
| Androsterone Sulfate | Other | mixture | — | — | — | Anecdotal |
| Beta-Androstadienol | Other | mixture | — | — | — | Weak |
| Beta-Androstanol | Other | mixture | — | — | — | Weak |
| Beta-Androstenol | Other | mixture | — | — | — | Weak |
| DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) | Other | mixture | — | — | — | None |
| DHEA-S (DHEA Sulfate) | Other | mixture | — | — | — | Anecdotal |
| Epiallopregnanolone | Other | mixture | — | — | — | Weak |
| Epiandrosterone | Other | mixture | — | — | — | Anecdotal |
| Estratetraenol Acetate | Other | mixture | — | — | — | Weak |
| Methoxyestratetraenol (MEO-EST) | Other | mixture | — | — | — | Anecdotal |
| Methoxyestratetraenone (MEO-EST-ONE) | Other | mixture | — | — | — | Anecdotal |
| Pregnenolone | Other | mixture | — | — | — | None |
| Pregnenolone Sulfate | Other | mixture | — | — | — | Anecdotal |
| THDOC (Tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone) | Other | mixture | — | — | — | Weak |
| Androstadienone | Pheromone candidate | C19H26O | 270.4 | 4075-07-4 | Mood and arousal in women | Mixed |
| Androstenol | Pheromone candidate | C19H30O | 274.4 | 1153-51-1 | Approachability | Mixed |
| Androstenone | Pheromone candidate | C19H28O | 272.4 | 18339-16-7 | Dominance / masculinity | Mixed |
| Copulins | Pheromone candidate | mixture | — | — | Female attraction signal | Mixed |
| Estratetraenol | Pheromone candidate | C18H22O | 254.4 | 1150-90-9 | Female-to-male signal | Mixed |
| Iso E Super | Fragrance material | C16H26O | 234.38 | 54464-57-2 | Skin-like base note | Strong |
| Synthetic Musks | Fragrance material | mixture | — | — | Clean musk, longer wear | Strong |
| Oxytocin Sprays | Hormone | C43H66N12O12S2 | 1007.2 | 50-56-6 | Trust and bonding | Anecdotal |
Formulas, molar masses and CAS numbers are verified against PubChem. Copulins and synthetic musks are mixtures, so neither has a single formula or CAS. For a layer-by-layer walk through what else is in the bottle — the fragrance base and the carrier — read pheromone perfume ingredients explained.
Every ingredient, explained
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Allopregnanolone
A potent GABA-A neurosteroid (the drug brexanolone) that reaches pheromone lists as a mood/calm molecule via internal action, not as a chemosignal.
Evidence: Weak
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Alpha-Androstadienol
The 3α-hydroxyl isomer of androstadienol — a trace 16-androstene precursor distinguished from the common 3β form only by the orientation of its hydroxyl, and with no assigned CAS number.
Evidence: Weak
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Androstadienol
A 16-androstene steroid in human sweat that acts as the chemical precursor to androstadienone, androstenone, and androstenol — the molecules pheromone research actually studies.
Evidence: Weak
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Androstanone
The fully saturated analogue of androstenone (5α-androstan-3-one) that the pheromone community rates as a dominance-and-charm molecule.
Evidence: Anecdotal
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Androstatrione
A community-named "visual brightener" pheromone whose exact chemical identity and CAS are not standardized — most plausibly an androstane trione.
Evidence: Anecdotal
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Androstenetrione
A synthetic androstene trione best known as the aromatase inhibitor "6-OXO" — a supplement compound, not a worn pheromone.
Evidence: Weak
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Androsterone
A weak-androgen metabolite present in human sweat and urine that the community rates highly as a "respect and status" pheromone.
Evidence: Anecdotal
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Androsterone Sulfate
The sulfated storage form of androsterone, described in the community as a mood-elevating, warm and social molecule.
Evidence: Anecdotal
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Beta-Androstadienol
The 3β-hydroxyl isomer of androstadienol and the form nearly all references mean — the sweat-borne 16-androstene precursor to androstadienone, androstenone and androstenol.
Evidence: Weak
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Beta-Androstanol
A fully saturated androstane alcohol and testosterone metabolite — the faint, saturated counterpart to the musky androstenols.
Evidence: Weak
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Beta-Androstenol
The 3β isomer of androstenol — a genuine 16-androstene sweat pheromone with a sandalwood-leaning odour and, unlike the alpha form, no GABA-A neuroactivity.
Evidence: Weak
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DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone)
The most abundant steroid hormone the adrenal glands make and the precursor to testosterone and estrogen — an endocrine hormone, not a spray-on pheromone, despite showing up on molecule lists.
Evidence: None
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DHEA-S (DHEA Sulfate)
The sulfated storage form of DHEA and the most abundant steroid in human blood — carried in pheromone blends on the same precursor-reservoir logic as DHEA.
Evidence: Anecdotal
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Epiallopregnanolone
The 3β epimer of allopregnanolone — notably lacking allopregnanolone’s GABA-A activity, which makes its presence here mostly structural.
Evidence: Weak
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Epiandrosterone
The 3β epimer of androsterone, a DHT-pathway metabolite the community rates as a likability and charm molecule.
Evidence: Anecdotal
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Estratetraenol Acetate
The acetate ester of estratetraenol — a synthetic prodrug meant to hydrolyze on skin back to the female-signal estratetraenol; no verifiable CAS.
Evidence: Weak
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Methoxyestratetraenol (MEO-EST)
The methyl ether of estratetraenol, a community-favored "social buffer" molecule — despite the name, it has no free hydroxyl.
Evidence: Anecdotal
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Methoxyestratetraenone (MEO-EST-ONE)
A disputed-identity "ketone" estratetraene that's reportedly just equilin — a horse estrogen. The running joke of the pheromone-molecule list, and one to skip.
Evidence: Anecdotal
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Pregnenolone
The "mother" steroid hormone every other steroid is built from — an endocrine and neurosteroid precursor, not a topical pheromone.
Evidence: None
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Pregnenolone Sulfate
The sulfated form of pregnenolone — an excitatory neurosteroid and precursor reservoir, on the list via the same indirect logic as pregnenolone.
Evidence: Anecdotal
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THDOC (Tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone)
A stress-responsive GABA-A neurosteroid related to allopregnanolone — a mood/calm molecule by internal action, with an isomer-dependent identity.
Evidence: Weak
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Androstadienone
A steroid derivative of testosterone found in male sweat and semen — the molecule with the strongest research signal for affecting women's mood and attention, though the strength of the effect remains debated.
Evidence: Mixed
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Androstenol
A 16-androstene steroid found in male sweat and saliva — historically marketed as the 'friendliness pheromone' for its association with social-approach behavior, though the evidence base is older and thinner than for androstadienone.
Evidence: Mixed
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Androstenone
A steroid molecule found in male sweat, saliva, and urine — used in pheromone perfumes as a dominance and attraction signal.
Evidence: Mixed
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Copulins
A mix of short-chain aliphatic fatty acids found in female vaginal secretions, used in women's pheromone perfumes as an attraction signal.
Evidence: Mixed
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Estratetraenol
An estrogen-derived steroid found in female urine — proposed as the female counterpart to androstadienone in human chemosignal research, with similarly contested evidence for behavioral effects on men.
Evidence: Mixed
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Iso E Super
A synthetic fragrance ingredient with a velvety, woody-skin scent that smells distinctly 'pheromone-like' to many people — though it is NOT a pheromone, it's a perfumery aromachemical patented by IFF.
Evidence: Strong (as a fragrance ingredient, not as a pheromone)
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Synthetic Musks
A family of synthetic aromachemicals that produce 'clean skin/musk' scent — they are NOT pheromones, they are perfumery base notes used to extend wear time and create the perception of sensual skin scent.
Evidence: Strong (as fragrance ingredients, not as pheromones)
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Oxytocin Sprays
Sprayable formulations containing synthetic oxytocin, the 'trust/bonding hormone' — marketed as a confidence-boosting alternative to androgen-based pheromone perfumes, with a much weaker and more contested mechanistic story.
Evidence: Anecdotal