Vabbing: Why people are using their vagina scent as a perfume

Don't knock it till you try it.

Two years ago, Gwyneth Paltrow was the subject of ridicule after she released a candle that supposedly smelled like her vagina. However, as the new trend of "vabbing" indicates, it seems the Goop goddess may have been ahead of the curve. So what exactly is vabbing? Well, as it's name suggests, it is a combination of the words vagina and dabbing, and, according to Healthline, it quite literally involves dabbing your own vaginal secretions on your body instead of perfume. The idea behind it is based on the belief that applying your natural fluids to your pressure points - your wrists, behind your ears - may make you more attractive to others. The trend has been gaining popularity since 2019, but just how sound is the science behind it? Well, while there has been no research done on vabbing specifically, the idea that our secretions can make us more desirable emerges from the science of pheromones and the role they play in mating in the animal kingdom. However, this theory doesn't necessarily hold up for humans. In fact, there's no solid evidence to suggest that we even produce pheromones at all. As one review published in the Journal of Advanced Research outlines, any previous studies that suggested humans secrete pheromones are unreliable as they were not controlled. Having said that, vabbing is gaining traction among some practitioners, though, as Healthline, suggests, this could purely be down to the placebo effect. If we believe that dabbing our vaginal juices on our pressure points will make us more attractive, we might act more confidently, and, as a result, come across as more attractive to partners and potential partners. While the verdict is out on whether it actually works, there are no health risks associated with vabbing, as long as you wash your hands before and after. Additionally, if you have bacterial vaginosis, it's likely that your secretions will smell unpleasant, so it's best to see your GP and clear the infection before giving vabbing a go.