A woman in her 30s says she’s hooked on vabbing – a viral dating hack using vaginal fluids as a “love potion” – and swears it’s her secret weapon for attracting men, despite never having been in a romantic relationship.
Vabbing – a term blending “vagina” and “dabbing” – involves applying vaginal secretions to pulse points like the wrists, behind the ears, or the neck in the belief that these natural fluids contain pheromones capable of enhancing attraction.
While the idea might sound outrageous, vabbing has been around for years – possibly even centuries. But the term was first coined by sexologist Shan Boodram, who claimed she had been using the method to attract men for more than a decade.
“I am certain that every single time I employ it, it makes me feel like an enchanted goddess with a delicious secret,” Boodram wrote in Refinery29, pulling an excerpt from her 2019 book, “The Game of Desire.” “Vaginal fluids, especially around ovulation – but really any time you want to feel an extra boost of confidence – can serve as a love potion.”
Viral trend
Three years later, the luring technique exploded into public consciousness thanks to TikTok, where it was enthusiastically promoted by influencers and self-styled dating experts.
According to the Daily Mail, the clip that ignited the trend came from TikToker Mandy Lee, who confidently declared: “I swear if you vab, you will attract people, like a date, a one-night stand or you’ll just get free drinks all night,” Lee said in the now-deleted video. “Get up there, give ’em a swipe. You don’t have to be fresh out of the shower clean but relatively clean.”
“Proceed with caution – because it works,” Lee claimed.
Before Lee’s clip was removed, it gathered more than 1.5 million likes, and set off a wave of TikTok copycats, who fueled the trend’s momentum by sharing their own vabbing “success” stories.
One user, @jewlieah, posted a clip titled “Vabbing at the gym for the first time,” claiming, “It worked, the vabbing worked!”
Meanwhile on X, another netizen wrote: “I want everyone to know that Vabbing works. Not a joke.”
Animal attraction
Despite the viral enthusiasm, science offers a more cautious perspective. The theory behind vabbing hinges on pheromones – chemical compounds used by animals to communicate.
Many species use them for marking territory, signaling danger, or attracting mates. For example, a female moth can release pheromones that draw males from miles away.
But humans aren’t so lucky.
According to a study on sexual attraction and body odor, it remains unclear whether pheromones affect human mating behavior in any meaningful way. “Pheromones play an important role in how animals communicate with each other,” the study notes, “but research is divided as to whether pheromones play a significant role in sexual and romantic compatibility for humans.”
‘Pheromone perfume’
Sexual wellness expert Edwina Caito reinforced this skepticism in an interview with Cosmopolitan. “Humans do secrete sex pheromones, but the jury is still out on whether or not they still create a reaction as they once did…although our vaginal secretions do have a small amount of pheromones, it’s not enough to brew up a pheromone perfume”
Neuroscientist Professor Erick Janssen of KU Leuven, speaking to EuroNews, called vabbing a “fad” or even a “vad,” stating bluntly: “Pheromones are not things we consciously smell.” He added that he “seriously questions the validity of the claims involved.”
So, if there’s no strong evidence that vabbing biologically attracts partners, why do so many people claim it works?
Confidence
Experts suggest the answer may lie in confidence, not chemistry.
“Regardless of if vaginal pheromones truly make a person irresistible or not, the fact that you think it does, will cause you to act in a bolder, more confident manner,” Boodram explained.
Mike Hall, writing for The Skeptic, proposed there’s a “sexual placebo effect” in play.
“Women who vab and then go out clubbing are going to feel more confident in themselves,” he wrote. “They are going to feel more attractive, feel more irresistible, and that additional confidence might be what is resulting in an increase in their romantic and sexual success.”
Still, even confidence has its limits – especially if it puts health at risk.
Health risks
Doctors have raised concerns about the hygiene involved in the practice.
Dr. Paraskevi Dimitriadi, a London-based gynecologist, told Daily Mail that improper vabbing could increase the risk of infection.
“If you use dirty fingers inside your vagina to collect discharge,” she warned, “you can not only potentially traumatize the tissue in your vagina but also spread infection, potentially causing something as serious as a pelvic inflammatory disease.”
“Dirty fingers could also cause bacterial vaginosis or thrush,” Dimitriadi added, emphasizing that such infections can produce unpleasant discharge “and will not help you attract a partner.”
Addiction admission
At the center of the vabbing trend is Cassy, whose story was featured on TLC’s My Strange Addiction. In a recent episode, Cassy described how the practice has become part of her daily life, revealing, “I’m addicted to vabbing.”
“Maybe someone will walk by and say, ‘hey, you smell good, how are you?’” said Cassy, who’s in her 30s.
“I don’t think I smell like vagina. I don’t know. But I don’t think I do because no one has ever said that I did,” said the woman, who admitted she’s never been in a relationship.
“It’s supposed to attract a man and I’m hoping that it will…[If] not, then I’m just doing weird stuff,” she added with a laugh.
Do you think vabbing is “just weird stuff?” Please let us know your thoughts and then share this story with others so we can hear from them!
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