January, 2002
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Letter from the Prez:

Dear Readers,

Well, it\'s 2002. A little late in the month to be saying it, but what the heck: Happy new year!
Let\'s make it a good one for everybody!

Start by smiling at someone today!
Bruce Boyd
Love-Scent.com
******************
Bruce Boyd
Editor
Pheromone Research News
news@love-scent.com <mailto:news@love-scent.com>
<http://love-scent.com>
====================================

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IN THIS ISSUE OF PHEROMONE NEWS:

*Last Month\'s Survey & Contest Results
*Pheromone Q and A
*Feature Article: Odor, Pheromones and Human Behavior (by Dale Andrews)
*This month\'s \"Free Pheromones\" Survey/Contest
*New Products
*User Corner - Reader Pheromone Stories
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LAST MONTH\'S SURVEY & CONTEST RESULTS

CONTEST WINNERS:
Names of survey drawing winners were not ready at press time. They will be contacted by e-mail privately and given their choice of any Love Scent product(s) up to $30 in value!
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LAST MONTH\'S SURVEY RESULTS


Male Responses:
-------------------
1. Have you ever been \"typecast\" or quickly judged because you fall into a certain stereotype? How so?

--> With a natural shyness and wearing glasses, I\'m often play the typical \"wallflower\". Because of this, I usually only have 2 types of relationships with women; very distant or (once they get to know me) close and intimate.
--> I tend to dress very conservatively, and have a habit of speaking very authoritatively; people some times type cast me as an intellectual, brainy type.
--> Yes, because I\'m friendly, outgoing, & flirt around a little, many people think I\'m a playboy, when I\'m not actually so. I\'m not seen as a potential friend but avoided because of being stereotyped as a playboy.
--> When I was younger I was in a band with very long hair and all the front. I generally attracted the girls who were into this image, not necessarily who I was. Later as I got older I dropped the image, the front and the \"look\". Sure enough my new appearance made people perceive me different. This goes for guys and girls. I think this basically goes with the basic human characteristic of perceiving what is superficial first then slowly developing deeper.
--> Many people typecast me as someone who is rude and unfriendly when in reality, I am very shy. My shyness makes me not look at people with eye contact and I try to move away because I shy
--> Yes! Being an outgoing person, I will approach anyone and talk about anything! Things I talk about are nice and conversational, (not pick up lines or obscene language or topics). Sometimes, mature women look at me funny or just brush me off with the \"cold shoulder\" because they think I\'m trying to hit on them! I usually try and converse with people around my age or older.


2. Have you ever avoided getting to know someone of the opposite sex, because something about them triggered a negative movie or television image?

--> Recently there was a young lady that had the classic \"evil friend\" look. She was attractive and might just be a nice person, but I just walked on by.
--> I have missed the opportunity to meet some members of the opposite sex for a myriad of reasons, but a TV or movie image has never been the reason.
--> Yes. Usually, arrogant looking glamourous movie-starlike people.
--> No. How shallow! Movies and TV are MAKE BELIEVE! Anyone who gets caught up in them to the point you\'re describing is someone I don\'t what to know.
--> No, not really. I try to give anyone a chance regardless of what they remind me of. All people are different in their own way; I try to find that difference.
--> Yes, I actually avoided conversation with my senior co-worker because she looked liked the evil queen in the Snow White cartoon.


3. a. Men: How could women avoid some of the negative stereotypes that cause you to shy away?

--> I don\'t know about negative stereotypes, but to all the women out there, give a shy guy some help. Be clear. Make eye contact and motion us over. Once I know I\'m not likely to be rejected, I become much more relaxed.
--> Some times it appears the women look at the \"super models\" almost angry look, and try to imitate it. Well, I\'ll guarantee most guys are not looking to talk to someone that looks angry. Smile, and make eye contact, it will help put us at ease.
--> Don\'t be snobbish. Smile a little more. & if you don\'t like the guy, don\'t pretend not to hear him & look away.
--> I know plenty of women who admit to playing the \"ice queen\" or \"aloof\" type. None of the guys I know are interested in this characteristic in a woman. It tends to reflect an insecurity and arrogance which I and many of my friends find repulsive.
--> Presenting a clean, healthy appearance, and by being as natural and honest as possible relative to the situation at hand.

Female Responses:
--------------------

1. Have you ever been \"typecast\" or quickly judged because you fall into a certain stereotype? How so?

--> I think that we are all labeled at least once in our lives! I am an overweight female, and most think that i\'m shy, probably am unclean or smell bad, or sweat all the time!! In reality when it comes to personal hygiene i\'m a cleanie!
--> People call me \"Daria,\" after the cartoon. They tell me I seem rather standoffish and quiet and very \"nerdy\" because I hang out with guys who like computers more than anything. Oftentimes people will not talk to me because of this.
--> I get judged twice, once when people first meet me (sweet cute little christian girl, then again when they find out I\'m in a sorority and used to party! between the 2 impressions, I find very few men are able to figure out how to act towards me. Either they\'re turned off by how quiet I am now, or scared off by the image of the crazy sorority sister.
--> In high school I hung out with the \"rockers\", and dressed like them....leathers, cowboy boots etc. On the other side of it, I had all college prep classes. Since I looked like a \"rocker\", everyone assumed I wasn\'t all that smart.
--> A lot of my friends can be really loud and obnoxious sometimes and a lot of people think that I\'m like that also, when it\'s the total opposite.
--> Yes I have been. When I was about 12 I had lost a good amount of weight and noticed the difference immediately. All of a sudden I had boys and grown men paying attention to me all of the time. I also had tons of new girl friends that wouldn\'t have been seen with me when I was over weight. It was nice, but a little scary. All of a sudden I went from no one paying attention to me, to grown men thinking they could come by and touch me however they wanted. When I say grown men were doing this they thought I was a lot older. I had guesses of up to 21 years old. But eventually, by the time I was 15, I was gaining weight again and all of the attention dwindled away. My personality never changed, just my appearance. It\'s amazing how differently you are treated just because the way you look.
--> Yes. I am a very casual female who prefers to wear jeans and sneakers. I don\'t wear pink and stick to blues, greys and whites. People tend to think that I am not a sensitive person and less feminine because of it.


2. Have you ever avoided getting to know someone of the opposite sex, because something about them triggered a negative movie or television image?

--> Not really, although because I\'ve been turned down a lot, i\'ve come to know the Usual type of jerk!! BUt I try not to judge too hastily and if I like someone I\'ll go for it usually even if he does seem to be a \"fat chance\"
--> No, I usually end up thinking more of how my friends and family will react to the guy, not the general media stereotype.
--> No, I always try to get to know someone before I start implying things about them
--> Yes, but no specific movie image. Just all of them put together gives you a sense that you cannot approach someone that looks like they are \"better\" than you.
--> If a guy is too \"coifed\" a la Soap Opera actor type I will usually avoid him like the plague. If he looks like he wants more mirror time than me I\'m out!

3. b. Women: What could men say or do to make you want to look beyond a bad first impression?

--> If he made a bad first impression be sure to stop trying to act like something he\'s not, and just be himself. That\'s what i\'m looking for. Someone Real.
--> I still talk to men even if their first impression is not so favorable. I figure I\'ve made more than enough bad impressions myself, so I want to give everyone a chance. Unless, of course, the first impression is something heinous like setting fire to my clothes or killing my pets.
--> It\'s very hard to get beyond a first impression/stereotype, but if someone acted very differently from the first impression to change it for the better.
--> Acknowledge the incident that created the bad impression, and come back with an impressive second impression!
--> Be neat, clean, well groomed (this definitely includes good hygiene) & try to dress nicely.
--> Admit there was something amiss, apologize and try to start on a clean slate. Otherwise, you should probably realize that the first impression will probably be a lasting thing in that person.
--> Guys should always just smile and be truthful to themselves and to the ones that they are with at all times. If there is something that we don\'t like at first, then we\'ll probably change our minds about it later on in the conversation.
--> Actually tell you that they are having a bad day!! People who admit there human and are honest are more likely to get a high mark in my book. Or to be right out apologetic about their appearance if the meeting was unexpected. After all , we don\'t always look great all the time!!!!
--> Well, if something was done on their part to give me bad first impression and they know that, then they should correct whatever it was if it needs to be corrected. For instance, if they said something and it came out wrong, then they would need to say, \"Well, what I was trying to say is...\" and if they did something that was inappropriate they should apologize. But if they don\'t think they did anything wrong and I was just not impressed with them, then they should do nothing except find someone that is impressed with them.

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Q and A:

Bruce,
I am 19 years old in college, and have been trying out pheromones without much luck. What kind of advice would you give for people who do not get any results? I want to see some results and I would like to know if I have been doing anything wrong. I have been posting some stuff and reading what my fellow customers have to say at the forum(*), but I would like to hear from you, because I feel that you have the most knowledge about this matter.
Thanks,
J
(*)NOTE: Pheromone Forum is at http://pherolibrary.com/forum.html

Hello J,
That is a tough one. For the most part, I have always considered pheromones something for folks out of their 20s to help replace the departure of Mother Nature\'s pheros, but it is true that some college students are getting miraculous results, and I think I have an idea why that is. These seem like cases in which a guy has very good social skills; all the girls love him, but only \"as a friend\". He has loads of female friends, but there is just \"no chemistry\". Then, after he gets a good pheromone supplement program going, a guy like this often finds his former \"friends\" getting VERY friendly. I have heard such stories time and time again. \"I had this old girlfriend over for pizza and a movie and she suddenly attacked me! She has NEVER been interested in me romantically before.\"

On the other hand, although we are all strongly affected by \"chemistry,\" I have found that women generally require \"more\" from their men than men do from their women in terms of mate selection criteria. Women need to feel safe, protected, loved, entertained; a million and one things maybe, but I believe that most women are looking guys over before they get involved; and more so than guys realize. I remember a friend I had when I was young. He was very small and skinny, not your average sex symbol, but he would hang out in the pick up bars all the time and occasionally get laid by doing nothing but asking beautiful women to dance with them. All I can figure was that he looked completely harmless. He could never get a real girlfriend, but drunk women would take him home occasionally just for sex! That would never happen to me when I was young, because I just didn\'t look safe enough.

What I am saying is that there is more to the mating game than just chemistry, and if you are 19 and have normal phero-output (testosterone level), social skills are much more likely to be the key than bottled pheromone. The pheros will help, but if you have been thru the forum and tried all the combos, you may want to concentrate your efforts on the social skills for a while. Check out the past issues of the Phero News. You should find discussions about clothing, colognes, social moves etc. that might help. See: http://love-scent.com/zine

Good luck and don\'t forget to smile!
All the Best,
Bruce

Bruce Boyd
Pheromone News
love-scent.com
***********************
Legal Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, and therefore none of the information contained in this newsletter should be construed as medical advice. It is only my personal opinion based on research papers and books I have read on pheromones, my own personal experiences and those of others who have written to me.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

In December, Pheromone News brought you \'A Starter\'s Guide to Pheromone Science,\' which looked at some of the basics of pheromone theory and the supporting research. This month we\'ll explore the science of pheromones in greater detail.


Pheromone Theory:
Odor, Pheromones and Human Behavior

For all our advances, the human species is still very much a part of the animal kingdom. At our most basic level, we require food and water for our very survival. We also possess a sex drive - that primal urge to reproduce and ensure that our genes live on.

Yet, despite our obvious \"animal\" side, scientists for decades believed that human pheromones did not exist. Even today, many among the scientific community and the general public are skeptical of the idea that human odor signals can unconsciously affect others.

That skepticism may soon be replaced by a broader acceptance of the role of human pheromones. With research now indicating a link between pheromones and hormones, there is little reason to doubt that humans do indeed influence others via chemical odor signals.

Changes
By definition, human pheromones cause changes in the physiology or behavior of other humans. In one study, researchers demonstrated these changes by exposing males to fatty acid secretions produced by ovulating women [1]. After exposure, the male volunteers had elevated testosterone (T) levels (measured in their saliva) and they gave better ratings of female voices and photographs than did male volunteers who weren\'t exposed.

In other studies, researchers have shown that pheromones can affect levels of luetenizing hormone (LH) in men [2], and that female pheromones can regulate the timing of ovulation in other women [3] by apparently affecting levels of both LH and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH).

Yet another group of researchers showed that male sweat extracts have an effect on female mood and LH levels; they suggested that the LH response could be used to determine exactly what chemical was responsible for the pheromonal effect [4].

Finally, researchers studying androstenol (a compound in many commercial pheromone colognes) gave male and female volunteers a pendant containing the substance. The men and women wore the pendant during their sleep. The next morning, the scientists measured the number of social interactions and found that women wearing the necklace had more numerous and intense contacts with men [5].

Choices
Could our pheromones or odors be telling others if we’re suitable mates? A growing body of research suggests just that.

In one study [6], volunteers wore a t-shirt for three consecutive nights under controlled conditions. Afterward, a group from the opposite sex was asked to sniff the shirts and rate them for attractiveness. Another group from the opposite sex was asked to judge the photographs of volunteers. All of the volunteers were measured for bodily and facial symmetry.

Interestingly, women in the group made associations between symmetry and odor, but only when they were in their most fertile ovulatory phase. In other words, ovulatory women preferred the scent of symmetry.

Also, there is evidence that body odors carry information about our individual genetic makeup, and that women unconsciously use this information in their selection of a mate. Males can also distinguish this body odor signal. So, not only can men and women distinguish among genetically distinct, “self versus non-self” odors, they actually prefer the scent of non-self (or genetic diversity) [7, 8].

There is even research suggesting that certain physical characteristics are sexy because they are tied to a better odor or pheromone profile, and therefore represent a healthier mate [9].

For example, higher testosterone levels can promote the development of a stronger, more prominent male jaw, which is generally seen by females as an attractive trait. An individual with higher T levels would, of course, secrete more of that hormone and have greater production of pheromones and certain body odors.

Similarly, curvy hips and a small waist (i.e. a higher waist-to-hip ratio) are generally attractive traits in women; the attractiveness of these traits could be tied to the hormone (and pheromone) profiles that accompany them.

Conclusion
While no individual study yet provides a definitive answer to the question of how and why we use pheromone signals, the research does strongly suggest that humans rely on odors and pheromones in numerous, unseen ways.

With time and a great deal of work, however, there is little doubt we’ll one day be able to translate this complex and fascinating language of human scent.


###
NOTE: This article drew extensively from the work of James Kohl and his team of collaborators, as published in the journal Neuroendocrinology Letters and listed under item 9 in the references below. The full transcript of the paper is available online at <http://www.nel.edu/22_5/NEL220501R01_Review.htm>. Readers looking for further information may also be interested in Kohl\'s very informative web site, at <http://>.

References

1. Juette A. Weibliche Pheromone – Wirkung und Rolle von synthetischen “Kopulinen” bei der versteckten Ovulation des Menschen. Diplomarbeit an der University Wien; 1995.

2. Berliner DL, Monti-Bloch L, Jennings-White, C, Diaz-Sanchez V. Functionality of the human vomeronasal organ (VNO): Evidence for steroid receptors. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 1996; 58:259–65.

3. Stern K, McClintock MK. Regulation of ovulation by human pheromones. Nature 1998; 392:177–9.

4. Preti G, Wysocki CJ, Barnhart K, Sonheimer SJ, Leyden JJ. Male axillary extracts effect lutenizing hormone (LH) pulsing in female recipients. Poster presentation at the 23rd Association for Chemoreception Sciences Annual Meeting; 2001.

5. 54 Cowley JJ, Brooksbank BWL. Human exposure to putative pheromones and changes in aspects of social behavior. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 1991; 39:647–59.

6. Rikowski A, Grammer K. Human body odour, symmetry and attractiveness. Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1999; 266:869–74.

7. Wedekind C, Furi S. Body odor preferences in men and women: do they aim for specific MHC combinations or simply heterozygosity? Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 1997; 264:1471-9.

8. Milinski M, Wedekind C. Evidence for MHC-correlated perfume preferences in humans Behavioral Ecology 2001; 12:140-149.

9. Kohl JV, Atzmueller M, Fink B, Grammer K. Human Pheromones: Integrating Neuroendocrinology and Ethology. Neuroendocrinology Letters 2001; 22:309-32.
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WIN A FREE BOTTLE OF PHEROMONES (UP TO $30 VALUE)! FILL OUT A SURVEY!
(below)
------------------------------
Survey/Contest time!

THE JANUARY SURVEY:

Just practicing!
A couple of issues back the Phero News survey inquired about the problem of shyness and its cure. What we ended up with, however, was pretty vague in terms of actualization. eg: \"You need to improve your self image\" etc. What I would like to get at this month is this: What simple step forward can I take today? Where can I go? (mall, bar, church, library, EST seminar???) Who sort of person can I strike up a conversation with? (sales staff, psychotherapist, fellow shopper???) What immediate or short-term goal can I hope to achieve? (pleasant conversation, acceptance of some sort???) How many ego bumps and bruises should I be prepared to endure before starting out on this journey? (get rejected a few times, but then end up with someone who is really glad I showed up???) Paint us a picture....
***************
THIS MONTH\'S QUESTION:

What practical course of action can you recommend to others seeking to overcome shyness about meeting new people? Is there anything that has worked for you, that you would like to pass on to others? Now is your chance.

PLEASE INDICATE YOUR AGE AND GENDER WHEN REPLYING!

***************
Send your answer to:
news@love-scent.com <mailto:news@love-scent.com>
Please don\'t mail this entire newsletter back to us (for many reasons).
Thanks!
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As usual, we will pick prize winners *at random* from the survey entries at
the rate of at least 1 per 50 entries, with a minimum of 2 winners each
month.

Send your completed survey to:
news@love-scent.com <mailto:news@love-scent.com>
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User Corner

In the five weeks that I have been on this site (*) I have gone from \"can\'t buy a date\" to \"two dates two different women\" this last week. I am still thrashing around the mixes but mainly I am using a Jambat #1 Light (NPA mixed with APC) recipe at the wrists and forearms. This last week I had a bar incident where a gal (late 30s + well toasted) said \"nice butt\" to me and pinched me as I walked by! This kind of stuff does not happen to me.. EVER! I would like to take it up a notch or two in the looks dept. but I feel that is a function of what\'s available in my town rather than any flaw in the products.

WG

(*)NOTE: Refers to the Pheromone Forum at: http://pherolibrary.com/forum.html
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