Could vabbing be the secret to attracting new lovers?

You cannot buy it in a fancy bottle, but sometimes it comes wrapped in lace. And thousands of women on TikTok claim that it aids in attracting a lover. Vabbing is the latest social media-fueled, four hundred and something million views-strong trend.

It is a combination of two words. Vagina and dabbing, And that tells the whole story.

Relationship and sexuality expert Pippa Murphy of  https://condoms.uk said: “Vabbing is rubbing your vagina with your hands and then placing the fluid on your erogenous hotspots (where you would place perfume), such as behind your ear and wrists. As the fluid contains pheromones, it’s thought to make you more sexually attractive to others, which is why people tend to do this before a date or during a night out”.  

A study suggested the connection between broadcasting and receiving pheromones is weak, it still said: “Although there are studies to support this phenomenon, they are weak, because they were not controlled; others have proposed that human olfactory communication is able to perceive certain pheromones that may play a role in behavioural as well as reproductive biology”.

And while the evidence is not really there, said Murphy, it has not slowed the trend.

She said: “The topic is generating a lot of interest online with videos that feature the #pheremones tag on TikTok generating over 131 million views. Whilst these videos may be lacking in scientific evidence, every video featured is from the perspective of a woman speaking to other women and teaching them how to feel empowered. That is still worth celebrating”. 

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Murphy believes that aside from its use as an eau-de-natural perfume, vabbing can be seen as an act of self-empowerment. Likened to ditching your bra, which is not necessarily for comfort but also an act of defiance against social norms.

Said Murphy: “Women have been penalised for their nipples and vaginas for centuries – so much so that the number of women that have had a labiaplasty has risen by a staggering 73.3% in the past six years alone.  

Murphy added: “One of the biggest concerns women have with their vagina is its natural smell. Whilst there is likely nothing to be wrong with the smell of their vagina, marketers have made society think that vaginas are ugly, unhygienic and smelly – so much so that vaginal cleaning and bleaching products not only exist but are sold in supermarkets, chemists and beauty shops. 

“The consequences of this stigma are astounding with a study carried out last year, revealing that one in four women has negative feelings towards their vulva.”

She noted: “So, the fact that there’s a rise in the number of women rebelling against this stigma with the act of Vabbing, is in fact, incredible. It’s a public declaration that they want to celebrate their vagina and that they feel sexually confident in their skin and its natural scent.”

And, vabbing is not the only trend down under that is gaining traction. Vaginal steaming, thanks to the Kardashians, is also making a comeback. Last year, Gwyneth Paltrow’s beauty brand Goop released a fragrance called ‘Smells Like My Vagina’ which sold out in hours.

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