The Ins and Outs of Vabbing

Vabbing. If you’re on Tiktok, you’ve probably seen the trend we’re talking about where people with vaginas use their natural internal fluids as perfume. The term – coined by combining the words vagina and dabbing – has been around for years and has been talked about in a number of podcasts, books and articles but has really kicked off recently thanks to TikTok users @jewlieah and @oldloserinbrooklyn.

Named because one dabs their vaginal juices on to their body (usually behind the ears and on the wrists) but why in the world would anyone do that? Hear us out – there is some intriguing (and kind of hilarious) theory behind it. Basically, it’s said to make the wearer more sexually desirable to potential partners and it comes down to pheromones.

Pheromones are chemicals the body produces which send scent signals to those of the same species. Research suggests these signals can tell us what kind of mood the producer of the scent is in, what genetic makeup they have and how they’re feeling sexually. Even though our sense of smell as humans is not as exceptional in comparison to other mammals, the theory is these subtle substances can make a difference to how you connect with others.

The science of vabbing doesn’t quite check out though. Unlike other animals, we don’t have the active organ which processes pheromones as Dr Jen talks about on TikTok here, which means there’s no solid way for us to detect them in vaginal secretions. Researchers are also yet to find a sex pheromone in the human body which would help the theory with Dr Karen Tan suggesting here that the intrigue may come from the memory of sex which the scent could trigger instead of any chemical.

With all this in mind, does putting it out there really have an impact on your sexual attractiveness? The answer is a heavily contested one as you can imagine but who knows.

Some people swear by it, like sexologist Shan Boodram, who says in this video, it’s a practice which has been around for hundreds of years and has helped her attract partners many a time.

Others have condemned it as gross and wrong which newsflash, people: vaginas are no such thing. Vaginal fluids are an important bodily function which helps to keep us healthy and clean down there while also playing a part in our comfort and arousal during sex.

As Boodram suggests, the attraction probably has less to do with primal instinct and more to do with the confidence she and others feel when they’re working their eau de coochie. It’s about embracing your body and feeling empowered by your pussy power and that’s hotter than any luxury perfume if you ask us.

In terms of how hygienic the trend is, there's no harm in it as long as you don’t have any sexually transmitted infections, bacterial vaginosis or a yeast infection. You also might want to avoid vabbing while on your period if you experience one. Plus, try to stick to dabbing only on the inside of your wrists and behind your ears as these are the areas you might be less likely to touch things with.

Do you need to have your muffin’s scent on your neck to be desirable? Absolutely not – but if it’s not hurting anyone and it makes you feel good, we say vab away, darling!

If vabbing is not your thing, that’s okay too! The allure of vabbing is a combination of having a fun secret, feeling confident and even a little turned on for some people. Try wearing an orgasm balm (with a delicious cherry scent) on your neck and nipples next time you want to put your good vibes out into the world. When you’re feeling yourself, the people around you will want to feel you too.