What Is Vabbing and Why Are People Doing It At the Gym?

Vabbing at the gym is the TikTok trend supposedly turning workouts into full-blown flirt-fests. Some swear it’s a natural pheromone hack; others call BS. Either way, it’s got the internet sniffing around for answers. Is vabbing real? And does it work? POPCORN finds the facts.

The latest social media craze? Vabbing. While many consider it the most ingenious dating hack ever, others roll their eyes. On TikTok, vabbing is being touted as a ‘natural perfume’: vaginal secretions that are applied to pulse points to create a pheromone-laden fragrance that makes you irresistible to others. 

But what's really behind the vabbing trend? Is it a secret aphrodisiac trick that guarantees increased attention and flirting – or just hocus-pocus with viral packaging? One thing's for sure: the topic has sparked a huge debate in the TikTok community. Reason enough to take a closer look.
 

So, What is Vabbing Exactly? 

Vabbing – a combination of the words 'vagina' and 'dabbing' – involves applying your own vaginal secretions to pulse points or behind their ears, just as you’d do with perfume. The idea behind vabbing is that the body's own pheromones act as an aphrodisiac, unconsciously creating sexual attraction — much like a fragrance, but from within one's own body. 

Sounds gross? Maybe. But it's precisely this blend of intimacy and lifestyle that's generating buzz: in recent months the term ‘vabbing’ has skyrocketed in search queries and social media videos. And now, some people on TikTok are convinced that the gym is the best setting for trying out the trend.
 

Where Did the Vabbing Trend Originate?

TikTok influencer @jewlieah popularized the trend with a video in which she claims to have vabbed pre-workout at the gym and got attention as a result. In a follow-up video, she explains that after vabbing, a guy approached her while she was doing lunges and asked her on a date. 

Squeezey-peasy? Does vabbing really work or is it a just a trend? 
 

But while vabbing is huge on socials ATM, it isn’t a new concept. In fact, vabbing first made its way into pop culture in Tom Robbin’s 1976 book Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, and vaginal secretions also made an appearance more recently in Charlotte Roche's 2009 erotic novel Wetlands.

Back then, vabbing was pretty much an insider topic, but the term really took off more recently as a TikTok trend. Users often report supposedly 'magical' effects – more sexual glances, more flirting, more dates – and post how-to videos, personal accounts – even 'vabbing challenges'. The mix of intimacy and lifestyle, of sex and self-improvement, perfectly captured the platform's zeitgeist. Of course, skepticism about the vabbing trend is just as rife. Speaking of which...
 

Does Vabbing Really Work?

It sounds tempting and oh so simple: a few dabs of vaginal fluid as perfume and suddenly everyone seems irresistably drawn to you. The reality is different. Because while there are recurring studies on pheromones and their potential influence on attraction, concrete evidence that vabbing actually increases flirting opportunities is missing.

“On TikTok, vabbing is being touted as a ‘natural perfume’: vaginal secretions that are applied to pulse points to create a pheromone-laden fragrance.”

What does exist, however, is evidence that scents can influence our perception – especially when we are genetically compatible with someone. For example, one study involving over 500 people concluded that the participants’ relationship satisfaction and desire to procreate was influenced by the nature of their partner’s major histocompatibility complex (HLA) – a genetic component of the immune system.

And as molecules related to HLA are released in sweat, saliva, and other bodily fluids, the study conclusions could be interpreted as evidence that vaginal secretions also may have the power to get other people’s juices flowing. 
 

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Other research shows that some women produce chemicals known as 'copulins' in their vaginal fluid, and that the concentration of these acids increases during the first half of the menstrual cycle (later dropping after ovulation). In one study from 2016, men who were exposed to copulins rated both themselves and women as more sexually attractive. All of this is encouraging news for potential vabbers!

 If you don't want to rely solely on your scent, the POPCORN app makes it easy to meet people who share your curiosity – from the first chat to a real-life meeting.

Discover more about Vabbing with Shades of Sommie
 

How to Try Vabbing

If you're curious to try vabbing, here are the steps:

• Hygiene first – Wash hands thoroughly beforehand. This keeps everything clean and minimizes risk. Naturally, don’t vab if you have a vaginal infection – you don’t want to spread harmful bacteria to other parts of your body or beyond. 
• Less is more – A small amount on pulse points or behind the ears is sufficient. Vabbing thrives on subtle effects, not on ¡more is better'. Those who use too much often feel uncomfortable and risk the effect backfiring. 
• Be discrete – Don't 'reload' in public. Aside from the funny looks you’ll get, you could easily spread bacteria when touching something, especially if you’re vabbing at the gym, for example.
• Choose the right timing & setting –  It's best to vab before dates or parties, not after a long day. This keeps the effect fresh and makes you feel confident.
   

Vabbing at the Gym

Sweaty bodies, glistening torsos, and all that pumping: many of us fantasise about turning a workout into a meet-cute. And there are plenty of ways to get a little extra attention at the gym; wearing a sexy workout set, striking up a conversation, or asking about someone’s leg routine. Alternatively, you could try vabbing at the gym.

Vabbing at the gym: adds flirting to your workout routine

According to some on TikTok, specifically vabbing before a gym workout is a great way to get fellow workout hounds lusting after you. One supposed advantage of vabbing at the gym is that your vaginal secretions will mix with your sweat and become activated, creating a inciting aroma.
 

What’s more, a gym is almost always a buffet of bodily scents, so you can get away with it. However, that might mean it’s harder for other gym bunnies to hone in on your secret scent amongst the overpowering swathes of musky armpit and sweaty feet. 
 

3 Myths About Vabbing

Since vabbing took off on TikTok, a lot of rumors and half-truths have circulated about the trend. Some sound intriguing, others more like urban legends. Time for a little reality check:
 

1. “Vabbing works like a magic potion” – False. Sounds great, but it's not proven. There's no scientific evidence that vaginal secretions automatically lead to more flirting or dates. What does work is that it can boost your self-confidence and how you feel about it. 
    
2. “You can smell it immediately” – False. Vaginal secretions are applied discreetly like perfume and are not a perfume mist. Outsiders perceive the scent subconsciously at best—if at all—and cannot directly identify it or where it is coming from. 
    
3. “Only certain women can do it” – False. Vabbing isn't an exclusive club for "special" bodies. Any healthy person can try it if they want to. Hygiene, comfort, and consent are crucial.

Is Vabbing Safe?

As long as you're free of bacterial infections in your vagina, the risk is low of you spreading bacteria to other parts of your body or to others as minimal.
 

“One supposed advantage of vabbing at the gym is that your vaginal secretions will mix with your sweat and become activated, creating a inciting aroma.”

However, the vagina does have a delicate flora balance that maintains the acidity levels that allow the vagina to stay healthy and self-clean. If this balance is upset by the introduction of certain foreign bacteria, then the risk of developing infections such as thrush grows. So, always thoroughly clean hands before vabbing. 

Vabbing: set the juice loose

The Takeaway: Vabbing

Using vaginal secretions as perfume is one of the strangest yet most intriguing TikTok trends of recent years. Whether it's hocus-pocus or an underestimated method of seduction, one thing is certain: it sparks conversation and breaks taboos. 

Anyone wanting to try the vabbing trend should follow our hygiene tips and pay attention to how it makes you feel. Because in the end, the jury’s out on whether vaginal secretion actually creates attention, but the self-confidence you radiate should. 
Images shutterstock/Alexxnder, shutterstock/Dusan Petkovic, shutterstock/PeopleImages

Have you tried vabbing at the gym or elsewhere? Did it work for you or is it a load of nonsense? Leave your comments for your fellow Popsters below...