In news that may come as a surprise to anyone who has ever stood next to a stranger on a packed tram in February, some men have decided body odour could actually improve their dating prospects.

Stemming from a trend circulating on social media – the source of many a solid life hack – some men are abandoning showers and deodorant in the belief that letting their natural pheromones shine could be the secret to reeling in the ladies.

Known as “phero-maxxing”, the theory is that when it comes to attracting a mate, the nose knows.

The thinking goes something like this: Soaps, deodorants and fragrances mask our natural scent, potentially robbing would-be suitors of the chance to pick up on the chemical signals supposedly advertising our romantic appeal.

And for some devotees, that means giving the shower a miss, steering clear of deodorant and embracing their natural musk in the name of becoming more attractive.

But while some are apparently willing to put the theory to the test, we were curious about one fairly important detail: Does anyone actually want their prospective partner to smell more like themselves?

In a highly unscientific poll, we asked some singles whether a partner’s natural scent could make them more attractive – and just how much personal hygiene they’d be prepared to sacrifice in the name of love.

“No, gross. Good personal hygiene would have a far better success rate than skipping it all together, surely?” said Charlotte, 32. “Although one of my friends loves sniffing her boyfriend’s armpit so I could be an outlier.”

“To be frank, I would not date a man who purposely stopped showering,” said Alannah, 22. “The ‘natural scent’ provides the presumption that he would have no basic hygiene, especially after a long day at work or exercise. The general hygiene of a man is paramount!

“In respect of the natural scent being deemed more attractive – I’ve been around footy clubs for quite some time, and I can certainly vouch that the smell in the rooms after a game is not attractive!”

And it’s not only women who are yet to be seduced by the promise of a pheromone-fuelled dating advantage. The men we spoke to weren’t exactly rushing to relinquish their shower privileges either.

“I wouldn’t skip showers in an effort to be seen more attractively,” said Lachie, 18. “I’ve never tried it, and prefer feeling clean. I think deodorants and soap were invented for a reason.”

“I wouldn’t ever deliberately stop showering in an effort to attract a female,” said Will, 21. “I feel it’s unhygienic and it’s important as humans to be hygienic and stay clean.”

But what if we flipped the script? If skipping a shower really did make them more attractive to the opposite sex, would the women be willing to ditch the deodorant in the pursuit of a man?

Still no.

“I wouldn’t want to be voluntarily smelly, even if it improved my dating life,” said Charlotte.

“I would definitely not! Hygiene is more imperative than the potential of my ‘natural odour’ being more attractive,” said Alannah. “I’m not one to change my routine for a man in general, and that definitely applies to my showers!”

So far, not exactly a ringing endorsement for eau de unwashed.

But before phero-maxxing is dismissed as a fast track to sleeping alone, there is a whiff of science behind the idea.

Humans may not be able to sniff out a suitable mate quite as simply as the trend suggests, but researchers have long been interested in the role scent plays in attraction.

So, could there actually be something in it? And, more importantly, is skipping a shower really going to improve your chances of finding love?

But is there actually any science to it?

Pheromones – chemical signals that can influence the behaviour of others of the same species – are a real thing in the animal kingdom. But when it comes to humans, the jury is still out.

According to Harvard Health, experts disagree on whether human pheromones exist and, if they do, whether they influence our behaviour. Scientists are yet to identify one that can reliably be said to stimulate sexual interest.

So, no, there’s currently no good evidence we’re walking around emitting an irresistible chemical come-hither from our armpits, but that doesn’t mean scent has nothing to do with attraction.

Anecdotally, at least, plenty of us can relate to finding the particular scent of a partner appealing.

“I remember I used to love how my ex smelled – not BO, just his natural scent,” said Charlotte. “Also, TMI, but even kissing him tasted amazing.”

And before you throw out your perfume collection in the name of preserving your natural allure, research suggests fragrance doesn’t necessarily erase your individual scent either.

In a 2012 study published in PLOS ONE, researchers found perfume interacted with a person’s body odour to create an individual scent combination. Even more interestingly, people’s body odour mixed with their own preferred perfume was rated more pleasant than when it was combined with a randomly assigned fragrance.

More BO, more sex appeal?

Unfortunately for phero-maxxers, liking someone’s natural scent and liking the smell of someone who hasn’t showered for three days are not quite the same thing.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, sweat itself doesn’t smell. The BO we know and occasionally endure is created in large part when bacteria on our skin break down components of sweat and other secretions.

In other words, letting it marinate doesn’t mean you’re producing more of some scientifically proven love potion.

And judging by our crude survey, any theoretical dating advantage may be cancelled out by the fact your prospective partner has already headed for the nearest exit.

While science suggests there may be something to the idea that scent plays a role in attraction, there’s no evidence skipping showers will make you irresistible.