The Passion Potion

If your sex life is about as exciting as watching cereal turn soggy, prepare to be thrilled: new research suggests there's an aphrodisiac that might actually work. The sexy secret ingredients are pheremones--chemicals secreted by our bods that trigger a physiological response from the opposite sex. In a recent study of 44 postmenopausal women, 41 percent of those who added a clear, odorless synthetic pheromone to their perfume reported an increase in petting, kissing, and affection, versus 14 percent given a placebo.

The creator, biologist Winnifred Cutler, says previous studies have shown that men and women who used it were both more likely to score (this was the first study done on older women). Until Cutler receives a patent, the formula is top-secret, but a four-to-six-month supply--one sixth of an ounce--is available for $100 through Cutler's Pennsylvania-based research facility, Athena Institute (www.athenainstitute.com). The study subjects wore the substance daily for six weeks, though Athena says some women may notice results in a few days. But not this woman. I mixed it into my perfume, and my husband still seems more interested in the Red Sox than in me.