The body balm sold at Sephora has gone viral after one reviewer claimed it attracts wolf spiders, but experts say it is unlikely the product contains the specific combination of compounds needed to attract spiders.
Key Facts
Last week, a customer left a one-star review for Sol de Janeiro’s Delícia Drench body balm, claiming it attracted wolf spiders and stating that the product caused an increase in spider sightings from one every three years to one daily.
This review created a stir on social media: one user posted a screenshot of a viral Reddit post that was deleted, claiming that the user placed the body balm on a tissue at work and found multiple spiders after 10 hours.
A Twitter user shared a picture on Wednesday of a wolf spider bite they claimed to have received after their wife used Sol de Janeiro’s body balm.
Interview
The popular Reddit post cited a 2009 study that discovered two compounds used in some cosmetics that are present in the female spider’s web, which are pheromones – chemicals produced by one species that influence the behavior of animals of the same species – that attract male spiders.
The paper addressed orb-weaving spiders, not wolf spiders, and mentioned that these two compounds (farnesyl acetate and hexadecyl acetate) must be present in a specific dosage amount to attract male spiders.
Accordingly, Sol de Janeiro responded in a post on their Instagram story on Saturday, confirming that none of their products contain these compounds, and that while the products “may attract a lot of attention from people, they will not attract spiders.”
Forbes magazine reached out to Sephora for comment.
Negative Response
Many experts have said that the likelihood of Sol de Janeiro’s body balm attracting wolf spiders is unlikely. Jade Taylor, a dermatologist at Flawless Rejuvenation in Australia, stated in a TikTok post that fragrances made for cosmetics are synthetic and designed for skincare, not as a “bait for spiders.” Javon Ford, a TikToker and cosmetic chemist for the Éclat Naturals brand, noted in a post that the evidence does not align and pointed out that there is no evidence of farnesyl acetate and hexadecyl acetate (also known as cetyl acetate) in the body balm. Floyd W. Shockley, chair of the insect collections at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, told The New York Times, “It’s extremely unlikely that a skin balm company would accidentally gather enough of the right things to mimic a spider compound.”
Main Background
The wolf spider, scientifically known as Lycosidae, is a family that includes more than 250 species of spiders in North America, although there are more worldwide, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. These spiders are often brown, gray, black, or light brown with long legs and black markings on the body, such as stripes. They are athletic and instead of spinning webs to catch their prey, they hunt it down. They can grow to a length of a quarter inch to two inches and are among the most common types of spiders in the world. While it is possible to be allergic to them, wolf spiders are not dangerous, and their bites are not venomous, according to a WebMD report. Their bites may cause mild pain, swelling, or itching, but these issues should resolve within minutes. Signs of a more severe reaction include fever, nausea or vomiting, seizures, dizziness or headaches, rashes, difficulty breathing, weakness or uncontrollable shaking, or sweating. The large number 2,300. That is the number of spider species around the world, according to Britannica.
Reading
Additional
What You Need to Know About a Wolf Spider Bite (WebMD)
Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Send me a secure tip.
Ariana Johnson
Editorial Standards
Reprints and Permissions
“`
Leave a Reply