Health & WellnessJAN 4, 2024

Sephora Lotion Goes Viral When Users Start Noticing Way More Spiders Around After Applying It

What if we told you that by applying body butter on yourself, you might become a target of spiders? That sounds crazy, right? Well, it isn't something we came up with, but rather a claim that recently circled the internet. And while some laughed at its absurdity, others woke their inner scientists up trying to prove this to be true.

More info: X

Currently, Sol de Janeiro’s Delícia Drench body butter is a very popular skincare product

Image credits: soldejaneiro

Recently, a review of it went viral for a very intriguing reason

Image credits: @samlymatters

It claimed that wolf spiders are attracted to the body butter to the extent that they even chased a person, who applied it to their body

Image credits: @samlymatters

A review for Sol de Janeiro’s Delícia Drench body butter quickly went viral after netizens screenshotted and posted it on various social media, from X to Reddit. In the review, the author claimed that the body butter attracts wolf spiders. And not simply attracts, but does so to the point that the creatures chase the person who applies the cream.

Wolf spiders are named after wolves due to their habit of chasing their prey, fast running speed, and strong jaws. Most of these spiders are dark brown and have hairy and broad bodies with quite chunky, long legs. They have 8 eyes that are arranged in three rows, which gives them excellent eyesight.

These spiders can bite humans, but their bites are not dangerous (when the wound is properly cleaned). They do so only when they feel threatened. Despite that, wolf spiders are a quite useful natural pest control tool for many people's gardens. This is because they prey on pests like crickets, ants, cockroaches, and sometimes even lizards and frogs. In fact, they have been used as pest control in agriculture to reduce the amount of pesticides needed on crops.

Image credits: Глеб Коровко (not the actual image)

Coming back to the review, the situation became even crazier when one X user shared a picture of an alleged wolf spider bite that they got after applying Sol de Janeiro body butter.

And it didn’t stop there. There was a Reddit post that cited a study from 2009, which discovered two compounds used in some cosmetics that can mimic pheromones of female spiders. Some people even carried out experiments themselves and tested the cream, putting it on tissue and witnessing spiders approaching it.

This led to the company of the body butter - Sol de Janeiro - providing a response to all the drama. They stated that none of their products contain these compounds.

Additionally, there were experts claiming that the possibility of Sol de Janeiro’s body butter attracting spiders is unlikely, as they said that the “evidence” produced doesn’t logically add up. They also added that it is possible that the spiders are more noticeable in homes right now just because it's cold outside and they're looking for warm places to stay.

Image credits: TheCactusWild

So, as we can see, this claim turned out to be just another urban legend full of misinformation on the internet. Still, it doesn’t downplay its hilariousness, as just before the new year, it got its meme status and became one of the most talked-about beauty products of last year.

Looking at folks’ online reactions, it’s no wonder why it became a meme. They were quick to point out that the original reviewer was wrong to compare spiders’ attraction to the body butter to Kryptonite. This fictional substance weakens Superman, so it shouldn’t be compared to this kind of situation.

Other netizens weren’t as attentive to details; they were just having fun. They shared how funny the review seemed to them, and how they couldn’t stop laughing. A few even voiced that now they know what gift they will be buying for someone they hate or shared their experiences of similar situations with other beauty items.