What fragrance-free means

Unscented and fragrance-free sound like the same promise. They aren't. Unscented describes how a product smells. Fragrance-free describes what is in it, and what is in it is the part the law controls. So only one of the two can be checked.

What unscented means

Unscented is a claim about the smell. The product shouldn't have a noticeable scent.

The catch is how some brands get there. Many raw ingredients have their own smell: fats, plant extracts, some actives. To cover it, a formula can include a masking fragrance, a scent chosen to cancel the others out. The result smells of nothing, and it still contains fragrance.

If fragrance is what bothers your skin, unscented doesn't protect you.

What fragrance-free means

Fragrance-free is a claim about the formula. Nothing was added to make it smell a certain way, including masking scents.

A fragrance-free product can still smell of something. Oat, shea butter and some oils all have a faint smell of their own. That is the ingredients, not added fragrance, and it is a good sign you're getting the real thing.

Where the law comes in

In the US, the FDA doesn't define either word. What it does regulate is the ingredients list: every ingredient has to be named, and added scent has to appear on it. A fragrance-free claim can be checked against that list. An unscented one can't, because a masking fragrance is allowed.

The catch there is that "fragrance" or "parfum" can be one word on the list that stands for dozens of compounds. The brand doesn't have to say which. In the EU, the most common fragrance allergens must be named on the label once they pass a small amount. More countries are moving the same way.

How to check a label

Look for these words on the ingredients list:

• Fragrance, parfum or aroma. Added scent.
• Essential oils. Lavender, rose, bergamot, tea tree, citrus peel. These are fragrance too, even when they are listed by their plant name.
• Named fragrance allergens. Linalool, limonene, geraniol, citronellol, citral and eugenol. These usually come from fragrance or essential oils.

If none of these are on the list, the product is fragrance-free, whatever the front says.

Why it matters

Fragrance is one of the most common causes of contact allergy from skincare. An allergy can take years of use to build up, and once you have one it usually stays. Skin that is dry, sensitive or already irritated is more likely to react.

It also does nothing for your skin. It is there for the person using it, not the skin under it.

What we do

Nothing we make has added scent or masking fragrance. Milk Cleanser smells faintly of oat, and Oil Cleanser of oat oil. Barrier Cream smells faintly of shea. Hyaluronic Serum smells of almost nothing. That is what the ingredients smell like, and we left it that way.