Navigating the Labels: Fragrance-Free vs. Unscented Beauty and Home Products

Hey, fragrance warriors and health-savvy friends! Welcome to The Fragrance Free, where we provide a sanctuary of beauty and lifestyle products free from fragrance influence. We embrace natural radiance by curating information and product recommendations that are pure, clean, and most importantly, fragrance-free.

If choosing between fragrance-free, scent-free, and unscented products has you feeling lost, know that you’re not alone! While these phrases may seem interchangeable, they’re not - “unscented” and “scent-free” likely does not mean without fragrance, and “fragrance-free” could contain hidden fragrances lurking in the natural ingredients as well.

When it comes to allergic sensitivities and reducing exposure to harmful fragrances, understanding where the terms differ in your beauty, skin, and personal personal products is essential. We’re breaking down the terminology, so you can shop smarter, cleaner, and live healthier without fragrance influence.

Fragrance-Free vs. Unscented: What’s the Difference?

Unscented: Hidden Scented Ingredients and Misconceptions in Marketing

Products labeled “unscented” or “scent-free” are formulated to have no noticeable smell. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean a product is free of fragrance. Often unscented skincare and beauty products contain masking agents, which are neutralizing fragrances incorporated to hide the strong, naturally occurring odors of other ingredients in the formula, rather than add a new smell.

Skincare products contain many ingredients that serve various purposes, like fatty acids or urea, that can help with moisturization or exfoliation, but also are unpleasant smelling. If a fishy or rotten, egg-smelling moisturizer has you turned off, then you understand the reason masking agents are used. The challenge is that masking agents are often undisclosed synthetic  fragrances that are likely harmful to human health. Since the FDA considers masking chemicals incidental ingredients due to their low or “insignificant levels”, they do not need to be declared on the ingredient label or are included under the catch-all “fragrance” designation. 

So, while the unscented product may not smell harmful at first whiff, it still may contain fragrance ingredients that could trigger a reaction. If you have allergies, skin sensitivities, or are looking to avoid potential toxicities in fragranced products, choosing a clean product free from fragrance and dyes is the safest option.  

Fragrance-Free: The Superior Option

Fragrance-free is a complex term and a lot of products that fall within this category do not contain a scent. However, many of the terms - unscented, fragrance-free, organic, natural, and sensitive skin are not deeply regulated by the FDA and EPA, and some fragrance-free products do contain a scent, and here we’ll explain why this is the case. 

Fragrance-free means that the product does not use or contain fragrance materials or masking scents. However, the FDA defines fragrance as “any natural or synthetic substance or substances used solely to impart an odor to a cosmetic product.” So, in-fact “fragrance-free” means that the product doesn’t contain ingredients included with the purpose of creating fragrance, but some ingredients that are fragrant could be incorporated and result in a scented product. For example, if rose oil is incorporated for the function of a moisturizing agent, the product would likely have a scent, yet still fall under the fragrance-free categorization.

Becoming a Label Detective

Opting for products that hold the “fragrance-free” designation and are free of fragrance ingredients according to the label are the best, first steps in your journey. 

At The Fragrance Free, we have become label detectives to take some of the guesswork out of selecting products, and included in our recommendations are the full list of ingredients. While navigating beauty and home can be a challenge, our products always tout the “fragrance-free label,” and are typically hypoallergenic. Yet, now as you are aware, reviewing the ingredients is always the safest path and being aware of personal ingredient triggers and sensitivities is the best option. 

Embracing fragrance-free products is the first step on your transformative journey to a purer and cleaner lifestyle.

For additional tools on learning about product ingredients and becoming a label detective, check out blog post: “Knowledge is Power: Tips to Embrace a Lifestyle Free of Fragrance Influence."

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1. Tantry, E., et al. "Labeling Laws for Personal Care Products: Potential Pitfalls for The Consumer." Skin Therapy Lett. (September 2021).

2. Sharmeen, J.B., et al. "Essential Oils as Natural Sources of Fragrance Compounds for Cosmetics and Cosmeceuticals." Molecules. (2021, January 27).

3. Food and Drug Administration. "Subchapter G - Cosmetics." Code of Federal Regulations. (1981, July 24).

4. American Academy of Dermatology Association. "How Can I Find Eczema Friendly Products?" (n.d.).

5. Xu, S., et al. "Consumer Preferences, Product Characteristics, and Potentially Allergenic Ingredients in Best-selling Moisturizers." JAMA Dermatol. (November 2017).

6. Lu, C.H., et al. "Quantitative analysis of fragrance allergens in various matrixes of cosmetics by liquid-liquid extraction and GC-MS." J Food Drug Anal. (2021, December 15).

7. https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-labeling-regulations/cosmetics-labeling-guide