When it comes to fragrance, there are two terms you’ll see on products: “fragrance free” and “unscented.” Fragrance free means just that—there are no added fragrances in the product. Unscented, on the other hand, means that there may be added fragrances to mask any potential smells from the other ingredients.
Who Keeps Watch on Scents Manufacturers Use?
It’s pretty obvious why companies would want to add fragrance to a product. We’ve been conditioned to believe that clean has a certain smell. We want to smell nice, not offensive to others. Long ago, manufacturers used naturally derived scents from plants or animals to make their products more appealing. Now the fragrance industry is a 30+ billion dollar industry relying on mostly synthetic ingredients. Imagine what must be in a fragrance composed of as many as 800 different ingredients!
Sometimes it’s not about what smells good—it’s about what smells neutral. Many fragrance-free products have a distinct smell because of the other ingredients; unscented products are formulated to mask anything deemed offensive. Furthermore, according to documents at the FDA, it doesn’t matter if the scent is produced by nature or in a lab; they classify all scent as fragrance. So it’s up to us to be discerning and vigilant when choosing what we bring into our homes.
Why Fragrance-Free, Unscented, or Scented Matters
Your body won’t recognize synthetic fragrance and may get busy protecting you from it. So then you may find yourself with any or all of the following:
- asthma
- migraines
- headaches
- nausea
- respiratory conditions
- skin issues
How Can We Know Which Unscented Products are Actually Safe?
Check labels carefully. Just because a product is available to buy doesn’t mean it’s safe. Each year an estimated 30,000 new products are introduced to the market. Manufactures use terms to conceal actual ingredients so that we will continue to buy their products. The term unscented could actually mean hundreds of synthetic ingredients have been added! It’s up to each of us to find a company that sells products that do no harm:
- skincare
- household products you use in the kitchen and laundry room
- makeup
- supplements
- energy/immunity boosting drinks
- sunscreen
- insect repellent
- pet products
- things safe for babies and toddlers
I would love to help you see if what I have found and now use meets your needs. I share lots more details in my private Facebook group. If you want to learn about actual products, the what, why, and how, join the community HERE.
Check out my blog post about label ingredients to avoid HERE.
If you have any questions about finding products that are right for you, feel free to reach out to me on social media or contact me directly. I’m always happy to help!