Under trade secret law, manufacturers have the right not to disclose what exactly went into the fragrance and use the unspecific word Fragrance or Parfum instead. Many fragrances are highly allergenic.
Also-Known-As:
Parfum
Functions
Fragrance
Fragrance
Fragrance ingredients add scent to a product or hide ('mask') the undesired aroma of other ingredients.
Fragrance
Fragrance
Fragrance ingredients add scent to a product or hide ('mask') the undesired aroma of other ingredients.
Origin
Botanical,
Botanical
Ingredients derived from plants, mosses, and lichens: extracts, oils, powders, juices and other types of processed plant materials.
Botanical,
Botanical
Ingredients derived from plants, mosses, and lichens: extracts, oils, powders, juices and other types of processed plant materials.
Synthetic,
Synthetic
All kinds of ingredients formulated or produced by a chemical process, or those that have a chemical modification in their structure.
Synthetic,
Synthetic
All kinds of ingredients formulated or produced by a chemical process, or those that have a chemical modification in their structure.
Animal
Animal
Ingredients derived from animals (including birds, fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and insects) or produced by animals (e.g. dairy- and egg-derived ingredients, bee products, silk, pearls, etc.)
Animal
Animal
Ingredients derived from animals (including birds, fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and insects) or produced by animals (e.g. dairy- and egg-derived ingredients, bee products, silk, pearls, etc.)
Overview
Fragrance is the very unspecific word used to describe the mixture of dozens, or sometimes even hundreds, of the various fragrant compounds that give a skincare product its characteristic scent.
Fragrances can be of botanical origin (e.g., various essential oils and their isolated compounds like limonene or linalool), animal origin (e.g., musk, castoreum, civet, or ambergris), or synthetic (various fragrant compounds can be synthesized from simple chemical ingredients).
The concern with fragrance in skincare lies in the fact that they often cause a contact skin allergy for more sensitive individuals. The allergen potential lies in the chemical structure of the fragrant compound and not in whether or not it is natural. Many natural fragrances, such as limonene, are highly allergenic.
If the manufacturer does not disclose what went into the fragrance, then you have no way of knowing its exact composition. Fragrances and perfumes are often trade secrets.