Product Fragrances
Product Fragrances
Author: Jenna White | San Francisco Hairstylist
August 18th, 2022
August 18th, 2022
When it comes to product fragrances, my preferred ingredients are semi-synthetic and plant-based (i.e. natural). In addition, I prefer all of the brands I use to be committed to animal cruelty-free practices. Although natural fragrances expire faster than synthetic ones, my nose and skin are less sensitive to them. It should be noted that this is not true for everyone. A study done in 2009 posted on the National Library of Medicine cites 30.5% of people in the US having reactions to product fragrances, which means 69.5% of people do not have this problem. For those like myself that do, finding beauty products that only use natural fragrance ingredients is challenging due to laws around trade secrets.
US trade secret laws allow companies to add fragrances to their formulas without disclosing the ingredients (this is not true in the EU, where a full ingredients list is mandated). This is because fragrances are powerful and known to invoke memories plus influence imagination when experienced. Therefore, product manufacturers consider different fragrance mixtures to be part of their intellectual property (IP), and believe that disclosing those ingredients publicly would make it easy for competitors to copy a brand's unique scent. The addition of a scent to a product is usually listed on the label as simply "fragrance" or "parfum", depending on the market. Usually if the term “fragrance” is used the product contains a synthetic scent. I've listed some other terms commonly used to reference scents in ingredient lists below. The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) does set safety limits on ingredients used in fragrances, and most fragrance manufacturers adhere to the guidelines they set. If you too are sensitive to fragrances, your best bet is to only use fragrance-free products.
US trade secret laws allow companies to add fragrances to their formulas without disclosing the ingredients (this is not true in the EU, where a full ingredients list is mandated). This is because fragrances are powerful and known to invoke memories plus influence imagination when experienced. Therefore, product manufacturers consider different fragrance mixtures to be part of their intellectual property (IP), and believe that disclosing those ingredients publicly would make it easy for competitors to copy a brand's unique scent. The addition of a scent to a product is usually listed on the label as simply "fragrance" or "parfum", depending on the market. Usually if the term “fragrance” is used the product contains a synthetic scent. I've listed some other terms commonly used to reference scents in ingredient lists below. The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) does set safety limits on ingredients used in fragrances, and most fragrance manufacturers adhere to the guidelines they set. If you too are sensitive to fragrances, your best bet is to only use fragrance-free products.
Common Terms Used to Reference Fragrance in Ingredients Lists * |
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* Unscented vs. Fragrance Free vs. Essential Oil Free Skincare: What’s the Difference?, Organically Becca
An Overview of the Production of Natural Versus Synthetic Fragrances
An article published by Byrdie titled "The Six Most Expensive Perfume Ingredients in the World" shares that "while it takes 2,000 pounds of jasmine to produce a pound of oil, it takes 10,000 pounds of rose petals to distill one pound of the highly coveted rose oil." Translation - it can take a lot of raw materials to make a naturally derived scented oil. While synthetic fragrances get a bad wrap when it comes to sensitivities, they tend to be touted as more environmentally friendly options for this reason.
Below I've broken down the manufacturing methods for natural scents versus synthetic ones. To learn more, you can check out this guide from the perfume manufacturer Prive titled "The Quick Guide to Natural vs. Synthetic Fragrances" and this article published by Byrdie titled "Common Perfume Ingredients: A to Z List".
Below I've broken down the manufacturing methods for natural scents versus synthetic ones. To learn more, you can check out this guide from the perfume manufacturer Prive titled "The Quick Guide to Natural vs. Synthetic Fragrances" and this article published by Byrdie titled "Common Perfume Ingredients: A to Z List".
Raw Materials Last 1 - 2 Years "Gentler" Natural (i.e. "raw") Materials |
Synthetic Materials Last Up to Five Years "Stronger" Less Raw Materials Used |
Distillation process Uses water or steam to extract raw materials Extraction process The raw material is pressed, crushed and refined from the fatty portions of a plant or botanical* |
Full Synthetics Nearly the entire fragrance is derived from petroleum by-products Semi-synthetics Created from a mix of synthetic, natural or artificially modified notes, not necessarily all three Natural Isolates A fragrance developed from synthetic and natural by-products |
Raw Materials Last 1 - 2 Years "Gentler" Organic (i.e. "raw") Materials |
Distillation process Uses water or steam to extract raw materials Extraction process The raw material is pressed, crushed and refined from the fatty portions of a plant or botanical* |
Synthetic Materials Last Up to Five Years "Stronger" Less Raw Materials Used |
Full Synthetics Nearly the entire fragrance is derived from petroleum by-products Semi-synthetics Created from a mix of synthetic, natural or artificially modified notes, not necessarily all three Natural Isolates A fragrance developed from synthetic and natural by-products |
US vs. EU Regulations and TikTok
The EU banned the use of a scent-related ingredient called lilial, which was used by the popular brand Olaplex in products sold to some countries without a ban up until January of 2022. According to Wikipedia, lilial is "a chemical compound commonly used as a perfume in cosmetic preparations and laundry powders, often under the name butylphenyl methylpropional". The ban stemmed from a study done in 2012 by the European Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) that showed lilial could cause infertility. This ingredient ban is particularly interesting because it went viral on TikTok, partly because of how popular the brand Olaplex has become among consumers. Highsnobiety published a post on the controversy titled "Forget What TikTok Said - Olaplex is Not Being Banned", which noted that "the European Commission isn't worried about people using a single product containing lilial. Rather, they're more concerned about the health issues that aggregate exposure (the cumulative effects of using multiple lilial-containing products) might pose." As of the publication of this post, the US, along with many other countries, does not have a ban or restrictions on lilial. You can read about the US Food and Drug Administration's definition and approach to fragrances in cosmetics here.
Where to Look for Fragrance Free Hair Products
- The Best Fragrance-free Shampoos to Use for Sensitive Scalps, Byrdie
- Alaffia Everyday Shea Unscented Shampoo and Conditioner *
- Carina Organics Unscented Shampoo and Conditioner *
- Plaine Products Shampoo and Conditioner (unscented option) *
* Unscented vs. Fragrance Free vs. Essential Oil Free Skincare: What’s the Difference?, Organically Becca