Fragrance is a term used to describe a combination of chemicals that give a product its distinct scent. It is typically made up of dozens of ingredients, and companies are not required to disclose the individual fragrance elements as the fragrance “blend” is considered proprietary information. Fragrance ingredients may be derived from petroleum or natural raw materials. There are thousands of registered fragrance ingredients made from five classes of compounds: alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, and lactones. Synthetic fragrance ingredients can either be nature-identical or artificial.
While some fragrance ingredients are toxic chemicals that can cause a range of health harms, fragrance chemicals are rarely, if ever, listed on the ingredients label. Companies aren’t required to list them, because they’re considered a trade secret. Instead, they’re simply grouped under the umbrella words “fragrance,” “perfume” or “parfum,” or “aroma,” among others.
The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) is the self-regulating global representative body of the fragrance industry, meaning they set their own safety standards and regulations. In a small effort toward transparency, their website has a comprehensive list of over 3000 ingredients used as fragrance compounds. However, many of these chemicals lack substantial research and safety data, and some have been associated with serious negative health effects.
If you’re concerned about the ingredients hiding in your products, there are many beauty brands to choose from that do not use Fragrance and disclose every aspect of their product’s ingredients. However, it is important to note that fragrance ingredients are not always harmful, and many people enjoy the scents in their personal care and household products.
