The use of fragrance in consumer products has raised concerns due to the lack of transparency regarding the ingredients and potential health effects. The term "fragrance" or "parfum" on an ingredient list is an umbrella term that refers to all the compounds and chemicals that comprise a product’s fragrance, typically dozens of ingredients, and companies are not required to disclose the individual fragrance elements as the fragrance "blend" is considered proprietary information
. The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) sets safety standards and regulations for the fragrance industry, but some fragrance chemicals lack substantial research and safety data, and have been associated with serious negative health effects
. Fragranced products have been associated with adverse effects on air quality and human health, and exposures have been linked to a range of health problems, such as breathing difficulties and headaches
. If you are concerned about the ingredients hiding in your products, there are many beauty brands that do not use fragrance and disclose every aspect of their product’s ingredients
