Why Do Unscented Products Have a Scent?
Translating the Difference Between Fragrance-Free and Unscented
Hypoallergenic, fragrance-free and unscented products abound in the market place. But why the different terms? After all, if there is no scent, shouldn’t it be considered unscented? Not necessarily.
Women who struggle with itchy, dry or easily irritated skin often prefer a product that has little or no scent, oils or smells in the belief that the less ingredients in a product, the less chance for an reaction for their sensitive skin. It would make sense for these customers to choose a product marketed specifically for them. But with the dizzying variations in product name, which do they choose?
Whether it is a specialty market or grocery store, consumers will find hundreds of products marketed to those with sensitive skin, each carrying its own specific term. How does the savvy consumer choose between products listed as fragrance-free, unscented, hypoallergenic or simply marketed for sensitive skin? What do all these terms, which sound so similar, really mean?
The Different Terms Used to Describe Skin Care Products
- Hypoallergenic - Dictionary.com defines hypoallergenic as “designed to reduce or minimize the possibility of an allergic response, as by containing relatively few or no potentially irritating substances.” Consumers may be surprised to find, however, that according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) there is no federal definition for hypoallergenic so “the term can mean whatever a particular company wants it to mean.”
- Fragrance-free - This term implies no fragrance at all, but should not be taken literally. The FDA term for fragrance-free is specifically required when products are altered so consumers can know that there are potential chemical allergens in the product even if they cannot smell them. This means if the manufacturer adds ingredients to the product to cover some type of smell, it can still be marketed as fragrance-free. For example, if the body lotion is made from lavender and the manufacturer adds a chemical to mask that scent they can still call it "fragrance-free." This is important for people with allergies, who need to know exactly what is in a product even if there is no identifying smell.
- Unscented - So if hypoallergenic or fragrance-free leaves the consumer confused perhaps unscented is the way to go. There must be nothing in those products, right? Not necessarily. The reality is that unscented simply means the product has no additional scents added beyond those ingrediants that are part of the product. Technically this means a lavender based body lotion could be listed as unscented if the manufacture does not add any additional scents to the lavender.
- Organics - Often, the consumer will believe that if the product has some kind of fragrance in it anyway then an organic product will be less reactive than chemical-based ones. Unfortunately, once again this may not be correct. According to Dr. Leslie Baumann of the American Academy of Dermatology’s website article Sensitive Skin, “Many organic products lead to contact dermatitis, because they contain essential oils and fragrances that can cause allergy.”
For the consumer, the confusion about terms leaves those looking for relief from sensitive skin issues often left using a trial and error process to find a product to use. However, this is not necessarily an insurmountable problem. Once the customer finds the term that correctly fits her needs then she can move on to educating herself about the specific ingredients included in different products.
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