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Fragrance-Free Labelling

John Montgomery3 min read

Fragrance-Free Labelling

Fragrance-free versus unscented. The American Academy of Dermatology tells parents of children with eczema to choose “fragrance-free” rather than “unscented” products. “Unscented” means a fragrance has been added to mask the product’s own smell. “Fragrance-free” means the product contains no fragrance, even ones you cannot smell. The AAD applies this advice to moisturisers, shampoo, cleanser, laundry detergent and sunscreen. Masking fragrances are still fragrance chemicals and can cause Fragrance Allergy in a sensitised child. Exposure can also come “by proxy” from a parent’s or sibling’s perfume (Tam & Yu 2022). An Italian multicentre study notes that lanolin and fragrances were recently reported as the most common allergens in children with AD (Bonamonte 2022). American Academy of Dermatology [supports] Fragrance-Free Labelling Fragrance-Free Labelling [prevents] Fragrance Allergy

What the law does and doesn’t require. Under the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC 1223/2009), fragrance can be listed simply as “parfum” or “aroma”. However, the allergens in Annex III must be named individually in the ingredient list when they exceed 0.001% in leave-on products or 0.01% in rinse-off products. Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 added 56 allergens to the original list. Since 31 July 2026, non-compliant products cannot be newly placed on the EU market, although older stock may be sold until 31 July 2028 (European Commission). The words “fragrance-free” and “unscented” are marketing claims, not regulated categories in these sources. US labels can say only “fragrance”. Botanical extracts and Essential Oils are themselves fragrance materials and contain the same named allergens, such as linalool and limonene, so a “natural, fragrance-free” balm scented with lavender is still fragranced. EU Cosmetics Regulation [regulates] Fragrance-Free Labelling Essential Oils [contradicts] Fragrance-Free Labelling

The label isn’t a guarantee. Baby products sold as “hypoallergenic” or even “fragrance-free” have been found to contain fragrance (Tam & Yu 2022). In practice, parents should check the INCI list for “parfum”, “fragrance” or “aroma”, named allergens (such as linalool and limonene), essential oils and plant extracts, including daisy-family ones linked to Sesquiterpene Lactones. If a toddler’s eczema keeps flaring despite “fragrance-free” products, Patch Testing can identify a specific fragrance allergen. Patch Testing [relates] Fragrance Allergy

Conflict: [AAD, n.d.] defines “fragrance-free” as free of all fragrances. [Tam & Yu, 2022] found products labelled “fragrance-free” that contained fragrance. Unresolved — see open_questions.

Fragrance and essential oils on broken skin

“Natural” scents such as lavender, tea tree and chamomile oils are fragrance allergens. On a toddler’s eczematous skin they can cause allergic contact dermatitis. Pick products with no parfum, aroma, essential oil or named fragrance allergen in the ingredient list.

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