Fragrance free is still the better starting point than unscented when you need to avoid fragrance. For children with eczema, choose fragrance free products rather than unscented ones, including gentle cleansers and shampoos. The practical rule is to use the claim to narrow your choices, then check the formula for ingredients you need to avoid.23
Fragrance free and unscented are not the same
| Label | What it tells you | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Fragrance free | Fragrance materials are not used specifically to add scent, but fragrance ingredients can be present for other purposes. | Check the ingredient list rather than relying only on the claim. |
| Unscented | The product can contain ingredients that mask or neutralise other ingredients' odours. | Do not treat a lack of noticeable scent as proof that fragrance ingredients are absent. |
Masking fragrance can still cause an allergic reaction. Smelling a product is therefore not a reliable way to decide whether it suits a fragrance allergy. Likewise, a product marked hypoallergenic or for sensitive skin still needs an ingredient check: those terms also lack a federal standard or definition in the US.24
How to check a product before buying
Read the ingredient panel as well as the front label, because the front of the bottle is not the whole conversation.2
- 1Start with a product labelled fragrance free rather than unscented.
- 2Read the ingredients for fragrance, perfume or parfum. Under US rules, a fragrance mixture can be listed simply as fragrance without naming its individual components.
- 3Check for your known allergens by name. If you have an allergy to limonene or linalool hydroperoxides, avoid products containing the parent ingredient, limonene or linalool.
- 4If the ingredients leave a question unanswered, contact the manufacturer. Ask specifically whether the formula contains the substance you need to avoid, rather than asking only whether the product is fragrance free.
The manufacturer's website can be easier to read than the package, which sometimes treats legibility as an optional extra.6
Natural fragrance still needs checking
Plant origin does not remove the need to check for allergens. Limonene comes from citrus peel, while linalool comes from herbs, flowers and woods. Both are fragrance chemicals. Essential oils and fragrance are also among the ingredients to avoid when choosing an emollient, a moisturising ingredient that softens dry skin, if you need to avoid common irritants or allergens.567
Limonene and linalool react with oxygen in the air to form hydroperoxides, which are stronger allergy triggers. Someone allergic to these substances can tolerate a newly opened product yet react to an older opened bottle of the same product. Previous comfortable use does not rule out a later reaction.6
What if a fragrance free product causes a rash?
Stop using the product you suspect is causing the rash. Fragrance is not the only possible culprit: other cosmetic ingredients can cause irritation or allergy too. Contact dermatitis means skin inflammation caused by contact with an irritant or allergen, often producing an itchy and sometimes painful rash.4
When trying moisturisers, introduce only one new product at a time so a reaction is easier to trace. Do not judge tolerance only by the first application: in children with eczema, a product trigger can cause a flare hours or days later.37
If you suspect an allergic reaction, speak to a healthcare professional and identify the product you think triggered it. A dermatologist can help find the cause when it is unclear, and medical patch testing can identify contact allergies. Seek immediate medical attention for trouble breathing, trouble swallowing or other symptoms of a severe allergic reaction.24
Where this answer comes from
- 1Fragrances and perfumesdermnetnz.org
- 2Allergens in Cosmeticsfda.gov
- 3How can I find eczema friendly products?aad.org
- 4Itchy rash could be contact dermatitisaad.org
- 5Fragrances in Cosmeticsfda.gov
- 6Contact allergy to hydroperoxides of limonene and linalooldermnetnz.org
- 7Emollients: Creams, Soaps, Moisturizers, Ointments, Benefitsmy.clevelandclinic.org
