Fragrance

About Fragrance

When you see 'fragrance' or 'parfum' on a U.S. label, it can represent a mixture of anywhere from a handful to dozens of individual scent ingredients — natural extracts, essential oils and synthetic aroma chemicals. Fragrance formulas are treated as trade secrets, so brands may list the whole blend under one word.

In hair products fragrance is there purely for scent. It is usually present at 1% or less, which is why our checker treats it, like the first preservative, as a marker of the approximate '1% line': ingredients listed after it are typically present in small amounts.

Fragrance has no effect on Curly Girl status. The concern is skin sensitivity. Fragrance mixes are one of the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis from cosmetics, which can show up as an itchy scalp, hairline, ears or neck. Leave-on products such as creams, oils and leave-ins expose skin for longer than shampoos. The European Union requires specific fragrance allergens to be named on labels above set levels, and a 2022 U.S. law directs the FDA to set similar disclosure rules — so you may see names such as linalool, limonene or geraniol after the word fragrance.

If you have a sensitive scalp or eczema, look for 'fragrance-free' rather than 'unscented', which can still contain masking fragrance. Essential oils are fragrance too, even when they're marketed as natural.