{"id":1754,"date":"2024-10-29T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-29T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/?p=1754"},"modified":"2024-10-29T11:11:01","modified_gmt":"2024-10-29T11:11:01","slug":"myth-buster-is-fragrance-in-skincare-bad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/myth-buster-is-fragrance-in-skincare-bad\/","title":{"rendered":"Myth Buster: Is Fragrance in Skincare Bad?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/210112-15-Copy-of-Myth-Buster-Is-Fragrance-in-Skincare-Bad-copy-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1828\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Like and share the article here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-social-links is-layout-flex wp-block-social-links-is-layout-flex\"><li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-facebook  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c-0.5,0.5-0.808,1.002-1.038,1.594C3.25,6.677,3.098,7.331,3.054,8.289C3.01,9.249,3,9.556,3,12c0,2.444,0.01,2.751,0.054,3.711 c0.044,0.958,0.196,1.612,0.418,2.185c0.23,0.592,0.538,1.094,1.038,1.594c0.5,0.5,1.002,0.808,1.594,1.038 c0.572,0.222,1.227,0.375,2.185,0.418C9.249,20.99,9.556,21,12,21s2.751-0.01,3.711-0.054c0.958-0.044,1.612-0.196,2.185-0.418 c0.592-0.23,1.094-0.538,1.594-1.038c0.5-0.5,0.808-1.002,1.038-1.594c0.222-0.572,0.375-1.227,0.418-2.185 C20.99,14.751,21,14.444,21,12s-0.01-2.751-0.054-3.711c-0.044-0.958-0.196-1.612-0.418-2.185c-0.23-0.592-0.538-1.094-1.038-1.594 c-0.5-0.5-1.002-0.808-1.594-1.038c-0.572-0.222-1.227-0.375-2.185-0.418C14.751,3.01,14.444,3,12,3L12,3z M12,7.378 c-2.552,0-4.622,2.069-4.622,4.622S9.448,16.622,12,16.622s4.622-2.069,4.622-4.622S14.552,7.378,12,7.378z M12,15 c-1.657,0-3-1.343-3-3s1.343-3,3-3s3,1.343,3,3S13.657,15,12,15z M16.804,6.116c-0.596,0-1.08,0.484-1.08,1.08 s0.484,1.08,1.08,1.08c0.596,0,1.08-0.484,1.08-1.08S17.401,6.116,16.804,6.116z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">Instagram<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n<li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-twitter  wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/skinandmehq?lang=en\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M22.23,5.924c-0.736,0.326-1.527,0.547-2.357,0.646c0.847-0.508,1.498-1.312,1.804-2.27 c-0.793,0.47-1.671,0.812-2.606,0.996C18.324,4.498,17.257,4,16.077,4c-2.266,0-4.103,1.837-4.103,4.103 c0,0.322,0.036,0.635,0.106,0.935C8.67,8.867,5.647,7.234,3.623,4.751C3.27,5.357,3.067,6.062,3.067,6.814 c0,1.424,0.724,2.679,1.825,3.415c-0.673-0.021-1.305-0.206-1.859-0.513c0,0.017,0,0.034,0,0.052c0,1.988,1.414,3.647,3.292,4.023 c-0.344,0.094-0.707,0.144-1.081,0.144c-0.264,0-0.521-0.026-0.772-0.074c0.522,1.63,2.038,2.816,3.833,2.85 c-1.404,1.1-3.174,1.756-5.096,1.756c-0.331,0-0.658-0.019-0.979-0.057c1.816,1.164,3.973,1.843,6.29,1.843 c7.547,0,11.675-6.252,11.675-11.675c0-0.178-0.004-0.355-0.012-0.531C20.985,7.47,21.68,6.747,22.23,5.924z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n<li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-pinterest  wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.co.uk\/skinandmehq\/\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12.289,2C6.617,2,3.606,5.648,3.606,9.622c0,1.846,1.025,4.146,2.666,4.878c0.25,0.111,0.381,0.063,0.439-0.169 c0.044-0.175,0.267-1.029,0.365-1.428c0.032-0.128,0.017-0.237-0.091-0.362C6.445,11.911,6.01,10.75,6.01,9.668 c0-2.777,2.194-5.464,5.933-5.464c3.23,0,5.49,2.108,5.49,5.122c0,3.407-1.794,5.768-4.13,5.768c-1.291,0-2.257-1.021-1.948-2.277 c0.372-1.495,1.089-3.112,1.089-4.191c0-0.967-0.542-1.775-1.663-1.775c-1.319,0-2.379,1.309-2.379,3.059 c0,1.115,0.394,1.869,0.394,1.869s-1.302,5.279-1.54,6.261c-0.405,1.666,0.053,4.368,0.094,4.604 c0.021,0.126,0.167,0.169,0.25,0.063c0.129-0.165,1.699-2.419,2.142-4.051c0.158-0.59,0.817-2.995,0.817-2.995 c0.43,0.784,1.681,1.446,3.013,1.446c3.963,0,6.822-3.494,6.822-7.833C20.394,5.112,16.849,2,12.289,2\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">Pinterest<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n<li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-linkedin  wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/skinandmehq\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M19.7,3H4.3C3.582,3,3,3.582,3,4.3v15.4C3,20.418,3.582,21,4.3,21h15.4c0.718,0,1.3-0.582,1.3-1.3V4.3 C21,3.582,20.418,3,19.7,3z M8.339,18.338H5.667v-8.59h2.672V18.338z M7.004,8.574c-0.857,0-1.549-0.694-1.549-1.548 c0-0.855,0.691-1.548,1.549-1.548c0.854,0,1.547,0.694,1.547,1.548C8.551,7.881,7.858,8.574,7.004,8.574z M18.339,18.338h-2.669 v-4.177c0-0.996-0.017-2.278-1.387-2.278c-1.389,0-1.601,1.086-1.601,2.206v4.249h-2.667v-8.59h2.559v1.174h0.037 c0.356-0.675,1.227-1.387,2.526-1.387c2.703,0,3.203,1.779,3.203,4.092V18.338z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">LinkedIn<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Myth Buster: Is Fragrance in Skincare Bad?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How do you feel when you slather on some scented body lotion? We bet you feel pretty good. A product with fragrance can evoke a change of mood in an instant \u2013 from joy to nostalgia, our sense of smell is intrinsically linked to our emotions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not only are nose-pleasing products often perceived as more luxurious, but fragrance can also do the handy job of masking the scent of other, less appealing<a href=\"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/a-to-z-of-skin-me\/\"> ingredients<\/a>. Win, win right? Well, it\u2019s a little more complicated than that \u2013 especially if you have sensitive skin.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/\">Skin + Me<\/a> spoke to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/meet-the-team\"> Consultant Dermatologist, Dr Malvina Cunningham<\/a> and Head of Medical Dr Jason Thomson about fragrance in your products,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/can-i-use-tretinoin-on-sensitive-skin\/\"> skin sensitivities<\/a> and how to navigate the sweet (but potentially triggering) maze that is scented skincare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What is sensitive skin? Can you tell us more about the link between skin sensitivity and fragrance?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dr Jason Thomson: <\/strong>Skin sensitivity now has an official definition: the presence of an unpleasant sensation which can be anything from stinging to burning, pain, itch or tingling that happens in response to a trigger that we wouldn\u2019t normally expect to elicit such symptoms. The skin usually appears normal or may be slightly red but importantly the abnormal sensation cannot be explained by a visible skin condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is different to secondary sensitivity which can happen as a result of an underlying skin condition such as eczema,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/ask-a-dermatologist-how-to-treat-rosacea\/\"> rosacea<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/the-skin-and-me-guide-to-acne\/\"> acne<\/a> or an allergy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A number of causes have been linked including a defective<a href=\"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/your-skin-barrier-protection-guide\/\"> skin barrier<\/a> and increase in small nerve fibres. This may transmit an exaggerated immune response to common triggers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Skin sensitivity is definitely more common in women. It can be difficult to tell if it\u2019s sensitivity at play but if you find your skin is reactive (meaning you experience stinging, burning, itching or redness), or you react easily to cosmetic fragrance and toiletries or to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/ask-a-dermatologist-cold-weather-skincare-tips\/\"> changes in temperature<\/a> and environment, you are likely to have sensitive skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#f7f3ed\"><strong>New to Skin + Me?\u00a0<\/strong>Get your first month of personalised skincare for \u00a34.99 with promo code DOSE \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/consultation\/sign-up\/create-account\">complete our quick consultation here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Let\u2019s talk about the product development stage \u2013 why might fragrance be added to a beauty product?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dr Malvina: <\/strong>Fragrance can be natural (like essential oils) or synthetic (man-made) and is used to change the smell of a product. Without fragrance, many cosmetic products would simply smell unpleasant.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fragrance can be found in all cosmetic products &#8211; from soaps to creams,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/all-about-the-base-your-guide-to-makeup-multitaskers\/\"> mascaras<\/a> and toothpaste. It can even be found in &#8216;unscented&#8217; products. Occasionally it\u2019s not even on the ingredients list, for instance if it&#8217;s added to the product for a different function such as an emulsifier or preservative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What are the potential issues to be aware of when it comes to fragrance in products?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dr Malvina: <\/strong>Allergic contact dermatitis is the main problem and is fairly common. It\u2019s estimated as affecting approximately one percent of the population although the exact numbers are likely higher due to the tendency of bias in these types of studies.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fragrances can also cause irritation of the skin and this is known as irritant contact dermatitis. This can make your skin more sensitive to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/myth-buster-top-sunscreen-myths-plus-do-spf-tablets-and-aftersun-work\/\"> sunlight<\/a> and low level irritation can lead to skin<a href=\"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/hyperpigmentation-101\/\"> hyperpigmentation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#f7f3ed\"><strong>New to Skin + Me?\u00a0<\/strong>Get your first month of personalised skincare for \u00a34.99 with promo code DOSE \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/consultation\/sign-up\/create-account\">complete our quick consultation here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What are your three top tips for sensitive skin types when it comes to products containing fragrance?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dr Malvina: <\/strong>First, I recommend completely avoiding fragranced products if you have a confirmed fragrance allergy \u2013 but that can be really difficult to do. People with<a href=\"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/can-i-use-tretinoin-on-sensitive-skin\/\"> sensitive skin<\/a>, particularly with conditions such as<a href=\"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/rosacea-101\/\"> rosacea<\/a> and definitely eczema, should also avoid fragranced products. This is because of their higher risk of contact allergy, but also increased irritation and flare-ups from the condition.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For everyone else, there isn&#8217;t a specific need to avoid fragrances all together. However, there are certain ingredients that are highly sensitising with a higher rate of contact allergy and it makes sense to avoid these.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Secondly, if you <em>are<\/em> sensitised to fragrance make sure to go fragrance-free. This can be really tricky as it\u2019s so abundant. Make sure to check the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/the-three-ingredients-dermatologists-say-you-need-in-your-routine\/\"> ingredients<\/a> list in full. Occasionally you will need to go onto the product website or even contact the manufacturer as sometimes not all ingredients are fully listed. Be mindful that your exposure to fragrance may also come from other sources like your partner, doctor, dentist or<a href=\"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/ask-a-dermatologist-how-to-look-after-your-hair-and-scalp\/\"> hairdresser<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, when looking at the ingredients list, take note of alternative names for fragrance such as &#8216;parfum&#8217; or &#8216;essential oils&#8217;. Natural<em> doesn\u2019t<\/em> mean safe. There are plenty of natural ingredients that are highly sensitising &#8211; one example is linalool, a naturally occurring terpene found in a wide variety of flowers and plants. As a highly sensitising ingredient, we\u2019re seeing many cases of contact allergy to linalool at present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-heading\"><strong>Final thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Fragrance in skincare can be a lovely way to elevate your routine, but it can be tricky to navigate. If you have sensitive skin or a skin condition, we recommend doing your research before introducing a new product to your routine, and opting for fragrance-free options to minimise irritation and keep your skin happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#f0f6fb\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#edf5f8\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#f0f6fb\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>New to Skin + Me? <\/strong>Get your first month of personalised skincare for \u00a34.99 with promo code DOSE \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/consultation\/sign-up\/create-account\">complete our quick consultation here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Looking for a routine refresh? <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/login?back=%2Faccount-summary%2Fmanage-upcoming-orders\">Add the Dream Routine to your Skin + Me subscription<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>In need of a restock? <\/strong>Head to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/shop\">The Skincare Shop<\/a> for one-off purchases of your Routine Essentials.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is fragrance in skincare really something to be sniffed at? Read Consultant Dermatologist Dr Malvina&#8217;s advice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":179265348,"featured_media":1828,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,2015,1366],"tags":[1630,1411,1629,1628,1627,1425,1382,1389,1516,1362],"class_list":["post-1754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-articles","category-myth-buster","category-routine","tag-clean-beauty","tag-dermatologist","tag-fragrance-and-skincare","tag-fragrance-free","tag-scent","tag-sensitive-skin","tag-skin-me","tag-skin-and-me","tag-skin-goals","tag-skincare"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/179265348"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1754"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1754\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6653,"href":"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1754\/revisions\/6653"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1828"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skinandme.com\/the-dose\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}