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From soaps to shampoos to body lotions, our beauty routine is full of scents. Yet it's often the fragrance that makes the difference between a product we love and one we leave on the shelf. Still, “fragrance-free” and “unscented” claims are multiplying on packaging, which raises some perfectly legitimate questions.
What exactly is a fragrance? Is a scented lotion or body wash bad for you? And what really sets “fragrance-free” apart from “unscented”? Here's what you need to know.
IN THIS ARTICLE
What is a fragrance in a cosmetic product?
On an ingredient list, “Parfum” (perfume) and “Fragrance” mean exactly the same thing. The first is the European INCI name, the second the American one, hence the bilingual “Fragrance (Parfum)” on our labels. In both cases, it's a complex blend of many natural and synthetic ingredients, such as aroma molecules and sometimes essential oils.5
In Canada, the Cosmetic Regulations allow this term to be placed at the end of the list to indicate that a fragrance ingredient or blend has been added to produce or mask a scent.1 According to the International Fragrance Association, more than 3,000 fragrance ingredients can be used to create these blends.1
Why group them together? Listing the full composition would mean labels with several hundred ingredients, which would be hard to read. On top of that, fragrance formulas are considered proprietary information. No regulatory authority requires the full composition of a fragrance to appear on the label.2
Is scented lotion or body wash bad for you?
For most people, no. Health Canada notes that fragrance ingredients are safe for most of the population but that, like any ingredient, they can cause an allergic reaction in some people.1
Contact allergies do affect a minority, however. In a study of 3,119 adults from the general population of five European countries, the conservatively estimated prevalence of contact allergy to fragrances was 1.9%. It was about twice as high in women as in men.3 Health Canada places the frequency of allergic contact dermatitis linked to fragrance ingredients at 1% to 9% in Europe, and probably 6% to 14% among people with eczema. Fragrances remain the most common cause of contact allergy to cosmetics, ahead of preservatives and hair dyes.1
Allergens aren't automatically dangerous. It simply means an ingredient may not suit every skin type. If your skin is sensitive or reactive, fragrance-free products are a good option. If you have a reaction, Health Canada suggests consulting a health care provider or trying a different brand.2
What about phthalates? They sometimes come up in conversations about fragrances. In Canada, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, or DEHP, is on Health Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist among the ingredients prohibited in cosmetics.4 On the American side, the FDA says the phthalate typically used in fragranced products is diethyl phthalate, or DEP, which does not pose known risks to human health as it is currently used in cosmetics and fragrances.5
Natural or synthetic fragrance?
Health Canada points out that “natural” ingredients often don't differ chemically from their synthetic equivalents. A synthetic substance that mimics a natural one can even offer a purer, more stable ingredient. The department considers natural and synthetic ingredients equally suitable for use in cosmetics.2
Natural doesn't mean less allergenic, either. The European Union's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) classified 28 natural extracts, including essential oils, as established contact allergens in humans.6 A natural fragrance is therefore not necessarily less likely to cause an allergic reaction than its synthetic counterpart. What matters is the substance itself, rather than where it comes from.
Does ATTITUDE® use synthetic fragrances?
Our fragrances combine aroma molecules extracted from nature with others obtained through synthesis. That said, we prioritize ingredients of natural origin, in line with the ISO 16128 standard, as indicated on each product page of our website.7,8
How to spot fragrances on our labels
On our scented products, the ingredient list ends with the mention “*Fragrance (Parfum).” The asterisk acts as a legend. The ingredients marked with it are the components of the fragrance, listed with their INCI names. Reading the list is all it takes to know whether a product contains a fragrance and what it's made of.
Take our Sensitive Natural hand soap with notes of fresh apple. Here is its ingredient list:
The ingredients marked with an asterisk are the components of the fragrance, grouped under the mention “*Fragrance (Parfum).”
What do the rules say in 2026?
Regulations are evolving quickly. Here is where the three territories we're interested in stand.
In Canada
The Cosmetic Regulations were amended to require certain fragrance allergens to be listed individually in the ingredient list, in addition to the term “Parfum.”1,2 Since April 12, 2026, 24 allergens must be declared when their concentration exceeds 0.001% in a leave-on product or 0.01% in a rinse-off product. The list expanded to 81 allergens for new cosmetics on August 1, 2026, and will expand to 81 allergens for all cosmetics on August 1, 2028.2 The rest of the fragrance may still appear under “Parfum.”1
In Europe
Cosmetics are governed by Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Individual labelling of certain fragrance allergens has been required there since 2005.1 Regulation (EU) 2023/1545, published in July 2023, expanded this list, which now has 81 entries in Annex III.1,9 Since July 31, 2026, new products placed on the market must comply. Products already on the market have until July 31, 2028.10
In the United States
The FDA requires an ingredient list on cosmetics sold at retail, but fragrance ingredients can be listed simply as “Fragrance,” because the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act cannot be used to force companies to disclose trade secrets.5 The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA), however, seeks to require the FDA to establish by regulation which fragrance allergens must be disclosed on labels.11 As of the publication of this article, that rule is not yet in effect.
Fragrance-free vs. unscented: what's the difference?
ON THE MARKET
On the market, the two terms aren't automatically synonymous. According to Health Canada, a cosmetic advertised as “fragrance-free” or “unscented” can be one of two things. Either no fragrance was added, or the product's scents were hidden by a masking agent. These agents may be listed individually or grouped under the term “Parfum.” These are marketing terms that Health Canada does not regulate. The Competition Bureau can step in, however, if they are false or misleading.2
The FDA makes the same observation. Even some products labelled “unscented” may contain fragrance ingredients, added in just enough quantity to mask the smell of other ingredients without leaving a noticeable scent.5
AT ATTITUDE®
At ATTITUDE®, an “unscented” product contains no fragrance, no essential oil and no masking agent. It is therefore also fragrance-free, and both terms are accurate for it. In practice, the mention “Fragrance (Parfum)” is absent from its ingredient list.
Unscented doesn't mean odourless, though. Some raw materials have a slight natural smell that we don't try to mask. Chamomile extract, for example, smells like chamomile.
Whatever the brand, the safest approach is to read the ingredient list. If you want to avoid fragrances, make sure the mention “Parfum” or “Fragrance” doesn't appear on it.2
Reading the label with INCI nomenclature
In Canada, cosmetic ingredients must be listed using the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients, or INCI, recognized around the world. It lets you spot an ingredient to avoid without having to know several names, even when travelling.2 Ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration.1
INCI nomenclature is universal and generally written in English, or in Latin for plants, even on products sold in French.2 If you have a reaction, a health care provider can tell you which ingredients to avoid and what their INCI names are.2
Informed choices, plain and simple
We're all different, and so is every skin type. Whether you love scented products or prefer fragrance-free formulas, what matters is being able to clearly read what's in your product.
References
[1] Canada Gazette, Part II. Regulations Amending Certain Regulations Concerning the Disclosure of Cosmetic Ingredients: SOR/2024-63 [Internet]. 2024 Apr 24 [cited 2026 Nov 6];158(9). Available from: https://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2024/2024-04-24/html/sor-dors63-eng.html
[2] Health Canada. Cosmetic advertising, labelling and ingredients [Internet]. Ottawa (ON): Government of Canada; 2025 [updated 2025 Mar 17; cited 2026 Nov 6]. Available from: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/cosmetics/cosmetic-advertising-labelling-ingredients.html
[3] Diepgen TL, Ofenloch R, Bruze M, Cazzaniga S, Coenraads PJ, Elsner P, et al. Prevalence of fragrance contact allergy in the general population of five European countries: a cross-sectional study. Br J Dermatol. 2015;173(6):1411-9. doi:10.1111/bjd.14151
[4] Health Canada. Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist [Internet]. Ottawa (ON): Government of Canada; 2025 [updated 2025 Aug 13; cited 2026 Nov 6]. Available from: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/consumer-product-safety/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredient-hotlist-prohibited-restricted-ingredients/hotlist.html
[5] U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Fragrances in Cosmetics [Internet]. Silver Spring (MD): FDA; 2022 [cited 2026 Nov 6]. Available from: https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredients/fragrances-cosmetics
[6] Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety. Perfume allergies: summary of the SCCS opinion on fragrance allergens in cosmetic products [Internet]. Brussels: European Commission; 2012 [cited 2026 Nov 6]. Available from: https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/opinions_layman/perfume-allergies/en/l-2/4-classification.htm
[7] International Organization for Standardization. ISO 16128-1:2016. Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products — Part 1: Definitions for ingredients [Internet]. Geneva: ISO; 2016 [cited 2026 Nov 6]. Available from: https://www.iso.org/standard/62503.html
[8] International Organization for Standardization. ISO 16128-2:2017. Cosmetics — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients — Part 2: Criteria for ingredients and products [Internet]. Geneva: ISO; 2017 [cited 2026 Nov 6]. Available from: https://www.iso.org/standard/65197.html
[9] European Commission. Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 of 26 July 2023 amending Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards labelling of fragrance allergens in cosmetic products. Off J Eur Union [Internet]. 2023 Jul 27 [cited 2026 Nov 6]. Available from: https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/d2ce789e-2c4b-11ee-95a2-01aa75ed71a1
[10] Health Products Regulatory Authority. Labelling of cosmetic fragrance allergens [Internet]. Dublin: HPRA [cited 2026 Nov 6]. Available from: https://www.hpra.ie/regulation/cosmetics/labelling-and-claims/cosmetic-products-labelling/labelling-of-cosmetic-fragrance-allergens
[11] United States. Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, Pub. L. No. 117-328, div. FF, title III, subtitle E (Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022), §§ 3501-3508 (2022 Dec 29) [Internet]. [cited 2026 Nov 6]. Available from: https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr2617/BILLS-117hr2617enr.pdf