Fragrance — Allergy Risk & Safety Profile

Name: Is Fragrance Safe? Allergy Risk & Alternatives
Creator: SkinDetekt

INCI: PARFUM

Also known as: Parfum, Fragrance Mix, Aroma

🔴 High Risk

Key Facts

Category: fragrance
Risk Level: high
Common Allergen: Yes
Found In: all

Is Fragrance safe in cosmetics?

Fragrance is rated high risk in cosmetic products. It is a known allergen that can cause contact dermatitis in sensitized individuals. The #1 cause of cosmetic contact allergy. 'Fragrance' can hide 3,000+ chemicals. Safer alternatives include Fragrance-free products, Essential oil-free formulations. Commonly found in all.

What is Fragrance?

Umbrella term for scent chemicals. Can contain hundreds of individual chemicals, many of which are known allergens.

Allergy & Safety Information

Fragrance is classified as a high-risk ingredient. It is a known cause of allergic contact dermatitis. Individuals with sensitive skin or a history of contact allergies should avoid products containing this ingredient. A patch test is recommended before first use of any product containing Fragrance.

This ingredient is classified as high risk from an allergenicity perspective. It is a recognised cause of allergic contact dermatitis with a relatively high sensitisation rate in patch-tested populations. People with a history of skin reactions to cosmetics, or with conditions such as eczema or sensitive skin, should exercise particular caution.

Allergen Note: The #1 cause of cosmetic contact allergy. 'Fragrance' can hide 3,000+ chemicals.

About Fragrance Component Ingredients

Fragrance ingredients are added to cosmetics for scent or to mask the odour of raw materials. The EU requires 26 specific fragrance allergens to be listed individually on labels when present above threshold concentrations. Fragrance (listed as "parfum") is the single most common cause of cosmetic contact dermatitis worldwide.

Relevance for Fragrance: Even products labelled "unscented" may contain masking fragrances. True fragrance-free products list no perfuming ingredients at all. If you are fragrance-sensitive, check for "parfum," "fragrance," and all 26 EU-listed fragrance allergens on any product label.

How to Identify Fragrance in Products

Cosmetic ingredients are listed by their INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) name in descending order of concentration. To check whether a product contains Fragrance, scan the ingredient list for its INCI name exactly as it appears above. Ingredients present at 1% or less may appear in any order after the 1% threshold.

Product types to prioritise checking: All. These product categories are the most common sources of Fragrance exposure based on formulation data.

Not sure if your products contain Fragrance? Paste the ingredient list into the free ingredient checker to scan for Fragrance and other allergens automatically.