🔎 Decoding the label: “Fragrance” is not just one ingredient. When you see fragrance or parfum listed on your skincare, hair care, scalp care, or makeup product, that single word can represent a complex blend drawn from a palette of 3,000+ fragrance materials. And because fragrance formulas can be protected as trade secrets, the individual ingredients behind that scent often do not have to be listed on the INCI. That hidden blend can include aroma compounds, solvents, stabilizers, fixatives, and materials that help a scent linger. And yes, in some cases, that can include certain phthalates. Would I today put fragrance in a facial skincare product? Hands down, no. The potential risks are too high for the reward, in my opinion. Have I done it in the past? Yes, once. About 10 years ago, I put synthetic fragrance into a facial skincare product to make it more commercially appealing. I instantly regretted it and reformulated the fragrance out after only one production run. It still bothers me - it was the wrong choice to make (for me, and for this brand) and it’s weighed on my mind ever since. For many people, fragrance is not an issue. But for others, repeated, cumulative daily exposure can show up as irritation, surface redness, itching, sensitivity, discomfort, or a barrier that just never looks calm. I’m not anti-fragrance. I’m pro-conversation and ingredient transparency. Because there is always more to a formula than what you see on the front of the bottle, and sometimes even more than what you see on the INCI list. And remember: this is not medical advice or a diagnosis, just information.