Fragrance in Unscented Products: The Masking Game

You chose unscented because you wanted to avoid fragrance. You checked the label, saw no perfume listed, and assumed you were safe. But “unscented” doesn’t mean fragrance-free — and the difference matters more than most people realise.

The Terminology Problem

“Unscented” and “fragrance-free” sound interchangeable. They’re not.

Fragrance-free means no fragrance ingredients have been added to the product. The product smells like whatever its raw ingredients smell like — which might be nothing, or might be the natural odour of its components.

Unscented means the product has no perceptible smell. This is achieved by adding masking fragrances — ingredients designed to neutralise or cover the natural odour of other ingredients. The product contains fragrance; you just can’t detect it.

If you’re avoiding fragrance because of sensitivity, allergy, or preference, “unscented” products may still contain the very ingredients you’re trying to avoid.

Why Products Need Masking

Raw cosmetic ingredients don’t always smell pleasant. Some actives have distinctive odours — sulfur compounds, certain plant extracts, some preservatives. Without intervention, these products would smell medicinal, chemical, or simply unpleasant.

For fragranced products, this isn’t a problem. The added perfume overwhelms any base odour. For “unscented” products, brands have two choices: reformulate to avoid smelly ingredients (expensive, sometimes technically difficult) or add masking agents to neutralise the smell (cheap, easy).

Most choose masking. It’s the path of least resistance. The product smells like nothing, the consumer is satisfied, and the formulation team doesn’t have to work around odour constraints.

What’s Actually In There

Masking fragrances are still fragrances. They’re typically listed on ingredient labels as:

“Parfum” or “Fragrance” — the catch-all term that can represent dozens of individual fragrance chemicals. Regulations allow this umbrella term to protect proprietary blends, meaning you don’t know exactly what’s in there.

Sometimes masking agents appear under specific chemical names, but often they’re simply bundled under the fragrance umbrella. The consumer has no way to distinguish between a masking agent and a traditional perfume from the ingredient list alone.

The EU requires disclosure of 26 specific fragrance allergens if present above certain thresholds, so you might see ingredients like linalool, limonene, or citronellol listed separately. But masking fragrances chosen specifically to avoid these allergens won’t appear individually — they’ll just be “parfum.”

Why This Matters

For most people, masking fragrances are probably fine. If you tolerate fragranced products without issue, a product with trace masking agents won’t cause problems.

For people avoiding fragrance for specific reasons, it matters a lot:

Fragrance allergy or sensitivity. If you react to fragrance compounds, masking agents are fragrance compounds. The fact that you can’t smell them doesn’t mean your immune system can’t react to them.

Contact dermatitis. Fragrance is one of the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis. People with this condition need genuinely fragrance-free products, not products that merely smell fragrance-free.

Rosacea and sensitive skin conditions. These conditions often react to fragrance components. “Unscented” products may still trigger flares.

Migraine triggers. Some people find fragrances trigger headaches. The assumption that “unscented” means safe may be incorrect.

How To Identify Truly Fragrance-Free Products

Check for “fragrance-free” not just “unscented.” This terminology is more likely to indicate no fragrance ingredients, though it’s not regulated to a strict standard.

Read the full ingredient list. Look for “parfum,” “fragrance,” or any of the 26 EU-regulated fragrance allergens. If any appear, the product contains fragrance regardless of how it’s marketed.

Look for specific claims. Some brands explicitly state “no masking fragrances” or “truly fragrance-free.” These are more reliable than generic “unscented” claims.

Consider the smell. Genuinely fragrance-free products often have a slight smell — the natural odour of their ingredients. If a product smells like absolutely nothing, that neutrality was probably engineered with masking agents.

Research the brand. Brands focused on sensitive skin often provide clear information about their fragrance policies. Contact them directly if the label is ambiguous.

The Regulation Gap

Unlike some claims, “unscented” and “fragrance-free” aren’t strictly regulated in cosmetics. Brands can use these terms with some flexibility. There’s no certification body verifying claims, no standard definition enforced by regulators.

This means you’re relying on brand honesty and interpretation. A brand might genuinely believe their product is “unscented” because it doesn’t smell, without considering whether masking agents constitute fragrance from an allergen perspective.

The burden falls on consumers to understand the distinction and investigate products before purchasing — particularly if fragrance avoidance is medically motivated.

The Marketing Convenience

For brands, the unscented/fragrance-free ambiguity is convenient:

They can market to fragrance-avoiders without the formulation constraints of true fragrance-free development. They can use the same base formulas with a masking agent added. They can capture the “sensitive skin” market without the R&D investment that market actually requires.

Genuinely fragrance-free formulation is harder. It requires careful ingredient selection to avoid malodorous components, or acceptance that the product might have a slight scent. It limits formulation flexibility. It costs more in development time.

“Unscented” with masking agents is the shortcut. The consumer perceives no fragrance; the brand avoids the hard work of true fragrance-free formulation.

What Brands Should Do

Honest labelling would distinguish:

“Fragrance-free” — no fragrance ingredients of any kind, including masking agents. May have a natural scent from ingredients.

“Unscented” — no perceptible odour, achieved through masking fragrances. Contains fragrance ingredients but designed to smell neutral.

“Lightly fragranced” or “naturally scented” — contains fragrance for a subtle scent experience.

This clarity would let consumers make informed choices based on their actual needs. Someone who simply dislikes strong perfume might be happy with “unscented.” Someone with fragrance allergy needs “fragrance-free.”

Currently, the terminology conflation serves brands, not consumers.

The Bottom Line

“Unscented” often means “you can’t smell the fragrance we added.” The masking agents are still fragrance. They may still cause reactions in sensitive individuals. They may still trigger conditions that fragrance-avoiders are trying to manage.

If you’re avoiding fragrance for health reasons, “unscented” isn’t safe to assume. Check ingredient lists for parfum or fragrance. Look for explicit “fragrance-free” and “no masking fragrance” claims. Accept that truly fragrance-free products might have a slight scent — that’s often the honest version.

The skincare industry’s use of “unscented” to mean “fragranced but scentless” is a linguistic trick that serves formulation convenience over consumer transparency. Knowing the difference protects you from products that aren’t what they appear to be.