Parfum/Fragrance Très mauvais Parfum synthétique et naturel No known benefits Parfum/Fragrance at a glance Also known as fragrance or parfum Best known for perfuming and masking scent benefits Can sensitize skin in the short- and long-term Ongoing use of fragranced products can harm skin’s long-term healthy appearance Routinely using multiple fragranced products risks compounding the damage Parfum/Fragrance description Parfum/fragrance are ingredients that create scents through volatile reactions. Although these ingredients might please our noses, they’re capable of sensitizing skin both in the short- and long-term. The volatile reactions that are responsible for creating scent are also responsible for skin barrier disruption, dryness, increase of or triggering of new redness, and depletion of vital substances in skin’s surface. All of this prevents skin from looking healthy, smooth and hydrated. Fragrance free is always the best way to go for all skin types. A surprising fact: Even though you can’t always see or feel the negative effects of fragrant ingredients on skin, the damage will still be taking place. Research has demonstrated that you don’t need to see or feel the effects of irritation for your skin to be suffering. Much like the effects from cumulative sun damage, the negative impact and the visible damage from fragrance may not become apparent for a long time. In other words, they can silently simmer beneath the surface, steadily undermining skin’s ability to stay healthy and youthful looking. You might see fragrant ingredients listed on cosmetic ingredient lists in a number of ways due to different sets of regulations. Usually, in the United States, these ingredients are listed as “Fragrance,” whereas in the European Union, they’re commonly listed as “Parfum.” Most individual parfum/fragrance ingredients do not need to be listed out individually and can live under the umbrella terms of parfum or fragrance, meaning you can’t be certain which exact ingredients are in your cosmetics. However, some fragrance ingredients must be listed separately and cannot be listed under an umbrella term when used at certain concentrations in the EU because of their status as known skin-sensitizers (ex: linalool and limonene). Parfum/fragrance ingredients are naturally and synthetically sourced and appear in both leave-on and rinse-off skin care formulas. Overall, for optimal skin health, it’s best to avoid these ingredients in any cosmetics that contact skin. Related ingredients: Essential Oil Limonene Linalool