Fragrance is a combination of chemicals that gives each perfume or cologne its distinct scent. Fragrance ingredients may be derived from petroleum or natural raw materials, and companies that manufacture perfume or cologne purchase fragrance mixtures from fragrance houses to develop their own proprietary blends. Fragrance is used in many products, including personal care, cleaning, and other household products, to give them a unique smell. Here are some key points about fragrance:

Positive:

• Fragrances are substances possessing strong-smelling organic compounds that have characteristic, pleasant odors.
• Fragrance can give products a pleasant scent that consumers enjoy.

Negative:

• Fragrance can be made up of a mix of any of more than 3,500 chemicals, some of which are toxic and can cause a range of health problems.
• Fragrance chemicals can become major sensitizers and cause allergies and sensitivities.
• Fragrance ingredients are protected as trade secrets and are not required to be listed on product labels.

Ingredients or materials:

• Fragrance is not technically an individual ingredient or chemical but rather an umbrella term that refers to all the compounds and chemicals that comprise a product’s fragrance.
• Five classes of compounds make up most fragrance ingredients: alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, and lactones.
• There are thousands of registered fragrance ingredients made from these compounds.

If you are concerned about the ingredients hiding in your products, there are many beauty brands to choose from that do not use fragrance and disclose every aspect of their product’s ingredients.