Fragrances are substances possessing strong-smelling organic compounds that have characteristic, pleasant odors. They are used in many products as a perfume. However, the term "fragrance" or "parfum" on an ingredient list is not an individual ingredient or chemical but rather an umbrella term that refers to all the compounds and chemicals that comprise a products fragrance. Typically, this is dozens of ingredients, and companies are not required to disclose the individual fragrance elements as the fragrance "blend" is considered proprietary information. Here are some details about fragrance ingredients:

Positive:

• Fragrances can provide a pleasant scent to products, making them more appealing to consumers.

Negative:

• Fragrance ingredients can be toxic and harmful to human health. Some chemicals used in fragrances have been linked to cancer, birth defects, hormone disruption, and other adverse health effects.
• Fragrance ingredients can also cause allergic reactions and skin irritation in some people.

Ingredients or materials:

• Fragrance ingredients are made up of five classes of compounds: alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, and lactones.
• There are thousands of registered fragrance ingredients made from these compounds.
• Synthetic fragrance ingredients can either be nature-identical or artificial. Natural-identical synthetic fragrances are made from synthetically derived ingredients to have the same chemical composition as a fragrance found in nature. Artificial fragrances are made from synthetic ingredients and have a scent and/or chemical composition not known to be found in nature.
• Some companies use essential oil + fragrance blends in their products instead of synthetic fragrance ingredients. These blends do not contain parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, dea, mineral oil, petroleum, propylene, or dichlorobenzene.
• The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) is the self-regulating global representative body of the fragrance industry, meaning they set their own safety standards and regulations. In a small effort toward transparency, their website has a comprehensive list of over 3000 ingredients used as fragrance compounds. However, many of these chemicals lack substantial research and safety data.