Fragrance and essential oils
Fragrance makes a product smell nice and does nothing for your skin, while being one of the most common causes of allergic skin reactions. In large patch-test studies, about 1 in 8 people tested reacted to fragrance mixes, and essential-oil breakdown products are climbing the same charts. The tricky part: an allergy can develop after months of using something with no problems. 'Fragrance-free' on the label is the easy win.
what the evidence says
NACDG 2019-2020 patch-test data: fragrance mix I positive in 12.8% of patients (3rd most common allergen); essential-oil oxidation products in 11.1%.
stage a kind intervention
Got a friend who swears by this? Send them the receipts. The message is pre-written to be kind, because the product is the problem, not your friend.
“Saw this and thought of you. No judgment, just receipts on fragrance and essential oils: https://skinformed-gamma.vercel.app/ingredient/fragrance-essential-oils/”
sources
note:Skinformed is general education, not medical advice. It doesn't know your skin, can't diagnose anything, and is no substitute for a clinician. If something on your skin hurts, spreads, or worries you, that's a doctor visit, not a product search.