Add a good fragrance to skincare, harp about its therapeutic benefits, throw in how it sparks the spirit of love, sensuality, freshness, innocence or even wildness and voilà… up go the sales!
Skincare experts believe that this is the perfect recipe for disaster.
Not for you, and neither for the planet – fragrances aren’t good news for anyone. And yet fragrance components are present in more skincare brands than you can guess.
Let’s deep-dive into what the concern is all about.
Why are fragrances added to skincare?
A beautiful, wafting scent helps mask the product’s otherwise repulsive medicinal smell.
Moreover, the jar-packaged product appears fresh, even after a long time, with the help of added fragrances.
And most importantly, cosmetic companies understand the power of a pleasant fragrance for an enriching and alluring customer experience.
What makes fragrances such a bad idea?
Most fragrance ingredients are derived from petroleum or natural raw materials. And more often than not they contain solvents, stabilizers, UV absorbers, preservatives, and dyes.
Not only do these play havoc with your health but also lead to the waste of precious resources.
How does the body react to fragrances?
Inhaled and absorbed fragrances implicate both short as well as longer-term health problems. These include sore throat, runny nose, sinus congestion, wheezing, shortness of breath, nausea, muscle pain, asthmatic episodes, mental confusion, irritability, seizures, restlessness, agitation, depression sleepiness and much more! One study even claims that heavy perfume exposure during pregnancy can lead to learning disabilities and behaviour disorders in newborns.
How can you avoid fragrant skincare?
Know the products: To begin with understand what type of skincare products are more likely to contain fragrances. These typically include sunscreen, shampoo, soap, body wash, deodorant, body lotion, makeup, facial cream, skin toner, serums, exfoliating scrubs and perfumes.
Read the labels: Always keeps your eyes open for what to look for on the label. Avoid picking up anything with terms like fragrance, perfume, parfum and aroma on it.
Avoid these ingredients: Also, it’s important to keep track of the ingredients you should avoid as they can do more harm than good, in the long run. These include Acetaldehyde, Benzophenone, Benzyl Salicylate, Methyl Chloride and Methanol, to name a few.
Choose fragrance-free:
For efficient yet harmless skincare, choose brands that do not use any volatile fragrance ingredients that can irritate your skin or have long-lasting ill effects on your body and its functioning.
Just like Shruum range of skincare. Made only from honest skin-loving ingredients, most Shruum products are 100% fragrance-free and do not contain any synthetic fragrances or dyes. Good for the planet and your skin, this mushroom-based brand is low on skin and environmental toxicity. Just the fresh smell of healthy skincare makes it win a million hearts!