What it does
Fragrance is a catch-all label that can hide dozens of individual aroma chemicals, which is why it is consistently among the leading causes of contact dermatitis from cosmetics. It contributes nothing to how a product performs — it exists to make the product pleasant to apply.
If your skin is reactive, or you have been chasing an unexplained irritation for weeks, fragrance in a leave-on product is the first thing to remove. Rinse-off products are lower risk simply because contact time is short.
"Unscented" is not the same as fragrance-free — some unscented products contain masking fragrance to cover a raw material smell. Look for an explicit fragrance-free claim and an ingredient list without parfum, and note that essential oils count.
In a routine
Do not layer with
- Retinol
- Exfoliating acids
Same routine is fine for some pairs — same step is the problem. Split them morning and evening when in doubt.
