Five Reasons to Use Fragrance-Free Products

I love scents. Naturally occurring in nature, like the common milkweed blooming in my garden in May, or added to personal care products and household products in the form of essential oils and aromatic extracts. I opt, as often as I can, for all-natural fragrances in the products I use on myself and in my own home, but I’m not opposed to the occasional delicious candle scented with a phthalate-free fragrance oil manufactured in a lab. But sometimes I need a break from it all and choose detergents, lotions, soaps, and other things I use on a daily basis that are either mildly scented, unscented, or completely fragrance-free. Below are five reasons you might want to consider trying fragrance-free products:

1. You Have Sensitive Skin

Some people have sensitive skin that reacts negatively to fragrances in personal care and household products. Maybe you’ve experienced rashes, irritation, or itching due to laundry detergents or liquid soap as most available on store shelves are heavily scented.

If you’re looking for a hand wash for the kitchen or bathroom sink that is not only 100% natural but also completely fragrance-free, check out our all-natural Unscented Olive Oil Soap. It’s free of fragrances (and that means no essential oils, even) and it’s perfect for sensitive skin. Furthermore, the formula, after a good lather, rinses quickly and cleanly without stripping your skin.

2. You Have Allergies

Fragrances, even natural ones in the form of essential oils or plant-based aromatic extracts, can be a common trigger for allergies. If you’ve experienced headaches or respiratory issues that aren’t linked to seasonal changes or dust or other common allergens, you might have an allergy to fragrances and might benefit from using fragrance-free products. While it’s always best to talk to a doctor about allergies to determine the best treatment plan, it’s not a bad idea to eliminate fragrance-heavy products from your daily routine. While it’s nearly impossible to avoid exposure to fragrance ingredients — because they are everywhere — without cutting yourself off from society, you can do your best to lessen your direct exposure.

3. You Are Concerned About Their Environmental Impact

Many fragrances are made from synthetic chemicals that can be harmful to the environment, including the air and water. Furthermore, many natural essential oils might derive from organic materials that are considered endangered. If either of these things concerns you, check into the fragrance components of your favorite self-care and home-care products.

If the thought of checking the source and makeup of all the products you use daily is overwhelming, subbing out some items with products that don’t present these concerns at all might be the way to go. It’s also worth checking out other ingredients to learn about their impact on the environment, too, and opt for products with simple ingredients and clear labeling, and a manufacturer who is willing to answer all of your questions.

4. You Need to Avoid Using Fragrant Products Because of Your Workplace

Some workplaces may prefer that employees avoid using fragrance-containing products for the comfort of colleagues or customers. Furthermore, some professional environments like those in healthcare might require that medical staff use only fragrance-free products like detergents, soaps, and lotions so as not to trigger sensitivities and allergic reactions in patients with whom they come in contact.

If you work in close quarters with colleagues or have direct contact with clients or patients, going fragrance-free during your work shift might be the way to go, even if it is not required by your employers. During your work day, if you find yourself needing to moisturize your hands, either after frequent handwashing or due to your workplace’s HVAC system zapping your skin of moisture, consider swapping your highly fragranced lotions or creams, for our unscented Humble Bee Hand Salve.

5. It’s Your Personal Preference!

Some people simply prefer unscented or fragrance-free products and don’t necessarily have sensitivities, allergies, or workplace requirements. For some, scented products, even those scented with natural ingredients, don’t work with their own body chemistry and don’t smell “right” to them. And for others, scent-containing self-care products and detergents conflict with their chosen perfume or cologne, or other signature scents.

Maybe you enjoy one of our all-natural essential oil perfumes so much that you don’t want your soap to conflict with its aroma. If this is the case, might I suggest our Oatmeal Soap, made with lots of skin-loving olive oil, scrubby ground oats, and no fragrance, natural or otherwise? Not much goes into our Oatmeal Soap, and we often have found ourselves confused as to how popular it is. But then I realized in recent years that a truly fragrance-free oatmeal soap is very hard to find on store shelves. Most are scented with something. But not ours. It is truly a fragrance-free product. Interested in trying it out? We sell a five-pack of guest-sized Oatmeal Soap bars, perfect for the bathroom sink or travel kit

Be an Informed Consumer

It’s important to note that “fragrance-free” does not necessarily mean that a product has no scent. It may still have a mild, natural aroma due to its ingredients. Our Humble Bee Salve is a good example of that. There’s a slight honey-ish nuance, thanks to the use of natural beeswax. Additionally, some products labeled as “unscented” might contain a fragrance ingredient to mask the natural scent of the product. Not that this is NOT the case with our Unscented Liquid Soap and Unscented Shaving Pucks. Both are truly free of fragrance. To ensure that a product is truly fragrance-free, it’s best to read the ingredients — and ask questions!