Worried about long list of chemicals in your skincare products? From cleansers, to moisturizers, and even serums – we totally love the pleasant scents these products emanate when we slather them on. It makes us pick up the product and apply it. Many of us want to pick up “paraben-free” products, but we should also be looking for “fragrance-free” products with the same fervour. We agree that added fragrance imparts that “feel-good factor” upon application, but it’s not so good for your skin. Parfum/fragrance either synthetic or natural, can potentially irritate your skin and disrupt the delicate pH balance.Well, the one thing you can totally avoid when looking for skincare products is “fragrance.” In this post, we list out 19 Best Fragrance Free Moisturisers for all skin types.
Why Fragrance in Skincare is Bad for your Skin?
It’s beyond comprehension for a lot of us how a strong orange fragrance in our favorite skin cream which claims to have the amazing benefits of vitamin C can be bad for the skin! Just like parabens, phthalates, and sulfates – “fragrance,” which is often added by skincare brands to increase the appeal of their products or to mask the unpleasant smell of active ingredients, is usually extracted from synthetic chemicals, and can irritate skin, penetrate into the skin and alter hormones, and may even cause cancer. We would like to add that even naturally extracted fragrances are not good for the skin, they might cause skin irritation on most skin types. Although you may not see immediate effects of fragrance on the skin, it is a major factor that contributes to a whole lot of skin issues that you may have. Essential oils, which have strong scents, are also not “okay” for your skin.
How to Detect “Added Fragrance” in Skincare Products?
Many cosmetic and skincare brands add “parfum” or fragrance to make their products appealing to the customers. However, most of the time, you may not be able to read “parfum” in the ingredients list, but here’s a list that would help you to weed out fragrance from your skincare products.
1. Fragrance.
2. Aldehydes
3. Parfum/perfume
4. Linalool
5. Limonene
6. Eugenol.
7. Citronellol.
8. Cinnamal.
9. Geraniol
10. Added essential oils.
Safe Fragrances that Do Not Irritate the Skin:
Not all natural fragrances irritate the skin, some of these have amazing benefits on the skin:
1. Shea
2. Vanilla.
3. Coconut
4. Cocoa butter
5. Melon
19 Best Fragrance Free Moisturisers for all Skin Types:
1. Cerave Moisturizing Cream: It’s a non-comedogenic, oil-free, hypoallergenic, fragrance-free moisturizer that also has hyaluronic acid and ceramides. It helps restore the skin’s protective barrier and is a non-greasy, fast-absorbing moisturizing cream.
2. Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cream: Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream is a non-oily, quickly absorbed hydrator that visibly reduces the appearance of oil and leaves skin looking and feeling more balanced. The oil-free gel cream reduces excess oil on skin’s surface. It is non-greasy, and retains essential moisture in skin for a healthier, re-balanced skin barrier and a smoother, fresher appearance. It is fragrance free, oil free, paraben free, fragrance free and non comedogenic in nature.
3. Occlubase Lotion: It’s an occlusive moisturizer that forms an oily layer on the surface of the skin to prevent water evaporating from the skin surface. It’s good for normal and dry skin types.
4. Avene Skin Recovery Cream: It’s a cream/moisturizer that is formulated for hypersensitive skin which claims to calm irritations and gives long-lasting protection to naturally sensitive skin or skin that has become irritable. It is preservative-free, Paraben-free, Fragrance-free and also alcohol free.
5. Avene Moisturizing Cream: It has the goodness of shea butter and glycerin, and soothes skin with its Avène Thermal Spring Water, and has soothing and anti-irritating properties. It is also fragrance, paraben, and preservative free.
6. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream: It wasn’t earlier fragrance free, but it is now! It’s a moisturizer that can be used to treat even chapped lips. It also protects skin from dry winds, and air conditioning. It can be called a multi-tasker because it soothes, restores, calms skin and relives minor skin irritations.
7. Clinique Moisture Surge 72-Hour Auto-Replenishing Hydrator: This is an apt cream for all skin types because it provides an instant moisture boost, Clinique claims up to 72 hours of moisturization. It has hyaluronic acid and active aloe water for intense hydration. It is also free of SLS, SLES, and talc.
8. The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA: Good for all skin types, we could not find “fragrance” in the ingredients list. It claims to be aa hydrating formula with amino acids, dermal lipids, and hyaluronic acid.
9. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel: It can act as a base for makeup with its semi-matte texture, for all skin types, it is a non-greasy moisturizer.
10. La Roche Posay Double Repair Face Moisturizer: This moisturizer claims to provide 48-hour hydration and has a prebiotic action and restores healthy-looking skin. It has a lightweight texture that comforts skin.
11. Dermalogica Calm Water Gel Moisturiser: It is a lightweight water-gel moisturizer that hydrates dry, sensitive skin. It is paraben free, cruelty free, and does not have any artificial fragrance though we can see “linalool” in the ingredients list which might be a natural fragrance from essential oils.
12. Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin: It’s a water-based formula which is non-comedogenic, hypoallergenic, and fragrance free too.
13. Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream: It’s a moisturizer that can be used on both face and body and is hypoallergenic too.
14. Aveeno Skin Relief Moisture Repair Cream: This is an oat-based cream woth ceramide and rich emollients that help to restore the moisture barrier for extra-dry skin.
15. Eucerin Skin Calming Cream: This cream too is oatmeal based and good for sensitive skin. It claims to provide 24 hour moisture and long term control of dry, itchy skin.
16. Excela Moisturiser by Cipla: It’s a moisturiser especially formulated for oily and acne prone skin. It also reduces sebum production by inhibiting multiplication of sebum producing cells, and moisturises skin along with reducing shininess and pore size. It is paraben and fragrance free.
17. Acrofy by Dr. Reddy’s: It is a non-comedogenic and fragrance free moisturizer that controls sebum and moisturises skin well.
18. Oryza Moisturizing Lotion: It is a rich lotion with ceramide in an emollient base and locks in moisture. Good for dry skin.
19. Sebamed Moisturizing Lotion: It gets absorbed into the skin easily and leaves the skin looking dewy and moisturized. It can seem greasy for those who have oily skin. For dry and normal skin beauties, this works fantastic. It doesn’t cause any break outs. It claims to balance the pH of the skin.
