Thread by @thetiarawillis

Why I HATE fragrance and essential oils in skincare:

It commonly known amongst dermatologists and other communities that fragrance (natural or synthetic) is harmful. There’s A LOT of research backing this up.

But. It’s. In. EVERYTHING. 😭

How we smell fragrances: Volatility.

volatile
/ˈvɒlətʌɪl/
adjective
1. (of a substance) easily evaporated at normal temperatures.

This fast evaporation is what causes us to smell these fragrances and essential oils.

This process almost always causes a sensitizing reaction on the skin.

Fragrance & essential oils in skincare is one of the #1 causes of sensitivity, allergies, and other negative reactions

“My skin doesn’t react badly to fragrance”

1) Fragrance is one of those things that even though it’s tolerable now, you can have a reaction in the future especially w/ more exposure

2) Skin damage isn’t always shown on the surface, it can happen in deeper layers of the skin

It’s like me always telling you guys to wear sunscreen.

It benefits you immediately (prevents sunburns & hyperpigmentation) and in the future (anti-aging).

Staying away from fragrance prevents irritation now & built-up irritation that will effect you in the future.

The purpose of using essential oils is aromatherapy. That’s it. They don’t belong on your face.

There are some parts of essential oils that are good for the skin, like tea-tree oil is antibacterial. HOWEVER

1) can also significantly irritate and damage skin.
2) are photosensitive (burns)
3) doesn’t have as much evidence to benefit acne like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic

Fragrant ingredients present in many essential oils:

Limonene, citronellol, eugenol, and linalool.

Natural or ancient doesn’t always mean better!

“What are the best essential oils for the skin?”

None. 🙂

The reason why a lot of brands put fragrance and essential oils in skincare is to hide the smell when a product goes bad 🤢

“But I don’t smell anything!”

Sometimes fragrance is added to MASK the scent of other ingredients that don’t smell great.

Yes, even “unscented” skincare can have fragrance! You MUST read ingredients.

Fragrant ingredients to stay away from:

Fragrance
Parfum/Perfume/Aroma
Linalool
Citronellol
Cinnamal
Limonene
Geraniol
Eugenol
Lavender oil (Lavandula angustifolia)
Rose flower extract (Rosa damascena)
Bergamot oil (Citrus bergamia)
Ylang-ylang oil (Canaga odorata)
...

...
Lemon (Citrus limon)
Lime (Citrus aurantifolia or Citrus medica)
Orange (Citrus sinensis)
Tangerine (Citrus tangerine)
Peppermint (Mentha piperita)
Spearmint (Mentha spicata)
Eucalyptus
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum)
...

There are more. But it’d be too long of a list. If you’re not sure an oil is volatile, google it!

“Can skincare smell good without fragrant oils?” ABSOLUTELY. There are many non fragrant oils & plant extracts that smell good & are safe.

Ex: coconut, cucumber, mango, Shea butter, melon, almond

Many antioxidants always have a natural scent to them that smell really good. And they benefit your skin!

References:
- Biochimica and Biophysica Acta, May 2012, pages 1,410-1,419
Aging, March 2012, pages 166-175
- Chemical Immunology and Allergy, March 2012, pages 77-80
- Experimental Dermatology, October 2009, pages 821-832

More references:
- International Journal of Toxicology, Volume 27, 2008, Supplement pages 1-43
- Food and Chemical Toxicology, February 2008, pages 446—475
- Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2008, issue 4, pages 191-202

And more references:
- American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2003, issue 11, pages 789-798
- Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2008, issue 4, pages 191-202
- Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, August 2015, pages 601-611

And more:
- International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents, February 2015, pages 106-110
- Essential Oil Safety, Second Edition, Tisserand, R., Young, R., Elsevier Ltd., 2014, pages 69-98
- Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, January 2013, pages 40-53

And some anecdotal evidence:

Also, if your cleanser has fragrance in it, this isn’t great.

BUT cleansers have a shorter contact time on your skin vs. serums moisturizer, toner, etc. — so you’re much more likely to be okay. Not my favorite, but I can give it a pass (sort of).