Eucerin’s vast range of products, consisting of skin and hair care products, are mostly unscented. In fact, Eucerin is popular for its fragrance-free formulas.
The scented versions are available in both skin and hair care segments. Customer reviews about the aroma of these products are seldom available.
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What are the fragrance ingredients in Eucerin?
The cosmetic products of Eucerin primarily contain chemicals like glycerine, sodium phosphate, trisodium ETDA, copolymers, alcohol, Laureth sulfate, and magnesium. Some products also have castor oil and other seed oils. These chemicals and oils provide their inherent aromas to the products.
To mask the smell of chemical ingredients and to enhance the aromatic appeal, the company adds parfum to its scented products. The contents of parfum are not disclosed by the company as the law doesn’t require cosmetic manufacturers to furnish details of their fragrance ingredients.
Is it safe to use Eucerin’s fragrance products?
In spite of increasing awareness of the side effects of fragrance chemicals, most consumers prefer their cosmetics to carry good fragrances. Although a shift from chemical fragrances to natural extracts is taking place in cosmetic and other industries, the scent used in Eucerin’s fragrance products is still parfum.
Parfum is the generic name cosmetic manufacturers give for their secret fragrance recipe. It could consist of 30-40 or even 2,000 chemicals! Some of the commonly found components in parfum are ethanol, camphor, benzyl alcohol, limonene, linalool, ethanol, formaldehyde, and butane.
Fragrance chemicals in parfum are known to trigger adverse reactions in the human body over long-term exposure. Termed perfume poisoning, they can cause allergies, contact dermatitis, hives, itching, flakes, and sensitization of the skin. If you have dry or sensitive skin, the condition could get aggravated too.
Further, inhalation of the fumes of the chemicals, over a period of time, can also lead to respiratory issues like asthma, lung disease, nasal and throat irritation, breathing difficulty, dizziness, nausea, and migraine.
Additionally, recent research has confirmed that fragrance chemicals such as oxybenzone, octinoxate, styrene, and phthalates lead to hormonal imbalance and endocrine disruption.
Research by the Environmental Working Group indicates that parfum could contain highly toxic chemicals that can even cause cancer and weaken one’s immune system.
As fragrance chemicals quickly evaporate and mix with the air around you, your children and pets can also become susceptible to the side effects even if they are not using the fragrance products. Such exposure can result in respiratory problems and hormonal issues in them.
On a larger scale, fragrance chemicals also result in ecotoxicity. It has been found that they have an impact on wastewater management, the growth of algae in waterways, and the pollution of air and fresh water. These chemicals are actually considered greenhouse gases.
What do Eucerin’s fragrance-free products smell like?
There are rarely any references from users about how non-fragrance products of Eucerin smell like.
The only difference between fragrance and non-fragrance products of the brand is the presence of parfum. Therefore, the non-fragrance products should smell the chemical compounds they are made of. In some products where natural oils are used, you may be able to smell their aroma.
Is it better to use fragrance-free products of Eucerin?
Fragrance products of Eucerin contain parfum – the composition of which is toxic to the human body and environment. While fragrance-free products do not contain the harsh chemicals of parfum, they are not completely devoid of chemicals. The majority of Eucerin’s composition is chemical compounds – like sulfates, alcohol, sodium, laureth, and stearate. You may be cutting down the risk of using parfum chemicals – however, still, get exposed to other dangerous chemicals.
Secondly, various research has shown that ‘fragrance-free’ is only a deceptive tag. Cosmetic manufacturers use fragrance chemicals even in fragrance-free products in order to mask the acidic and pungent odor of the ingredients. As the use of fragrances and their labeling on cosmetic products is poorly regulated, you are usually in the dark in this aspect.
Consequentially, while you may not spot the words ‘parfum’ or ‘fragrance’ on the labels and not catch the whiff of any obvious aroma from the fragrance-free products, you are still exposed to many fragrance chemicals.
In the case of Eucerin, the fragrance-free products contain compounds of alcohol, citral, and cinnamal among others. These are used to unmask unwanted odors.
The topical application of alcohol is toxic to your skin. Persistent exposure to it will leave your skin dry and flaky. It will also diminish your skin’s regeneration capabilities. Inhalation of the fumes of alcohol compounds over extended periods of time can damage the membrane of the lungs and also harm the brain and nervous system.
Other chemicals like citral and cinnamal can also cause skin blisters, hives, irritation, and sensitization. Their inhalation can result in hoarseness of voice, throat irritation, and nasal congestion.
It is difficult to decide if Eucerin’s fragrance-free products are better than its fragrance versions. We can conclude that your exposure to fragrance chemicals will be limited by using fragrance-free products.
References:
- Does Glossier Skincare Have Fragrance? - October 21, 2022
- Is Aveeno Color-Safe? - October 20, 2022
- Is Acure Color-Safe? - October 20, 2022
