“Fragrance” Might Be Hiding More Than You Think – And why it matters for your health (and your kids’ too)

Let me tell you a little story.

Years ago, I bought this “unscented” baby lotion for my daughter, thinking I was making the healthiest choice. I mean, the label literally said unscented. But every time I used it, I noticed a faint smell I couldn’t quite place… and her skin? It got red and irritated almost every time.

Curious (and frustrated), I flipped the bottle over. And there it was.
Fragrance.

Turns out, “fragrance” is a pretty sneaky word.

What does “fragrance” actually mean?

It sounds innocent enough, but here’s the thing:
The word fragrance (or parfum) on a label can represent a chemical cocktail of hundreds—sometimes thousands of ingredients, and companies don’t have to tell us what’s inside. In fact, 95% of fragrance ingredients are derived from petrochemicals. Yikes.

And it gets worse.

Some of these hidden ingredients include:

• Phthalates – Linked to hormone disruption
• Synthetic musks – Can build up in our bodies and may amplify the effects of other toxins
• Neurotoxins – Chemicals that are toxic to the brain
• Skin allergens – Causing rashes, reactions, and sensitivities

Sometimes companies will even call a product unscented but still include fragrance because they’ve used it to mask the natural smell of the ingredients, not to add scent. Sneaky, right?

What we use at Avapure (and why it matters)

When I started Avapure, I knew two things for sure:

1. I wanted products safe enough for my family.
2. I wanted to actually know what was in the things I was using every day.

So here’s how we handle scent:

• Most of our products are scented only with organic essential oils.
• A few select lotions and lip products are lightly scented with organic food flavor oils from a trust supplier. They are phthalate free, 100 percent plant derived and I review every certificate of analysis before using the product.

Transparency is everything to me, especially when it comes to ingredients.

So… what should you do?

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed with what’s safe and what’s not, you’re not alone. I’ve been there too. But one of the simplest and most powerful changes you can make is this:

👉 Start swapping out synthetic fragrances.

Especially for your kids. Their developing systems are even more sensitive.

Need a safe starting place?

Try one of Avapure’s aromatherapy roll-ons!
They’re easy, gentle, and made with only essential oils and safe, plant-derived scent oils.

These are perfect for:

• Tweens and teens ditching body sprays
• Moms needing a subtle, clean scent
• Anyone ready to stop wearing “fragrance” and start wearing plants 🌿

Start small. You don’t have to overhaul everything overnight.
One swap at a time = big change over time.

✨Want to dig deeper into fragrance or ask questions about label-reading? Come join the conversation in my community: Green Beauty and Beyond

Let’s keep learning together, one safe swap at a time.