Parfum/Fragrance ●
TL;DR. It is an olfactory additive used to give a product its intended smell and to cover raw-material odors.
What does Parfum/Fragrance do in a cosmetic formula?
It is an olfactory additive used to give a product its intended smell and to cover raw-material odors.
Is Parfum/Fragrance clean?
Clean-beauty standards treat this ingredient with extra scrutiny because it can contain many undisclosed components, including recognized contact allergens. It is widely used and often well tolerated, but sensitive users may react depending on the specific blend and dose.
Is Parfum/Fragrance sustainable?
Sourcing can range from plant-derived materials to petrochemical synthetics, so its environmental profile is blend-specific. Biodegradability also varies, with some long-lasting odorant molecules raising persistence concerns in waterways.
Is Parfum/Fragrance COSMOS-approved?
It is permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic only when the blend meets natural-origin requirements and the standard’s rules for allowed aromatic materials. From a Green Chemistry view, alignment depends on renewable sourcing, transparent composition, readily biodegradable components, and lower-solvent processing.
How does Parfum/Fragrance work chemically?
This ingredient is not a single molecule, but a formulated mixture of volatile and semi-volatile odorants, solvents, stabilizers, and sometimes plant extracts. Typical use levels range from trace amounts in facial products to about 0.1% to 2% in many leave-on products and higher in fine-scent formats, with stability influenced by light, oxidation, packaging, and interactions with surfactants or polymers.
Last updated 2026-05-13