Fragrance-free DOES NOT MEAN fragrance-free!
Confused?
Let me explain to you what fragrance-free means.
FRAGRANCE-FREE or UNSCENTED products have an added chemical to MASK the smells of the other chemicals or fragrance in their products!!!
OH MY GOD!!!!
How ignorant I have been!
No wonder of late, the Simple shampoo has been irritating my nose and I could not figure out what it was!
Even though the masking agent(s) mask the smells of the other chemicals, they can still trigger a hypersensitivity attack as the chemicals are still in there. It is just that you don't smell it now, that's all.
Scary eh?
Of course I understand that there is no way we can completely avoid synthetic chemicals in our daily life. I am wondering on how to go about this fragrance-free and unscented products with masking agents.
Veratraldehyde
Veratraldehyede is an example of a masking agent.
The compound structure is structurally related to benzaldehyde. It is derivative of vanillin.
This is added to soaps, detergents and luxury perfumes as an odour-masking agent.
Veratraldehyde occurs naturally in champaca flower extracts, peppermint and raspberries. But it is commercially cheaper and thus almost all veratraldehyde used today is synthetic.
Not only it is used as a masking agent, it is used by perfumers as a fixative as it helps perfume linger longer on the skin or fabric.
Veratraldehyde's usage level is meant to be kept at or below 10% of a perfume's concentrate oil.
Veratraldehyde is also known as Methylvanillin, Veratric Aldehyde, Veratral, Veratryl Aldehyde, Veratrum Aldehyde, Vanillin Methyl Ether.
An interesting link.
Click here for more information on veratraldehyde.
