Why You Should Never Buy Scented Beauty Products
Whether you’re someone who has allergies or simply someone who cares about what ingredients are in your beauty products, you probably check the label for ingredients before purchasing something.
You probably know by now that a label with the word “natural” or “simple” doesn’t actually mean anything when it comes to what’s in your products.
What you may not know is that scented products’ ingredient labels don’t actually include all of the ingredients. In fact, the “fragrance” ingredient listed on your fave product’s label isn’t just fragrance. It could contain up to 14 chemicals that don’t have to be listed individually, according to dermatologist Dr. Sonia Batra, recurring co-host of The Doctors, who spoke with Bustle.
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She explained that brands get away without disclosing all the ingredients because the scent is considered a “trade secret.” Unfortunately, this can mean that the products have allergens, hormone disruptors, and carcinogens — generally stuff you don’t want to put on your face or body.
Just like with your food, the fewer ingredients listed and the more ingredients you can actually recognize, the better. Dr. Batra recommends sticking to products that are unscented or simply scented with essential oils.
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If you’ve ever used products that seemed legit and actually caused a breakout or reaction of some sort, their scented ingredients were probably the culprit. Sometimes less is more, and sticking to unscented products guarantee that you’ll never accidentally buy a product with an annoying smell — not to mention the unpleasant side effects.