Glossary
4 terms. Definitions are short and attributed; for medical questions see a clinician.
E
- Essential oil
- DermNet NZ describes essential oils as volatile aromatic substances obtained from plant material by methods such as distillation and extraction. On this site, a product scented with essential oils is not counted as fragrance-free. Source
Related: Best fragrance-free moisturizer, Are essential oils fragrance-free?
F
- Fragrance
- On US cosmetic labels, the single word "Fragrance" can stand for a complex mixture of many natural and synthetic ingredients. The FDA says US rules let fragrance and flavor ingredients be listed simply as "Fragrance" or "Flavor" rather than one by one. Source
Related: Best fragrance-free moisturizer, What do "parfum" and "aroma" mean on an ingredient list?
M
- Masking fragrance
- A small amount of fragrance added to cover the smell of other ingredients without giving the product a noticeable scent. The FDA notes that some products labelled "unscented" may contain fragrance ingredients for this reason. Source
Related: Best fragrance-free moisturizer, Fragrance-free vs unscented, and what masking fragrance is
N
- NEA Seal of Acceptance
- A programme of the National Eczema Association. Per the NEA, a product must avoid every ingredient on its Ecz-clusion List, must be fragrance-free with nothing aromatic in the final product, and is reviewed by an independent panel of dermatologists, allergists and eczema experts. Source
Related: Best fragrance-free moisturizer, National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance: what it is and what it does not tell you