Perfume – a beloved and criticised ingredient
A lot is said and written about perfume. On the one hand, we love a care product because of its wonderful smell. A well-known example is, of course, the iconic yellow bottle. For some, the instantly recognisable “baby scent”. The result? It gets sprayed everywhere – on babies, in rooms, on clothes. But one thing is certain: that scent has nothing to do with how your baby really smells. It is a fully man-made perfume.
On the other hand, perfume as an ingredient is heavily criticised. It is said to be harmful to people, the environment, and especially your baby. Some even claim the most dreadful things can happen if you use it on your child. But the truth is not that black and white.
As with many things, the story is more nuanced – and more complex.
What does perfume mean on the ingredients list?
When you see “parfum” on a skincare product, it means that fragrances have been added. The English word “fragrance” means exactly the same. This ingredient gives the product its recognisable scent.
The issue is: “parfum” is a catch-all term. It tells you nothing about the actual composition. Perfume consists of multiple substances that usually do not need to be listed separately. These can be synthetic or natural. And that’s where the challenge lies: because you don’t know exactly what is in it, you also don’t know whether it is “bad”. After all, a perfume based on rose, lavender, and sunflower oils is something very different from a mixture of synthetic ingredients – isn’t it?
Why do we use perfume so widely?
Scent plays an important role in our lives. Smell evokes associations with food, emotions, people, and places. A baby finds the breast by smell. Without realising it, you partly chose your partner based on body scent. When my children were little, I could tell from their smell whether they were ill.
If a perfume can evoke such feelings – as the “yellow classic” does for many – we tend to see that as something positive.
In addition, many functional ingredients in skincare products smell neutral to musty. Perfume helps to mask those odours.
Why does perfume still have such a bad reputation?
One reason is the synthetic ingredient phthalates. These are often added to perfumes for technical reasons:
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Extend the scent: phthalates slow down the evaporation of fragrance, making it last longer on the skin.
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Stabilise the formula: they contribute to a stable and consistent fragrance experience.
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Improve distribution: they help the scent spread evenly in the product.
The most commonly used phthalate in perfume is diethyl phthalate (DEP). It is odourless and mixes well with other fragrances.
But phthalates are controversial, because:
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Some are linked to hormone-disrupting effects.
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In the EU and elsewhere, certain phthalates such as DEHP, DBP, and BBP are restricted or banned in cosmetics.
How can you tell if there are phthalates in your skincare product?
Unfortunately, that is difficult to find out. Perfume ingredients do not have to be fully specified. The only sure way is to ask the brand directly.
A handy rule of thumb: if you can still smell the product after more than 30 minutes, there is a good chance it contains a synthetic perfume – and therefore may include phthalates.
Natural perfumes usually fade faster and do not contain phthalates. However, natural fragrances can still contain allergens. If you are allergic to a particular natural ingredient and are unsure whether it is included in a perfume, contact the brand.
A tip: check the position of perfume in the ingredients list
The earlier “parfum” or “fragrance” appears on the list, the higher the concentration in the product. If it’s at the very end? Then it makes up less than 1% – just a tiny amount.
What is the basis of the perfume in Petit&Jolie care products?
The basis of our perfume is natural essential oils without allergens. In other words: no phthalates are used.
