The Word Hiding in Plain Sight: "Parfum"
Most people shopping for sensitive-skin products check the front label for words like "fragrance-free" or "natural" and stop there. The label that actually matters is the ingredient list on the back, specifically whether the word Parfum appears in it. If it does, the product is not fragrance-free, no matter what the front of the bottle says.
Fragrance-Free vs Naturally Scented: The Real Difference
These two things get confused constantly, but for reactive skin the distinction matters. "Fragrance-free" means exactly that: no added Parfum at all, from any source. "Naturally scented" means the product still contains added fragrance, just derived from essential oils or botanical extracts rather than synthetic compounds. Both can be gentle formulations. But a naturally scented product can still trigger reactions in fragrance-sensitive skin, because the skin often doesn't distinguish between a synthetic fragrance molecule and a natural one like linalool or limonene. Both are common contact allergens.
Why This Matters More for Reactive Skin
If your skin reacts to "gentle" or "natural" products and you can't work out why, fragrance, natural or synthetic, is one of the most common hidden causes. Checking the INCI list for Parfum, or for named essential oil compounds, takes ten seconds and can save weeks of guessing.
How We Label Every KERTIH Product
We split our own range honestly rather than calling everything "natural" and leaving you to guess. Products that contain zero Parfum are labelled completely fragrance-free, with nothing hidden. Products that contain natural fragrance, like our Patchouli & Amber Vanilla wash, are labelled as scented, with the specific allergen compounds listed so you know exactly what you're applying. We'd rather you choose the right product for your skin than have you disappointed, or worse, reacting, after the fact.
You can see this in practice on our fully fragrance-free Sensitive Skin Moisturiser, formulated with zero Parfum and zero listed allergens.