Why we skip fragrance

Fragrance is the most common cause of contact reaction in skincare, and it does nothing for the skin barrier. It exists because scent sells: it makes a cream feel finished, and it covers the smell of the raw materials underneath.

What "unscented" usually means

Unscented is not the same as fragrance-free. A product can be described as unscented and still contain a masking fragrance, added specifically to neutralise the base's own smell. We use neither.

That has a consequence you will notice. Petrichor smells faintly green, and the smell shifts slightly between batches depending on the harvest of the oils in it. That is the formula, not a fault.

The trade we accepted

Fragrance-free formulas feel less luxurious on first use. There is no top note, no moment of lift when the jar opens. What you get instead is a product you can use twice a day for a year on reactive skin without wondering what is causing the flush.

If we cannot explain why something is in the bottle, it comes out.

The same rule removed colourants, essential oils, and denatured alcohol. Four formulas, under twelve ingredients each.