Is Your Favorite Scented Lotion Causing Your Skin To Dry Out Even More?

Listen, we love a richly scented lotion as much as the next gal. Sometimes, all you want is for people to compliment your floral or honeysuckle aroma without ever needing to spritz actual perfume on yourself — which is achievable with the right luxurious, fragrance-heavy moisturizer. And most days, nothing feels better than slathering on generous amounts of soothing lavender lotion before bed, because that just unlocks a new level of deep sleep. But delicious scents aside, are these fragranced lotions actually helping your skin, or are they hindering its ability to retain moisture?

You might be surprised to learn that scented lotions, however moisturizing they claim to be, are often the culprit behind dry and irritated skin. If you have noticed that regardless of how much lotion you apply your skin remains stubbornly dry, dull, and irritated, then you might benefit from checking the ingredients in your moisturizing products. Usually, if a product is fragranced, it'll include "fragrance" or "perfume" somewhere in the ingredient list, even if the product calls itself "unscented." Why is this necessary? Because while fragrances don't inherently don't dry out your skin, they may irritate those who have allergies and sensitivities to them.

Contrary to popular belief, scents are not inherently evil. Or not entirely. Not everyone reacts badly to fragrances and scented lotions, and some even benefit from their consistent use. This being said, other people are not so lucky and risk irritating their sensitive skin even further by using fragranced creams. Whether or not fragrances will dry out your skin simply comes down to luck of the draw.

Those who react to fragranced products may be experiencing contact dermatitis, which causes their skin to grow irritated and dry upon contact with certain, or all, fragrances (via DermNet). Anyone can become sensitized to fragrances over time, so knowing how to look out for the signs of a reaction, even if you've always been able to use a product without any issues, is key to maintaining healthy skin.

According to dermatologist Marisa Garshick, M.D., who spoke to Refinery29 on the subject, "... some individuals with dry or sensitive skin may develop a reaction with certain types of fragrance, which may lead to further redness, dryness, and itching of the skin." These symptoms are easily recognizable to people with pre-existing eczema and other skin conditions, but if this starts happening suddenly, a visit to your trusted dermatologist to determine possible fragrance allergies might be best. Plus, it doesn't hurt to make the switch to fragrance-free lotions.

How does one avoid fragrance completely? You'd think it would be as easy as looking for lotions labeled "unscented," but it might be trickier than you imagine. Although many lotions and moisturizers might claim that they are unscented, this only means that the product doesn't smell like any discernable fragrance and will not leave any smell lingering on your skin. As Dr. Garshick explains, this "unscented" label usually only means that the product contains a "masking fragrance to cover up a natural scent" (via Refinery29).

On the other hand, creams that are labeled "fragrance-free" are typically more accurately unscented and safe for finicky, irritable dry skin. This being said, always check your lotion's ingredients for those pesky, unexpected labels such as "fragrance," "aroma," "perfume," or "parfum." These are among the skincare ingredients to avoid if you have eczema, dermatitis, or sensitive skin. 

To sum things up, if your skin is showing signs of irritation caused by fragrance, simply opt for lotions labeled "fragrance-free" to be safe (and to finally achieve the baby-soft skin of your dreams), and finish things off with your favorite perfume — no scent sacrifice needed! Just remember, when in doubt, turn to the ingredients label. As a rule of thumb, always remember to patch test new products to ensure there are no other hidden ingredients that might aggravate your sensitive skin.