Ingredients with a documented concern, from official datasets and our reviewed database.
Sensitive skin: High cautionPregnancy: Best avoidedBabies & kids: Best avoidedEczema-prone: High caution
- Hormone disruption:Classified as toxic to reproduction (CMR 1B); banned in the EU since March 2022.
- Allergy risk:Well-documented fragrance sensitizer.
The lily-of-the-valley scent 'Lilial', banned in EU cosmetics in 2022 after being classified as presumed toxic to human reproduction. Still legal in some other markets — check older or imported products.
Sensitive skin: High cautionDry skin: High cautionBabies & kids: Use with cautionEczema-prone: Best avoided
- Irritation:Drying and barrier-disrupting in high-alcohol formulas with regular use.
Denatured ethanol gives products a fast-drying, weightless feel, but as a leading ingredient it degrades the skin barrier with repeated use — a poor match for dry, sensitive or eczema-prone skin.
Sensitive skin: Best avoidedPregnancy: Use with cautionBabies & kids: Best avoidedEczema-prone: Best avoided
- Allergy risk:Fragrance is the single most common cause of cosmetic contact allergy.
- Irritation:Frequent trigger of stinging and redness on reactive skin.
Caredermis curated dermatological review
An umbrella term that can hide dozens of undisclosed scent chemicals. Fragrance is the leading cause of allergic contact dermatitis from cosmetics, and dermatologists routinely advise fragrance-free products for eczema, babies and sensitive skin.
Sensitive skin: Use with cautionEczema-prone: High caution
- Allergy risk:EU-declarable allergen with well-documented sensitization.
A rose/geranium scent molecule and one of the more frequently positive fragrance allergens in patch testing.
Sensitive skin: Use with cautionEczema-prone: High caution
- Allergy risk:EU-declarable allergen; oxidation products are potent sensitizers.
The citrus-peel scent molecule. Like linalool, it becomes allergenic mainly after oxidizing in opened products.
Sensitive skin: Use with cautionEczema-prone: High caution
- Allergy risk:EU-declarable allergen; oxidized linalool is a common patch-test positive.
A floral scent molecule found in lavender and many essential oils. It oxidizes on air exposure into strongly sensitizing compounds, which is why it must be declared on EU labels.
Sensitive skin: Use with caution
- Allergy risk:EU-declarable fragrance allergen.
A violet-type scent chemical requiring EU allergen declaration.
preservative · solvent · fragrance
Severity 3/10Sensitive skin: Use with cautionEczema-prone: Use with caution
- Allergy risk:One of the 26 EU-declarable fragrance allergens.
- Irritation:Mild irritation possible at higher concentrations.
A preservative and fragrance component that must be declared on EU labels because it can trigger contact allergy in a small share of users.
Sensitive skin: Use with caution
- Allergy risk:EU-declarable fragrance allergen.
A floral fixative on the EU allergen list, with early-stage evidence of weak hormonal activity being evaluated by regulators.
Sensitive skin: Use with cautionEczema-prone: Use with caution
- Allergy risk:EU-declarable fragrance allergen.
A rose-type scent component on the EU's mandatory-declaration allergen list.
Sensitive skin: Use with caution
- Allergy risk:EU-declarable fragrance allergen.
A common jasmine-scented ingredient in fine fragrance and skincare, declared as an allergen on EU labels.
- Allergy risk:Rare reports of sensitivity.
A widely approved blue dye with a benign cosmetic safety record.